With the weather turning colder and snow soon to arrive, look for an announcement in the next week or so that the annual Ice Boom that is placed across the mouth of the Niagara River at Lake Erie will soon be installed. The boom is installed by Ontario Power Generation and the Power Authority of New York State to prevent ice jams below the falls. This results in fewer reports of ice related damages in the lower Niagara River. This boom, consisting of a series of floating timbers attached by chains to an underwater steel cable, has been installed yearly since the mid 1960’s.

The boom is normally removed by April 1.

 

Here’s a photo of one of the earliest Ice Booms holding back ice from entering the Niagara River from Lake Erie.