WINTER: Installation of Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom begins.

Spiel · December 12, 2008

WINTER: Installation of Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom begins.

December 7, 2008

Staff Reports / Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

Lake Erie’s temperature at Buffalo has reached 39 degrees, meaning it’s cold enough to begin installing the spans of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom, according to the International Joint Commission’s International Niagara Board of Control.

The ice boom has been installed each winter since 1964 near the outlet of Lake Erie to reduce the amount of ice entering the Niagara River. It minimizes ice jams in the river, which could damage shoreline property, while maintaining the water flow that supports hydro-electric power.

The strings of spans have been removed from their onshore storage area and placed inside the Buffalo Harbor breakwall. Next, the junction plates the spans are attached to will be raised from the lakebed and secured to the surface using flotation barrels.

After that, the boom’s 22 spans will be attached to the junction plates. Installation of the barrels and boom spans typically takes six to seven days, unless there are high winds.

Placement of the spans may begin when the Lake Erie water temperature at Buffalo reaches 39 degrees or Dec. 16, whichever comes first. Lake Erie hit 39 degrees Dec. 9 last year.

Stretching 1.7 miles from Buffalo Harbor to near the Canadian shore, the ice boom strengthens the natural ice arch that forms almost every year. The boom has substantially reduced the severity, number and duration of ice runs from Lake Erie into the Niagara River.

Severe storms with westerly winds may overcome the stability of the ice arch and force large masses of ice against the boom. The boom is designed so that when this occurs, the boom submerges and allows the ice to override it until the pressure is relieved.

Once the storm subsides, the boom resurfaces and restrains ice that would otherwise flow down the river. The boom does not hamper the flow of water out of the lake into the Niagara River.

Each of the boom’s 22 spans consists of a series of up to 11 floating steel pontoons anchored to the lake bottom at 400-foot intervals by 2.5 inch steel cables. Each pontoon is 30 inches in diameter and 30 feet long.