Flood Day 44: Mother Nature Not Cooperating

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 04:34 PM

More ice piles up at the head of the Nechako icejam (photo courtesy of City of PG)

Prince George, B.C. - The Amphibex -- amphibious water excavator -- is working well to chip open a channel in the Nechako icejam, but it may be a case of one step forward, two steps back...

The City’s Public Liaison Officer, Kevin Brown, says the latest flood update is a case of "winning at the one end and gaining at the other - I don't want to say losing - but the significant development of the day is the significant increase in the length of the icejam. A two-kilometre increase in a 24-hour period is rather extraordinary."

The bitterly cold temperatures have led to a build up of ice at the head of the jam, meaning it now spans nine-kilometres, from seven yesterday.

The expansion has prompted city crews to prepare to double the height of the gabion diking in the Morning Place area, as a preventative measure. In the River Road area, the number of pumps working is back up to three.

On the bright side, the Amphibex is making good progress in cutting a channel up the Nechako icejam, from its confluence with the Fraser River. The unit has eked out a one-kilometre line in the ice, since starting work on Saturday. Brown says the channel is about 25-metres wide and is allowing the water and ice to flow freely downstream.

The operators, Eco Technologies of New Brunswick, were able to run the Amphibex through the night for the first time last night and will continue to go around-the-clock as long as the conditions remain safe to do so.

Click on the photo at left for the latest video footage of the Amphibex at work. It was taken yesterday, before the channel reached the one-kilometre mark. And is provided courtesy of the City of Prince George.

Construction of the warm water pipeline from Canfor’s Intercon mill to the river continues. The project is expected to be completed on Sunday and fully operational by Monday.

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Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 04:34 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on January 23 2008 6:11 PM

I suggest the that the city should take Mother Nature to our Human Rights Commission and charge her with messing up our lives.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 23 2008 6:13 PM

I just watched Ezra Levant on Youtube.com taking on the Human Rights Commission. Boy!! Is he a cool dude!!! Most interesting too.

Posted by: dow7500 on January 23 2008 7:32 PM

I sent some money to him to help with costs. The fact he has been submitted to this farcical kangaroo court in this country should be noted by everyone. Sorry for the non flood comments.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 23 2008 7:47 PM

I guess people in our " little gritty mill town" shouldn't have to worry about guys like Ezra and his problem. What with floods, pine beetles, soon to be many unemployed people and a doofus city hall, I guess we have enough worries to tie us over fer the next little while.

Posted by: Palopu on January 23 2008 8:50 PM

Whos Ezra Levant?? Whats Boob Tube??

Posted by: Harbinger on January 23 2008 8:56 PM

The above is either sarcasm or a typical mindset of some people. Either way, it don't make me no never mind. That quote is from the Dukes of Hazzard.

Posted by: Eagleone on January 23 2008 11:31 PM

Ezra is Canada's biggest loser and extremist IMO. He would make a mockery of any serious issue just to make a name for himself. He's fundeed by the same people that created the laws he seeks to form precedence under. I don't trust that ratfaced dude... he's up to something and its not protecting your rights.

Posted by: thereasonableman on January 24 2008 3:57 AM

Way to stay on topic. Would you like to just write your own news stories too ?

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 24 2008 8:44 AM

Just some more reading on ice jams. Kind of interesting.

"Ice crystals formed at the water surface freeze together into skim ice that gradually
thickens downward as heat is transferred from the water to the air through the ice layer."
-
http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/eng-pamphlets/ep1110-2-11/entire.pdf

"Islands, sandbars, and gravel deposits often form at a change in water slope for the same reasons that ice
tends to slow and stop."

"Ice jams located near gravel deposits should be carefully studied to determine whether the gravel deposit
is the cause of the jam or a symptom of the actual cause."

Posted by: kevin1006 on January 24 2008 10:43 AM

None of this would be an issue if stupid humans would start to think past the end of their noses and plan according to the way nature works and not planning according to the self deluded concept that we can order nature constantly to do what we want her to do. If stupid humans would start planning ahead with logic and wisdom none of this ice jam would be a problem and hence public funds would not be wasted fighting a fight that solves nothing. Millions of dollars to fight frozen water? Millions more to remove a gravel deposit that the river will just replace in the months to come? Then spend more to remove the next one? Then spend millions more to build dikes? Millions more to replace or repair the buildings that flooding damaged or destroyed only to watch them damaged or destroyed again in the years to come?

One thing is certain, with such a lack of logic humans are going to suffer more and more problems on this planet of ours until the Earth can't take any more of our studpidity.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 24 2008 10:45 AM

So much for being a topical deviate, I guess.

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 24 2008 12:23 PM

The reason I posted above was because the first comment talked about "ice that gradually thickens downward as heat is transferred from the water to the air".

So it left me trying to mentally picture where all this ice is going to gradually thicken downwards once Canfor's heated water enters the river? Hopefully in a place where we don't have to label it a "flood" and just label it "a rivers new path."

In one article I read that an intact ice cover was adding to the problem of the jam and in the article I posted above it stated about the heat escaping from the water can form an ice cover then gradually thicken downwards blah blah blah. I just hope we don't send the ice jam to the next community. Is there not a way to have some of the chunks of ice removed from the flow and added to a high bank? When is summer? I want all these questions to go away with the ice and flood? Amphibex can stay as we may need it next year.
:)

Posted by: caranmacil on January 24 2008 1:45 PM

Can the ice jam be sent downriver? Isnt the fraser still froven over? I thought that the frozen fraser collecting drift ice on the Nechako was the problem. Honestly I think there has been so much talk and debate over this little (relatively speaking) ice jam that it is impossible to tell what the heck is going on with it. Maybe we have all become too 'informed' and included for our own good. Life was easier when the engineers came in and handled things. One would have to add 'for better or worse ' there i suppose, but then again, how would we tell?

Posted by: dow7500 on January 24 2008 1:47 PM

Eagleone, do you have any clue what Levants hearing is about? He's the one targeted by extremist. You may want to inform yourself before making any more stunned comments.

Posted by: gitterdun on January 24 2008 3:46 PM

SO WHATS EZRA LEVANT'S VIEW ON THE FLOOD?

Posted by: heidi1555 on January 24 2008 4:53 PM

I know caranmacil life was easier when the engineers came in and handled things...... for some people. Just found those articles interesting and raised more questions.... in my mind anyway :) Just curious.

Also this article where a huge section of ice broke free from a structure and floated downstream.
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/013107/news_0131new002.shtml

I'm just hoping the water being pumped into the river doesn't break off a huge section of ice jamming the river in spots that the Amphibex has already made progress. Water starts tomorrow doesn't it?

I guess i'm just nervous for the people I know who have been affected by this flood that they might get another bad dose.
Crossing fingers that it works!