NIAGARA’S ANNUAL ICE BOOM IS NOW IN PLACE By GEORGE BAILEY
2010-12-29 11:26:03
3 comments Latest by Mark Szorady 02/04/11 11:58:06 EST
Each year at about this time since 1964 an Ice boom consisting of 22 spans is stretched across the mouth of the Niagara River at Lake Erie to restrict the flow of ice and slush from going down the Niagara River into the gorge below the falls. The ice boom which extends some 2680 metres (8,800 feet) is put in place by the International Niagara Board of Control to prevent ice damage below the falls.
The ice boom is installed when the water temperature of Lake Erie drops to 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) as it did last week.
Even though this boom is most effective, we still get a sizable ice bridge when the weather is very cold (a formation during very cold winters of ice that freezes into a solid mass forming an ice bridge from one shore to the other). I’ll let you know what happens this winter.
Attached is an aerial view of the Niagara River as it winds its way from Lake Erie to the falls. You can see the ice boom holding back the lake ice.
