Ice Jam Research Paper
Abstract: The January 1996 event, and its damages was used to understand ice jam flooding in the lower Mohawk River. Ice jams are formed when the blocks of ice formed along the river causing water retention behind the blocks of ice. Once the ice melts the water that was retained adds up to the water level already existing. to understand ice jams better the tree elevation scar of the eastern cottonwood tree was measured in the lock 8 in glenville, stockade park in schenectady and at the Glen sanders mansion in Scotia. A stadia rod and a vertical scale were used to measure the tree scars. The first ice jam formed at Stockade Park in Schenectady at around 12:15 AM and broke at 02:00AM lasting one 1 hour and 45 minutes while the second ice jam formed around 06:15 AM and broke around 07:45 AM lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. Being aware of how ice jams form and the foundings
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allow for further actions in order decrease the damages of the ice jam. In order to lessen the impact the amount of vigilance should be implemented since they occurred at night and have time to evacuate people in the nearest homes.
Introduction:
Ice jams is water that has been built up behind ice. Ice jams are formed They are form when sheets of ice is produced during the winter making it possible for the ice to hold on to the water in the river. When river flow is low the ice gets stuck in one area of the river. As the ice stays there due to low flow it can hold on to water and other material in the water. Ice jams are difficult to mitigate because its mitigation process involves lowering the amount of ice that is produced which is nearly impossible considering that snowfall is a natural process that cannot be prevented. Also one factor that causes ice jams is the river current and the lack of slope in a river, which cannot be fixed to speed up river flows. Ice jams can also cause major flooding because when the ice jam is formed it can retain water that will later on be released when they ice breaks. The water that was retained behind the dam will add up to the water levels once the water is released. The Mohawk River in Schenectady is “relatively flat with a low gradient, and thus large volume of sheet of ice is produced in the inter, and this produces the largest and most durable blocks for the initiation of ice jams”(Garver). Due to its low gradient the Mohawk River becomes vulnerable to sustainability of ice jams. Schenectady also has “constrictions on the floodplain” (Garver). This causes low water flow which will increase water levels causing a discharge One of the most significant ice jams break up happened in january 1996. The break up w, which was caused by “severe restriction in flow” (Garver). The breakup of the ice jam causes an inundation of the Stockade in Schenectady. There was not a lot of information on the incident because it happened at night. However, the scars on trees allows researchers to know exactly what happened during the incident. The goal of this experiment is to look at the tree scars in order to reconstruct the event of January 1996 and see the elevation of tree scars. Three different locations along the Mohawk River on Schenectady and Scotia 0 will be analyzed. The first location is Lock 8 in Glenville, Stockade Park in Schenectady and at Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. At all tree location the Eastern Cottonwood( Populus Deltoid) was examined to see the elevation scar. ). At the Stockade park in Schenectady the elevation was 15(fig 3). At the Lock 8 the elevation scar was for 1996 22.5 ft (fig 4). Once in lab the measurements were gathered and put together to find the scar mean to see the highest tree scar elevation (fig 2).
Methods: For the experiment the Eastern Cottonwood(populus deltoides) was identified which shows the removal of the bark. At the schenectady stockade the tree shows the scar of about 14 feet(figure 2)(garcer). . Compared to now the scar is still present but the healing is visible because the scars are no longer showing healing in a circular motion(fig 3). To measure the tree scar a stadia rod and a vertical scale to estimate the water height. The stadia rod tip was placed in the water and then a vertical scale was used to see the height of the scar with base elevation being 213 at the stockade.
Results: At Riverside Park the elevation was 14ft at above barge datum of 213.1ft for tree 1 and 15 ft for tree 2 (fig.3). Malayack Park below Lock 8 had an elevation of 22.5ft (fig 4). At the SCC park the tree scar elevation was 18ft for tree two. For Maalwyck part below Lock 8 the tree scar elevation was 23ft(appendix). The problem with the flood of january 1996 were the channel constriction from the old Burr Bridge (garver). The constriction might have prevented the the free flow and the passage of ice and water. since the channel became tighter it allowed the water to accumulate . In the morning of the 199y event two ice jams formed. The discharge of 60k cfs was the first jam from 12:15 am to 2:00am lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. the second ice jam occurred from 6:15am to 7:45 am lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. The rising limb shows the accumulation of water that was then released throughout the two outbreak of the ice jam (figure 5).
Interpretation: The main reason for the flood of january 1996 was the channel construction which preventing a faster flow of water and ice.
The three trees that were measured was the Polypous deltoid in the locations of of Lock 8 in Glenville, Stockade Park in schenectady and Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. At the Lock 8 the tree scar elevation was 22.5, at the Stockade riverside park the tree scars was 14ft for the first tree and 15 for the second tree. At the Glen Sanders Mansion the tree scar elevation was 17ft. In 1996 on the rising limb from the first ice jam to the second ice jam the water went from 34k cfs to0 117k cfs which was when the second ice jam outbreak occurred. The ice jam occurred in this area because of the characteristics that are present In the mohawk River. One aspect that contribute to the formation of jams are areas that are flat like the MOhawk river which prevents the free flow of water down the river. another aspect is that contributed to the flood was the Caslick drainage that cause significant discharge causing flooding. also the constriction prevented the
freeflow.
Conclusion: When doing construction, the place of construction should be taken in consideration. Building homes and busines near a body of water will bring more long term damages than benefits. If at some point a flood or any other natural disaster occurs the probability of home damages will be high and lots of lives will be put in danger. The best thing t od is not make any development in vulnerable areas. Foods have high recurrence intervals that can potentially cause a threat to nearby areas. In january 2007 was also a significant ice jam that caused flooding in the Stockade of Schenectady. The houses that were close to the area were evacuated ,power was cut and a state of emergency was declared(garver). The houses that are built near water fronts becomes vulnerable to flooding. Constriction plays an important role in the flowing of ice. If the channel in schenectady becomes narrow it will be hard for the ice to pass causing the ice to get stuck. The blockage will cause water to accumulate behind the ice. No development should be built near a blood playin that will cause channels to become narrower. The ice jam of 1996 was made at night where there was no vigilance or any warnings to prevent what happened. One form of mitigation will be
allow for further actions in order decrease the damages of the ice jam. In order to lessen the impact the amount of vigilance should be implemented since they occurred at night and have time to evacuate people in the nearest homes.
Introduction:
Ice jams is water that has been built up behind ice. Ice jams are formed They are form when sheets of ice is produced during the winter making it possible for the ice to hold on to the water in the river. When river flow is low the ice gets stuck in one area of the river. As the ice stays there due to low flow it can hold on to water and other material in the water. Ice jams are difficult to mitigate because its mitigation process involves lowering the amount of ice that is produced which is nearly impossible considering that snowfall is a natural process that cannot be prevented. Also one factor that causes ice jams is the river current and the lack of slope in a river, which cannot be fixed to speed up river flows. Ice jams can also cause major flooding because when the ice jam is formed it can retain water that will later on be released when they ice breaks. The water that was retained behind the dam will add up to the water levels once the water is released. The Mohawk River in Schenectady is “relatively flat with a low gradient, and thus large volume of sheet of ice is produced in the inter, and this produces the largest and most durable blocks for the initiation of ice jams”(Garver). Due to its low gradient the Mohawk River becomes vulnerable to sustainability of ice jams. Schenectady also has “constrictions on the floodplain” (Garver). This causes low water flow which will increase water levels causing a discharge One of the most significant ice jams break up happened in january 1996. The break up w, which was caused by “severe restriction in flow” (Garver). The breakup of the ice jam causes an inundation of the Stockade in Schenectady. There was not a lot of information on the incident because it happened at night. However, the scars on trees allows researchers to know exactly what happened during the incident. The goal of this experiment is to look at the tree scars in order to reconstruct the event of January 1996 and see the elevation of tree scars. Three different locations along the Mohawk River on Schenectady and Scotia 0 will be analyzed. The first location is Lock 8 in Glenville, Stockade Park in Schenectady and at Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. At all tree location the Eastern Cottonwood( Populus Deltoid) was examined to see the elevation scar. ). At the Stockade park in Schenectady the elevation was 15(fig 3). At the Lock 8 the elevation scar was for 1996 22.5 ft (fig 4). Once in lab the measurements were gathered and put together to find the scar mean to see the highest tree scar elevation (fig 2).
Methods: For the experiment the Eastern Cottonwood(populus deltoides) was identified which shows the removal of the bark. At the schenectady stockade the tree shows the scar of about 14 feet(figure 2)(garcer). . Compared to now the scar is still present but the healing is visible because the scars are no longer showing healing in a circular motion(fig 3). To measure the tree scar a stadia rod and a vertical scale to estimate the water height. The stadia rod tip was placed in the water and then a vertical scale was used to see the height of the scar with base elevation being 213 at the stockade.
Results: At Riverside Park the elevation was 14ft at above barge datum of 213.1ft for tree 1 and 15 ft for tree 2 (fig.3). Malayack Park below Lock 8 had an elevation of 22.5ft (fig 4). At the SCC park the tree scar elevation was 18ft for tree two. For Maalwyck part below Lock 8 the tree scar elevation was 23ft(appendix). The problem with the flood of january 1996 were the channel constriction from the old Burr Bridge (garver). The constriction might have prevented the the free flow and the passage of ice and water. since the channel became tighter it allowed the water to accumulate . In the morning of the 199y event two ice jams formed. The discharge of 60k cfs was the first jam from 12:15 am to 2:00am lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. the second ice jam occurred from 6:15am to 7:45 am lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. The rising limb shows the accumulation of water that was then released throughout the two outbreak of the ice jam (figure 5).
Interpretation: The main reason for the flood of january 1996 was the channel construction which preventing a faster flow of water and ice.
The three trees that were measured was the Polypous deltoid in the locations of of Lock 8 in Glenville, Stockade Park in schenectady and Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. At the Lock 8 the tree scar elevation was 22.5, at the Stockade riverside park the tree scars was 14ft for the first tree and 15 for the second tree. At the Glen Sanders Mansion the tree scar elevation was 17ft. In 1996 on the rising limb from the first ice jam to the second ice jam the water went from 34k cfs to0 117k cfs which was when the second ice jam outbreak occurred. The ice jam occurred in this area because of the characteristics that are present In the mohawk River. One aspect that contribute to the formation of jams are areas that are flat like the MOhawk river which prevents the free flow of water down the river. another aspect is that contributed to the flood was the Caslick drainage that cause significant discharge causing flooding. also the constriction prevented the
freeflow.
Conclusion: When doing construction, the place of construction should be taken in consideration. Building homes and busines near a body of water will bring more long term damages than benefits. If at some point a flood or any other natural disaster occurs the probability of home damages will be high and lots of lives will be put in danger. The best thing t od is not make any development in vulnerable areas. Foods have high recurrence intervals that can potentially cause a threat to nearby areas. In january 2007 was also a significant ice jam that caused flooding in the Stockade of Schenectady. The houses that were close to the area were evacuated ,power was cut and a state of emergency was declared(garver). The houses that are built near water fronts becomes vulnerable to flooding. Constriction plays an important role in the flowing of ice. If the channel in schenectady becomes narrow it will be hard for the ice to pass causing the ice to get stuck. The blockage will cause water to accumulate behind the ice. No development should be built near a blood playin that will cause channels to become narrower. The ice jam of 1996 was made at night where there was no vigilance or any warnings to prevent what happened. One form of mitigation will be