Installation of the ice boom for the 2025-26 ice season is scheduled to begin as early as Dec. 14, the International Joint Commission has announced.
The boom will be installed by the New York Power Authority.
The ice boom promotes the formation and strengthening of a naturally occurring ice arch that reduces the amount of ice entering the Niagara River.
According to IJC officials, the ice boom can be safely installed when Lake Erie reaches 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) in Buffalo. As of Dec. 10, Lake Erie water temperature is approximately 4.4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit).