Ice Jam Problems at Oil City, Pennsylvania.

• Main Authors: Deck,David, Gooch,Gordon
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1981
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Civil Engineering; *ICE FORMATION; *FLOOD CONTROL; *ICE PREVENTION; STRUCTURES; HEATING; BLOCKING; RIVERS; EFFLUENTS; URBAN AREAS; PENNSYLVANIA; ICE BREAKUP; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA103736; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA103736

Oil City, Pennsylvania, is at the confluence of Oil Creek and the Allegheny River. The business district lies within the flood plain of Oil Creek, and as of the winter of 1980, 25 ice jam flooding events had occurred since the mid-1800's. An investigation was done to determine why Oil City was subject to perennial ice jams and nearly biennial ice jam floods. Ice conditions were analyzed and it was determined how and why the ice jams occurred. By controlling where the initial cover forms, Oil City's ice jam floods can be alleviated. Ice control structures will be used to encourage the early formation of ice cover and hence eliminate frazil ice. This will greatly reduce the amount of ice which currently develops in both Oil Creek and the Allegheny River. (Author)