Following the winter that never seemed to end and a spring that never seems to begin, preparations are now underway for the removal of the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom.
Satellite imagery analysis from April 10, showed that the eastern basin of Lake Erie, the portion of the lake east of a line between Long Point, Ontario and Erie, Pennsylvania, covered an area of less than 250 square miles of ice.
In accordance with the International Joint Commission Order of Approval governing operation of the ice boom, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will begin removal as ice conditions and safe working conditions allow. Due to heavy buildup of ice in the Maid-of-the-Mist Pool and persistent thick ice conditions at the boom, a gradual removal of the boom will be undertaken. This will control the release of the thick ice remaining behind the boom to avoid ice jams in the Niagara River.
Due to heavy ice conditions this winter, much of the ice boom remains encased in heavy ice so that NYPA crews have not been able to access parts of the boom.
The heavy ice conditions also resulted in damage to the boom over the winter, with several spans of the boom trailing, and ice is gradually releasing at these openings.(Photograph above)
As ice gradually clears, NYPA will gradually open spans as safe working conditions allow and in a controlled manner to allow the ice to clear from the Niagara River without jamming.
The latest ice boom opening was May 3, 1971. The earliest start date was February 28, 2012.