Am I Eating Steak Or Crow On My Ice Jam Prediction

Saturday, January 26, 2008 03:45 AM

I will have been out of the country for a week when you read this, so I can either be bang on in my prediction or you will all be asking me to eat a big fat crow at the Days Inn parking lot.

I believe by now or certainly in the next few days, Paul Laplante’s company will have broken down the ice jam that we had in Prince George this year.

Now why we need to put in a warm water release facility leaves me wondering, given that if we do get another Ice jam that is what ECO does for a living at a much cheaper rate.

Had we had ECO bust the jam up in the first place we wouldn’t have needed the raised River Road, ($1 Million) a warm water outlet ($500,000).

Laplante, when asked if he could break up an ice jam even if the Fraser was frozen said, yes he could, he just had to learn the river first and find somewhere to put the ice from the jam.

Well, the Ice experts said that the conditions were right that is why we have his company in town. They sure didn’t get in touch with him before to ask if he could break the jam or under what conditions. The whole group of the Ice expert / Engineers should be treated in the same manner as you do your garage mechanic, if he doesn’t fix your car, you don’t pay him. But of course, had those conditions not been just right ECO wouldn’t have been called. The truth of the matter is that not ONE single engineer got in touch with ECO that says it all...

It was a young housewife who found out about them and I’ll bet a long dollar that she wasn’t paid $500 an hour for her efforts.

Before I left town, Laplante said that he was 99% sure he could do the job, as he put it "Only God can guarantee 100%."

So today I have picked this one right or you’re going to be handing me a big fat crow when I get home. At least I would be more than prepared to say I was wrong and we should try something totally different.

I’m Meisner and that’s one mans opinion

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Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2008 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: shockedjockey on January 26 2008 6:45 AM

There ain't no crow big enough!

Posted by: Runner46 on January 26 2008 7:35 AM

It sure must be nice to have the platform to spout off and be able to shore up the oops when you see a shift in the scenery.

Posted by: owl on January 26 2008 9:09 AM

Veo Runner46 ha dejado de publicarse y encontr� un caf� internet. Demasiado tal vez un Starbucks.

Disfrutar del sol.

;-)

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 26 2008 9:20 AM

I'm wondering where the Cottonwood area would be right now as I type if Eco Tecnologies hadn't broken down the toe of the jam and created a channel for when more ice breaks free? If we hadn't contacted them the toe of the jam would still be where it was a week ago as the pipeline hasn't been completed yet.

"Low-lying areas near the Nechako have been subject to flooding conditions over the past six weeks as the jam has partially blocked water flow in the river. The jam formed quickly as ice from the Nechako packed up against ice existing in the Fraser,"

To be fair the Amphibex entered the river Jan.19 (Day 40 of the jam)
The Amphibex helped one area and continues to battle the ice. I wish we could have warm weather come our way and have this done NOW but mother nature would rather play her cruel jokes.
At least next year we would've learned from this year and be more prepared and tackle it on day one (hopefully).

Posted by: Bridge on January 26 2008 10:02 AM

The ice jam is 9 km's long this AM and the forcast is for more cold weather.Whos to blame ? Thats not hard to figure.

Our manderins at City hall sat on their hands for weeks on end and hoped that God would help them. Then we bring in one ice breaker and it will do the job when it looks like they should of had six.

The financial management at City hall should be sent down the road. They are so busy trying to shore up the economy they have no funds for work that needs to be done. They have to depend on senior levels of government to provde them with operating funds.

I could cry horse t***ds but what good will it do.November cant come soon enough.

Cheers

Posted by: ChrisAnnB on January 26 2008 2:13 PM

Ben, I don't see any crows in your future (that's my prediction lol). The latest updates on the ice jam sound encouraging and I remain optimistic!

Hope you're enjoying your holiday. :)

Posted by: Runner46 on January 26 2008 2:44 PM

dos Pacifico pour favor::

don day estay le banyo??

Posted by: Palopu on January 26 2008 2:54 PM

You people should get out of your warm houses and look at the River. Although the Amphibex has broken some ice loose in the North East corner of the Nechako and widened the Channel somewhat it has had absolutely no effect on the river, or the flow of water.

What we now have here is a bunch of people with self fulfilling prophicies.** We said it would work, therefore it is working.**

There is not a whit of evidence at this time that this project was or is a success.

I hope Ben likes *crow* because it sure looks like he will be eating some.

Anyone notice that the City quit dumping water from the Cameron St Bridge. It looks like the river froze right up to the spouts where the water was coming out. If thats the case then the water from the pumping station had a negative effect. I suspect we will get a similiar effect from the much touted warm water (steam) pipes from Intercon Pulp Mill.

Posted by: red2b on January 26 2008 3:48 PM

"He says the water excavator had opened up a 2-km channel from the Nechako�s confluence with the Fraser and had been moving upstream from that point, around the Cottonwood Island park area, "and then all of a sudden, as it went to chip away at one section of ice, a whole bunch of ice let loose and came moving downstream very, very quickly." The open channel is now four-kilometres in length."
They should just listen to "pileopo"- nothing will work-just give up

Posted by: diplomat on January 26 2008 6:14 PM

Good thing they keep working, the wider the channel the better.

Pay no attention to the purveyors of negativity!

Better to have tried one's best and lost than never even to have tried at all!

Posted by: Palopu on January 26 2008 7:49 PM

Yadaa,Yadaa, Yadaa. Like I said before. This water was moving through this area before the Amphy arrived. Removing ice does not increase water flow unless it was water that was trapped. Widening a channel does not increase water flow. Its pretty obvious that the water has been getting through for the last 10 days or the South East section of the City would be flooded.

Its when the ice jams that the water rises, and I suggest that this is probably happening at this time. The question is: Can the Amphy clear the ice after a jam? This remains to be seen.

I suspect that wherever Ben is he is now hearing the sound of crows in the trees CAW, CAW.

For those who are not able to determine the difference between reasoned discourse, and alternate points of view, and negativity, I suggest you spend more time thinking and less writing and you may be able to contribute a more balanced view as to what is going on around you. Just because you say it is so, doesnt make it so.

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 26 2008 9:29 PM

Widening the channel is for the ice that breaks off of the jam to get through.

Posted by: diplomat on January 26 2008 9:29 PM

"Just because you say it is so, doesn't make it so."

Yes, that applies to every opinion posted here - no exception, not even one, whether reasoned discourse, alternate point of view, negativity or positiveness...opinions, all of them...

;)-

Posted by: ChrisAnnB on January 26 2008 11:25 PM

I guess that's why it's called 'Opinion 250'. :)

Posted by: Palopu on January 27 2008 1:26 PM

Just as a matter of interest. The ice that is being broken free from the Nechako is jamming in the Fraser. There is no open channel on the Fraser South of the Simon Fraser Bridge, and very little open water North of the bridge.

In actual fact at this point in time we are merely moving the ice closer to the confluence of the two rivers, it really doesnt have anywhere to go, and may have been better off where it was.

Posted by: Eagleone on January 27 2008 4:20 PM

IMO if you move the ice jam a good 3km up or down river then its mission accomplished. No big deal if the river raises 6 feet up from Cameron Street Bridge (that berm can be easily raised), and down river from the Yellowhead bridge who cares if the river goes up ten feet down there as well. The main concern as I see it is the flats in between with the potential for flooding through seepage or through the CN Yard leading to the downtown.

If the ice jam is 4km, 9km, 12km, or 50 km� who really cares? Other than those who build a home where they shouldn�t have. The key IMO is the River Road section of river.

Posted by: Runner46 on January 27 2008 5:48 PM

Lets see, why don`t I get in on this discussion of what Mother Natures is gonna do and how we can modify the course of events?