Jump to content

Niagara Ice Boom Cam [Official Thread]


ExiledInIllinois

Recommended Posts

They say it has no influence on the weather BUT every time I've looked at the webcam, the weather has sucked!

 

LoL... So true!

 

The funny thing is, it looks like more than 250 square miles of ice if you check out @ NOAA's ice charts. 250sqmi is 16 miles by 16 miles roughly...IMO, they are yanking it out early because that thing could be in till the end of May and what a PR disaster they would have on their hands. Why not beat the record of May 3, 1973! 1973 is far off in everybody's mind... The gov't knows this... They can still placate all the naysayers. IMO, I think there are better ways to protect property on Grand Island and the intake culverts @ the power plants... It is just more expensive than throwing up a super-cheap boom. Nothing like having a timbered dam holding back ice & blocking your waterfront from Dec 1st to March 1st (@ the earliest)... And God awful May 1st in years like this. Why does BFLO's waterfront have to suffer for 1/2 a year? Doesn't ice flow down river? You would think the residents of Fort Erie/Buffalo would get a deep discount on their electric bills? Instead, they are probably shipping all that cheap power off to places like Toronto & New York City.

 

My personal opinion, not that it matters? w/the ice boom, BFLO/F. Erie doesn't even get a reach around.

 

Notice, the ice boom started being installed in 1963? For years it was never boomed up. Coincided right when they destroyed BFLO's number one natural resource and asset by building the Seaway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kinda neat if you look @ The Boom Cam right now... You see all the ice breaking up and heading down past the water crib @ the mouth of The Lake... Then in the river cam, you see a long line of ice headed towards The Falls... That is The Falls in the far background of the Peace Bridge shot... Mist is usually seen rising up.

 

Hope the weather gets clearer... You can start to see ice along the river in the far background near The Falls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I figured that. Something has to open it up. Why can't they start early on? Maybe open up a section of Boom and start flushing it down. The USCG has been cutting up Lake Superior since the end of March.

 

I still contend this boom method is the cheapest way possible to protect downstream interests... Yet, hurts BFLO pretty heavily by getting the waterfront off to slow start. Who's going to want to invest in a slip say @ River Bend... With such a short season. Small Boat Harbor and Erie Basin already have a heck of time with the inconsistent weather/season Good business like consistency... It is just too damn iffy a business loses a whole month or two in the spring.

 

Honestly, I think the Corps could be doing a better job.

 

IMO.

 

Also, BTW... IMO... Power Authority is blowing smoke up evefybody's azz... That boom could have sat there till June and they would have been happy. They are saying 240 left, IMO... It looked like way more on the NOAA plates... Glad they are finally getting off their duff and cutting it up. They have to play the PR game too or people will be screaming bloody murder if this drags into June. Notice how they conveniently beat the 1973 record? Hmmm... I am calling well placed PR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...