Please tell me they are going to hold off on starting the work on this (and incurring the costs) until we hear from the folks at Eco Technologies and explore that option first.

Let's set the experimental and theoretical stuff aside until we have ruled out the option that has actually worked elsewhere.

A few hundred thou here, a few hundred thou there, keep it up and add it up, and ater awhile you're talking real money. Ho hum, what else are our tax dollars for ?

And I agree with NMG - hold off a day or two until we see what the ice breaker from hell can do...

Doesnt heated water freeze faster than cold water? Not sure if basic science knowledge is being used here???

I agree with NMG lets wait until Eco tech gets here. Lets not waste a 1/2 mil yet. I thought the Premier was coming he should be able to melt at least 2 km of the jam with all the hot air he's going to give.

My brother just emailed me some pics. he took on his walk today from the parking lot at Cottonwood where the bridge was taken out. The water is high and moving fast still in the direction of the train museum. While standing there a machinist from town was also there and mentioned to him he didn't agree with the Canfor idea and would like to see some sort of barge set up so equipment could access the jam. I told him Eco Technologies had already been contacted.
In the ice jam pic. you could see the rail that broke off from the bridge lodged in place along with tree branches and what have you.

I believe the Eco Technologies product will be the best solution but I also wonder instead of pumping the hot water, to use compressed air, leaking out from perforated air hoses. I have used this technique to keep areas of a lake open that I needed to boat through over the winter. It isn't so much the hot water that creates the opening but rather the constant water movement. The advantage of this is the usage of portable compressors, rented locally and easy to deploy.

Is the hot water coming from the pulp mills more than just hot water but also effluent, that naturally will be decomposing and at a higher temperature ?

Here's also a link to the weather network for Prince George that I find handy to have.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CABC0235

Here's a link to the water gauges along many of the BC rivers. Follow the bouncing ball and you'll get to a selection.


http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/disclaimerB.asp

Here's a link to the water gauges along many of the BC rivers. Follow the bouncing ball and you'll get to a selection.


http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/disclaimerB.asp

I love it ! They approve and start a plan immediately, a day before a guy with some real knowledge comes to give his opinion.
First, they couldn't do anything, then they might be able to do something, now it's "let's get it done before he gets here."

Seems they had better think long and hard on the hotwater pipeline issue, because aside from being a dumb idea,it will probably spell the end of city council,the mayor,and perhaps a few other jobs as well!
I just cannot believe how badly this has been handled.
They now have a chance to redeem themselves somewhat,or will they choose to continue to screw it up?
My guess is they will wait for the Eco Tech guy's and then disregard that opinion too!

They used some sort of underwater aireation system to keep the water from freezing on Babine lake so that the barge could haul copper concentrate from Bell Copper and Granisle Copper.I beleive they still use it to haul logs across the lake. Maybe they should check out that system

In some instances hot water does freeze faster than cold water.

The Eco Machine floats on water, which it needs to operate. I think most of this ice is jammed in silted areas and I doubt if it can be removed by this machine, however they might be able to make a bigger channel on the North side of the river where the water is deeper.

"The Amphibex can navigate or walk
on any surface."
page 15 of the ecotec website.

So does this mean it works on any surface then moves into the water after starting to break the ice to finish the job?

The best idea is for everyone to get a glass, put in some Nechako ice and a shot of rum, and wait for the spring to arrive. We have lots of flooding yet to go.

I had posted the warm water method used by Montpelier, Vermont on here before. It is not some pie in the sky proposal, but has been used at least there, if not other places as well. They are having problems again this year because they had cold weather and now a mid winter warming spell similar and even warmer than ours.

From the site:
“A mile-long ice jam was created in January when warm temperatures followed by an extreme cold snap caused the river to freeze solid, leaving little room for water flow. ……….The ice could not be broken up as it was frozen solid from the bottom, and had nowhere to go if it was broken up; so officials decided to try to SLOWLY MELT THE ICE AWAY. THIS WAS DONE WITH WATER FROM HYDRANTS AND THE CITIES TREATED WASTEWATER. Those water sources were slightly warmer than the water in the river and actually had an immediate and longterm affect, as channels were formed in the path of the water.”

From other information, this was also done in 1992, the previous time they had an ice jam flood.
http://www.dps.state.vt.us/vem/MarchAprilNewsletter.pdf
http://www.nesec.org/docs/NESEC_Newsletter_spring07.pdf

current situation in Montpelier
http://www.montpelier-vt.org/flood/monitor_pub.cfm

Owl, it's too late to take credit for the idea, and we are not going to make you mayor.

Start construction NOW....this will work at high water in June too when we have floods........burn my tax dollars please....

Doesn't Hot Water Melt sound like a sandwich available at Timmies?!!

Or perhaps it's just one of the politician's favorites!! :0