Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Israel River Ice Control Structure, Lancaster, NH

• Main Authors: Vuyovich, Carrie M., White, Kathleen D.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *ICE FORMATION; *JAMMING; *ICE BREAKUP; MAINTENANCE; CONTROL SYSTEMS; HYDROLOGY; ICE; RIVERS; FLOODING; FLOODS; ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS; SAFETY; REDUCTION; DAMAGE; STRUCTURES; ISRAEL RIVER(NEW HAMPSHIRE); Weir; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA442900; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA442900

The Israel River in Lancaster NH. has experienced numerous significant ice jams. In 1981 the New England Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed an ice control structure (ICS) located about 0.5 miles upstream from the center of town. The 9-ft-high concrete-capped gabion weir was designed to retain both frazil ice during freezeup and broken ice after ice cover breakup. In recent years. the ICS has fallen into disrepair. The structure's current condition. combined with operation and maintenance safety issues and concerns about fish passage. have prompted the town to pursue the option of its removal. New England District Corps of Engineers. through the Corps' Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program (WRAP). requested CRREL's assistance in determining whether the ICS has been effective in reducing the impacts of ice jams since its construction 24 years ago. Study results show that while the frequency of ice jam events in Lancaster has not decreased. the severity of ice jam flooding has. even though winter conditions at the time of the events have not lessened. The results of this preliminary analysis indicate that the Israel River ICS does provide some flood damage reduction benefit to the Town of Lancaster. The original document contains color images.