By Associated Press - Sunday, April 21, 2019

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - In an annual rite of spring for western New York, crews are making plans to remove the ice boom that’s installed each year to reduce the amount of ice that enters the Niagara River from Lake Erie.

The New York Power Authority says removal of the nearly two-mile-long boom is expected to start on Monday.

The boom has been installed on the water every year since 1964. By reducing the amount of ice in the river, it prevents ice jams that can reduce the amount of water flowing into intakes for the production of hydro-electric power. Less ice also lessens the potential for shoreline damage.



Last year, crews began removing the boom’s 22 spans on April 10.

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