00:00This barrier, draped across the eastern end of Lake Erie every winter and early spring,
00:05may be more important than you realize.
00:07More than 70% of Lake Erie is still ice-covered this week,
00:10and that is significantly above average for early March.
00:13The meltdown takes time as temperatures rise,
00:15and when the ice begins to melt, it fractures into huge chunks.
00:18This big ice boom is installed near Buffalo.
00:22Its mission is simple but critical.
00:23Hold the ice in place, stop it from entering the Niagara River.
00:27Reduce the risk of ice jams and flooding on this naturally shallow, rocky river.
00:32And perhaps most importantly, protect hydropower operations downstream near the falls.
00:38When ice coverage stays this high this late in the season, the stakes go up.
00:41As temperatures warm and the ice continues to fracture into large, moving chunks,
00:45the ice boom remains a quiet line of defense.
00:47Spring may be on the calendar, but on Lake Erie, winter's dangers aren't over yet.
Comments