Amphibex To Begin Round-the-Clock Work

Monday, January 21, 2008 04:10 AM

Amphibex chips away at the Nechako icejam (photo courtesy of the City of Prince George)

Prince George, B.C. - Mother Nature was on the city's side on Sunday...

Yesterday's sunny and relatively warm weather during the day proved to be just what crew members operating the Amphibex amphibious excavator needed to acquaint themselves with the river currents at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers.

The owner/operator of the Amphibex, Paul LaPlante, says, starting today, he expects to run the water excavator around the clock.

The 12-metre long vessel uses a backhoe-like shovel to break-up and move the ice to areas where it can be managed.

And, according to this picture at left (also provided by the City), the unit seems to be doing a good job of chipping open a channel...something that looked like an almost impossible task when the Amphibex first arrived at the tip of the jam on Saturday morning. (click here for previous story)

Meantime, the City's Public Information Officer, Don Schaffer, says work on the warm water pipeline is expected to begin today.

The 2.7-kilometre line will pipe water from the steam plant at Canfor's Intercon pulp mill into a channel of the Nechako. It's hoped the 15-degree Celsius water will soften and melt the jam, which spans 5.5-kilometres.

As for other flood control efforts:

Area A - River Road

- two pumps remain deployed

Area B - Ongman Road/McAloney Crescent

- raising of the earthen berm to the 200-year flood level, plus .6-metres continued Sunday

Area C - Pulp Mill Road

- two pumps continue to pump groundwater out of the area Sunday

Area D - Delhaven/Pozer Road

- raising of the gabion diking and an earthen berm to the 200-year level, plus .6 metres continued Sunday

Area E - Morning Place/North Nechako Road

- open water conditions continue

The seven day weather forecast is calling for increasingly cold temperatures for the forseeable future.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 04:10 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: thereasonableman on January 21 2008 4:15 AM

It's probably a good idea, at this point, to go ahead with the hot water pipeline. The warmer water should keep the channel open and keep it from freezing up behind him. Then, it will hopefully keep the channel open until spring.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on January 21 2008 7:22 AM

As long as the "warm" water flows in the open channel, and doesn't decide to run into Cotton Wod park.

Posted by: flood guy on January 21 2008 8:24 AM

So does anyone know how the amphibex is doing - cautious optimisim on Global TV news, but hard to read that video and they never posted it for dummies like me.

Posted by: Eagleone on January 21 2008 8:39 AM

That just might be the little Amphibex that could... or could it....

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 21 2008 8:44 AM

Well they said the Amphibex seems to be winning the fight. Yesterday Don Schaffer said alnog the lines that he was surprised at how well they are doing and at how much ice has been broken through yesterday.

Bbbrrrr -20 when kids left for school this morning. Cruel weather. Hope the men stay warm.

Posted by: flood guy on January 21 2008 8:58 AM

Thx eagleone and Heidi ! Yeh it's -20 here as well. River ice is cracking - lots of noise. Gotta patrol every day now.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 21 2008 11:29 AM

Maybe we can round up a few idle backhoes, and tie inner tubes all around them and put them in the water.