BoomDays
celebrates the lifting of the Lake Erie - Niagara River Ice Boom. It is a unique
way to mark the coming of spring. BoomDays commemorates our bustling waterways
of days gone by and glorifies our natural, artistic and cultural wealth. Boom
Days is a moveable feast and festivities extend from the Buffalo River to Old
Fort Niagara. Event participants (known as Boomers) journey throughout the Buffalo/Niagara
waterfront areas experiencing all that the region has to offer.
Each
winter, the New York Power Authority works with Ontario Power Generation, a neighboring
utility, to prevent ice on the upper Niagara River. Ice buildup would impede power
production.
How do they prevent ice buildup? With an 8,800-foot-long
ice boom consisting of steel pontoons linked together. The boom is anchored to
the river bottom by divers at Lake Erie's outlet to the Niagara River. The boom
prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream.
International Joint Commission guidelines permit the installation when
the lake temperature reaches 39 degrees Fahrenheit or Dec.16, whichever occurs
first.
For a photo of the Ice Boom updated every 5 minutes: http://www.iceboom.nypa.gov/
BoomDays
was first celebrated April 2003. Each year the weekend-long celebration has attracted
new "Boomers" and the event has grown. 2010 will mark the 8th year of
Boom Days and promises to be the largest celebration yet.