Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Ice Boom
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 17, 2019
1. The Ice Boom Marker
On display is a 30-foot long section of the Ice Boom. Each winter, The Ice Boom is installed to minimize ice flow into hydropower intakes in the Niagara River. Thus, it substantially reduces losses in power generation in all but the most severe storms.
The Ice Boom is 1.7 miles long from the Buffalo waterfront all the way to the Canadian shore, located about two miles upstream from the Peace Bridge in downtown Buffalo.
Use of the Ice Boom began in 1964, led by the International Joint Commission made up of the New York Power Authority and Ontario Hydro. From 1964 to 1999, the Ice Boom consisted of 22 sections or spans made of 286 wooden logs. Each log weighed 1.5 tons and was 30 feet long, 16 inches high and 22 inches wide.
Starting in 2000, the logs were replaced by steel cylinders, each 30 feet long, 30 inches in diameter, and capped at each end. There are 10 to 11 cylinders in each of the booms 22 spans.
During December and January, the Ice Boom promotes early formation of an ice arch, which in turn promotes the formation of a uniform ice cover west of the boom, thereby reducing the flow of ice into the Niagara River.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.
Location. 43° 5.151′ N, 79°
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York, specifically in Western New York, and in the Buffalo Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lake Ontario (within shouting distance of this marker); Town of Niagara Civil War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Niagara County Medal of Honor Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); David Hill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chief Clinton Rickard (about 300 feet away); Sophie Martin (about 300 feet away); Cataract House (about 600 feet away); The Red Coach Inn / Annex Building (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Niagara Falls.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Niagara's Industrial Beginnings and the Establishment of the State Reservation (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . All About the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom. International Joint Commission website entry (Submitted on January 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 17, 2019
2. The Ice Boom Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 17, 2019
3. The Ice Boom Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 17, 2019
4. The Ice Boom Marker
via International Joint Commission, 2015
5. The New York Power Authority and Ontario Power generation install the ice boom in December 2015.
Credit: Paul Pasquarello, NYPA
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2019, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 586 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 22, 2019, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5. submitted on January 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
