Ice Jam History Ice Jam Mitigation Training and

Ice Jam History, Ice Jam Mitigation Training and Ice Mitigation Efforts in WFO Albany’s Hydrologic Service Area (HSA) NROW 11, Session D John S. Quinlan NWS Albany, NY

How Ice Jams Form (Source: NWS, USA Today)

Most Likely Locations for Ice Jams is Where the River’s Transport Capacity is Exceeded • Obstructions in the Channel – Islands, Locks, Bridge Piers, Docks • Changes in the Channel – Narrowing of the Channel, Bends, Gorges, Intact Ice Cover • Change in the Channel Depth – Deep water to Shallow water • Merger of River Channels

Economic Impacts - Ice Jams • Damage Totals Approximately $125 Million Annually • Interference with Navigation • Reduced Hydropower Production • Channel Erosion and Damage to Channel Training Structures • Other Costs - Fish, Wildlife and Their Habitat (Source: CRREL)

Ice Jams In The U. S. 1780 -Present (Source: CRREL)

USA-CRREL Ice Jam Database Ice Jam Events Ranking by State 1. Montana 12. Maine 1489 691 2. New York 1467 13. New Hampshire 615 3. Minnesota 1167 14. Ohio 541 4. Wisconsin 1130 15. Michigan 5. Pennsylvania 1124 406 6. Alaska 1110 16. Wyoming 7. North Dakota 1048 305 8. South Dakota 1039 17. Idaho 9. Nebraska 1022 284 10. Vermont 18. Iowa 251 Of the 866 1467 Ice Jams in New York - 3 occurred November, 89 in December, 478 in 19. in. Massachusetts 11. Illinois. January, 421 in February, 482 in March, 219 and 64 in April.

ALY Worst Ice Jam Locations • • • • Hudson River – North Creek to Hadley Moose River – Mc. Keever and Lyonsdale Sacandaga River – above Lake Algonquin & Hope to Northville Hoosic River – Hoosick Falls to Buskirk Battenkill – Arlington to Battenville Mohawk River – Herkimer to Little Falls, Fort Plain, Tribes Hill, Rotterdam, Schenectady, Rexford, Vischer Ferry, Crescent East Canada Creek, West Canada Creek, Fulmer Creek, Moyer Creek, Steele Creek, Caroga Creek, Otsquago Creek, Canajoharie Creek, Alplaus Kill Schoharie Creek – Lexington to Prattsville, Middleburgh to Lost Valley Rondout Creek – Accord, Kerhonkson, Eddyville Wappingers Creek – especially Shady Brook Trailer Park Roeliff Jansen Kill, Kinderhook Creek, Poestenkill Creek Housatonic River – Falls Village to Kent, New Milford Farmington River – Otis to New Boston Saxtons River – Saxtons River Williams River - Rockingham

Number of Ice Jams on the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers and Tributaries 1902 -Present • • • W B Farmington Rvr Housatonic River Leadmine Brook Still River Shepaug River Tenmile River Farmington River Green River Naugatuck River Blackberry River 30 27 12 10 07 07 06 05 05 04 • • • (Source: CRREL) Roaring Brook Salmon Creek Guinea Brook Kettle Brook Nepaug River Nonewaug River Pomperaug River Wachocastinook Cr West Aspetuck Rvr 04 03 01 01

Number of Ice Jams on the Mohawk and Moose Rivers and their Tributaries 1914 -Present • • • Mohawk River Schoharie Creek Middle Br. Moose Rvr Moose River Platter Kill West Canada Creek East Canada Creek Otsquago Creek Fulmer Creek 50 49 19 15 11 10 08 07 05 • • • Steele Creek Caroga Creek Mine Kill West Kill Bridenbecker Creek Moyer Creek Nowadaga Creek Panther Lake Outlet Saquoit Creek (Source: CRREL) 03 02 02 02 01 01 01

Number of Ice Jams on the Upper Hudson River and Tributaries 1867 -Present • • • Hudson River Hoosic River Sacandaga River Batten Kill Poesten Kill Kayaderosseras Cr Northwest Bay Brook Moordener Kill Kennyetto Creek 36 20 20 19 10 08 08 07 05 • • • Little Hoosic River Cedar River E. Branch Sacandaga English Brook Glowegee Creek West Stony Creek East Stony Creek Normans Kill Schroon River (Source: CRREL) 05 02 02 02 01 01 01

Mohawk River – Lock 12 Fort Hunter, NY - February 13, 2009

Ice Jam Mitigation Sloped Block Ice Control Hydroseeding Clam Shell Wrecking Ball (Source: CRREL)

Ice Jam Training and Mitigation Workshops 2009 • 2/9/2009 Washington Volunteer Fire Department Washington, CT Attendance: 19 • 2/25/2009 Montgomery County EMO Fonda, NY Attendance: 35 • 3/3/2009 Warren County Sheriffs Office Lake George, NY Attendance: 17

Thermal Breakup vs. Mechanical Breakup • Ice Cover Melts in Place • Direct Sunlight Plays a Large Role • Surface Color Influences Sunlight Absorption, Dusting • Water on Ice Decreases Reflection, May Promote Melting • Open Water Areas Absorb Sunlight • Hydrodynamic Forces Acting on Ice Cover Exceed Cover Strength • Results from an Increase in Flow • Precipitation Event • Snowmelt Event • Dam Operation (Source: CRREL)

Attempts To Control The Ice Regime To Lessen The Impacts Of Ice Related Problems Include: • Fixed Structures – Tension Weir, Sloped Block Ice Control • Ice Booms • Channel Modification • Dusting, Hole Drilling • Mechanical Weakening (Source: CRREL)

Mechanical Weakening • Immediate Strength Reduction. • Four Most Common Methods: Excavation - Bulldozer, Clam Shell Blasting Dynamite, Aerial Ice Cutting - Trencher, Ice Saw Ice Breaking - Amphibious Excavator, Vessels, Wrecking Ball (Source: CRREL)

Fulmer Creek Ice Jam Flood February 21, 1994 • 6 Block Area on West Side of Mohawk, NY Flooded • 40 Homes Evacuated • Water Depth Reached 6 Feet in Places • Numerous Cars Completely Submerged

Fulmer Creek Ice Jam 3/3/04 Mitigation Training Herkimer, NY

Fulmer Creek Above 5 S Bridge

Fulmer Creek Below 5 S Bridge

Fulmer Creek Under 5 S Bridge

Fulmer Creek Below Main St. Bridge

Fulmer Creek Above Main St. Bridge

Crane on 5 S Bridge

Wrecking Ball Breaking Ice

Bridenbecker Creek 02/12/09 Herkimer County (Video: WKTV Utica, NY)

Nowadaga Creek 03/07/09 Herkimer County

Ice Breaking Ice covers can be broken prior to natural breakup using ice breaking vessels or construction equipment. Downstream movement of the broken ice should be enhanced to prevent localized breakup ice jams. Ice breaking is particularly useful to ease navigation in larger rivers and lakes. (Source: CRREL)

Video of Amphibex on Nechako River in British Columbia (Source: Prince George Citizen)

The Amphibex story, in my mind, is all about modern-day technology working with Mother Nature to create what is now a long, open channel that gives the water some place to go, and the water level has dropped substantially, " he said. "So the little green grass hopper was able to work only nine days, but you know what, it did a great job. " Quote from Prince George Citizen 1/29/08

A Dangerous Ice Jam Mitigation Activity! (Source: CRREL and NBC 2 News)

Conclusions • Ice Jam Training and Mitigation Workshops have had Some Success Mainly with Excavation Methods (Bulldozer, Clam Shell) • Other Methods Need to be Utilized Including Sloped Block Ice Control Structures in Non-Navigable Bodies of Water as well as Hydroseeding and Ice Breaking on Larger Bodies of Water

Questions? and/or Comments!