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Niagara River ice boom to be installed Thursday

NY Power Authority gets green light to start early this year

By wben Dec 09, 2020

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – The ice boom in Lake Erie and the Niagara River is being installed a week early this year.

Installation normally gets the green light whenever the lake temperature reaches 39 degrees or December 16. The warmer temperatures this year prevented the former, though installation of the ice boom will begin on Thursday.

"This is an unusual year," Lou Paonessa of the New York Power Authority said. "Because of staffing levels that could be impacted by the COVID-19 virus, we and the Ontario Power Generation went to the (International Joint Commission) and asked if we can get a head start, a one-year exemption if you would, to start the installation a little bit early. The IJC saw it was in the public interest to do so."

The ice boom is installed each year to reduce the amount of ice that flows through the Niagara River. Too much ice would cause a jam that could cause flooding, damage to docks, and reduce the flow to the power plants.

Thursday's final phase of installation involves placing pontoons in the water. Depending on how the weather plays out, Paonessa expects the process to only take 3-5 days.

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Niagara River ice boom to be installed Thursday

NY Power Authority gets green light to start early this year

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