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Ice Control Dam and Ice Boom

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Ice Control Dam and Ice Boom Fishing Oil City’s Ice Control Dam and Ice Boom photo-Darl Black from Oil Creek from entering the river, resulting in flooding by Marilyn Black in Oil City’s Northside Business District. Ice boom on the Allegheny River Visitors standing in Oil City’s Justus Park, Venango County, After the major ice jam of 1979 that caused nearly along the Allegheny River, often ask, “What is that long, $800,000 in damages, the Pittsburgh District of the United yellow string of round objects floating in the river?” They are States Army Corps of Engineers requested that their Cold pondering an ice boom, part of an unusual pair of structures Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory attempt to constructed in the 1980s to reduce ice jams at the mouth of find a solution. Their 1981 report recommended a floating Oil Creek. ice-control boom, which was installed in the Allegheny River After the community of Oil City experienced numerous just upstream from Veterans Bridge in 1982. The boom serious floods triggered by ice jams, they turned to the United consists of two spans of bright yellow pontoons connected to States Army Corps of Engineers for a creative solution. The both sides of the river, with a junction plate in the center also resulting dual system is a seasonal boom on the river combined connected to the shore with steel cables. with an ice control dam upstream in Oil Creek State Park. From April through October, the ends of the boom are released from shore, allowing them to float freely in the water. History of floods due to ice jams From November through March, the in-use position involves Ice flooding has been recorded in Oil City since the the boom arms being connected to the shorelines. Ice then mid-1800s. However, commercial gravel dredging in the collects behind the boom. The string of pontoons is intended Allegheny River below Oil City exacerbated an existing to also break up frazil ice (sometimes called sludge ice), which problem. While gravel collection stopped in 1970 due to the would ordinarily freeze together into an ice pack. Allegheny River being included under the Wild and Scenic Avid angler Gene Winger, Oil City, advises that boats Rivers Act, the damage had already been done. proceeding upstream during the free-flowing months slowly The new, deeper pool caused even more ice build-up in the guide their watercraft by hugging the boom. Then, continue river, causing an obstruction that prevents thawing ice floes up the center of the river. Fellow jetboat owner Dale Black, 20 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • November/December 2018 www.gonefishingpa.com photo-courtesy of Oil City Fire Department Department Fire Oil City of photo-courtesy The Oil City Fire Department, which maintains the ice boom and the ice control dam, provided this mid-winter photograph of the recently installed yellow pontoons holding back floating ice. Veterans Bridge is visible downstream from the ice boom. Oil City, indicates that operators will find it ‘dicey’ navigating there are concrete access ramps to the impounded shallow pool from Veterans Bridge upstream to the ice boom due to and to the riffles below. The channel is on the east bank, where multiple obstructions in these shallow waters, although the main body of Oil Creek drops in stair-steps to the riffles getting past the ice boom itself is fairly easy. below. Kayakers and canoeists should never attempt to shoot Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s (PFBC’s) the ice dam. Instead, they should portage on the east bank Waterways Conservation Officer Mark T. Kerr sees more using well-trod paths for the approximately 60 feet distance people fishing for Smallmouth Bass near the ice boom by before they rejoin the flowing water. wading after they walk in from the river’s south shore. The grass-covered, gentle shoreline at Blood Farm Day Use When the Oil City Fire Department hooks up the boom Area provides easy entry into shallow water for wading below arms in early November, they keep a passage slot on the the ice control dam. Fly anglers and spinning anglers alike north side open, so boaters can carefully and slowly proceed enjoy catching Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass in this through that gap. However, motorboats need to tilt their area. Park personnel caution that people should never walk on propeller out to avoid snagging on the underwater cables. the ice control dam or its gabions. And, they need to watch for floating or submerged logs that While in close proximity of the ice control dam, remain sometimes get hung up in the ice device. safety conscious at all times. Ice control dam Black photo-Marilyn on Oil Creek Meanwhile, the United States Army Corps of Engineers completed detailed designs in 1987 for an all-concrete, in-stream ice control dam at Oil Creek Mile #28.6, approximately 5 miles upstream on Oil Creek within Oil Creek State Park. Construction occurred upstream of the Blood Farm Day Use Area. Oil City Fire Department also maintains this part of the ice control system including boards that they remove by mid-April to assist with fish migration up and down Oil Creek. The ice dam is two parallel rows of concrete sealed gabions The east end of the Oil Creek ice control dam shows the split level design of this structure as called weirs that are separated by constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to break large sheets of ice into a stilling basin. On the west bank, smaller sizes before it reaches the mouth of Oil Creek in downtown Oil City. www.fishandboat.com Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • November/December 2018 21 Get the complete story and read what you’ve been missing! Do you like what you’re reading? Do you find Pennsylvania Angler & Boater online articles a valuable resource? If so, why not become a regular subscriber to Pennsylvania Angler & Boater and receive the entire magazine delivered to your doorstep. With each printed issue, we place only a small portion of our feature articles on our website. If you fish or boat in Pennsylvania, you shouldn’t miss a single issue, or even a single article! It’s been the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s (PFBC’s) premier, award-winning magazine since 1931. Print out this page and mail the form below with your payment to begin your subscription. Or you can subscribe online through PFBC’s 6 Issues per year! Outdoor Shop. CLICK HERE! Subscribe with this form today or online at www.pa.wildlifelicense.com. SUBSCRIBE TO Pennsylvania Angler & Boater Payment must accompany orders. Use your credit card, check or money order made payable to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Name Commission. Return this form with payment to: PA&B Circulation, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Address One year (6 issues) $20 Three years (18 issues) $48 City/State/Zip TOTAL ENCLOSED $ Phone (include area code) Credit Card Purchase: VISA Mastercard Discover E-mail (optional) Credit Card # Exp. Date Signature Account # if renewing or extending Phone Email (optional) Since 1931, Pennsylvania’s official fishing and boating magazine. PAA&B-SUB-5-18.
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