Preparations are being made for the removal of the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom.
Although eastern Lake Erie ice is still above the threshold of 250 square miles, forecasted warmer temperatures are expected to reduce the ice cover to below that amount by April 22.
That is prompting authorities to schedule the beginning of the removal of the 22-span ice boom on Monday, weather permitting.
The nearly two-mile-long ice boom has been installed annually since 1964. It prevents large ice flows from jamming up the New York Power Authority's intakes, but it also helps with ice flow and damage along the New York-Ontario shoreline.
Last year, boom removal began on April 10. The latest removal date was May 3, 1971, while the earliest was recorded February 28, 2012.
