BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) With ice cover on Lake Erie hovering at less than one percent, and a water temperature above freezing, at 34 degrees, preparations are underway to remove the Lake Erie - Niagara River ice boom starting Thursday, March 2.
It's early, but not the earliest according to New York Power Authority spokesman Louis Paonessa.
"The earliest was February 28, 2012," said Paonessa. "It has been removed in early March several times, including March 2, 2020. There have been other ice free years in 1983, 1998 and 2002." Adding, "it's not unheard of."
Western New York is not done with Winter yet. There is a potential storm on Friday. "It's not a concern as far as ice," noted Paonessa. "We don't see any prolonged cold spells that would allow the lake to drop and create a large amount of ice this late in the year."
Friday's weather, however, might impact removal plans. The process might have to be stopped as it normally takes a couple of days to get the 21 spans tied off to the breakwall and then a couple more days to tow the spans up the Buffalo River to their storage site.
The ice boom is installed every year to reduce the frequency and duration of any ice flows that would come down the river that could impact power generation. It also reduces shoreline flooding and ice jam flooding.
Installation and removal of the ice boom is a joint operation of the New York Power Authority and Ontario Power Generation. "We share the work and share the cost," said Paonessa.
