Ice Jams in Montana. Ice Engineering. Number 19, July 1998
Abstract
An ice jam is an accumulation of ice in a river that restricts water flow and may cause backwater that floods low-lying areas upstream from the jam. Downstream areas also can be flooded if the jam releases suddenly, sending excessive water and ice downstream. Damages resulting from ice jam can affect roads, bridges, buildings, and homes, and can cost the affected community thousands to millions of dollars. More common, however, are jams that result in highly localized, yet serious damages (Fig. 1). In these cases, it is often difficult to obtain the types of disaster assistance that are available for large- scale flooding typical of open-water flood events. Engineers at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) have been working to develop and optimize low-cost structural and nonstructural techniques to prevent or alleviate damages caused by ice jams. Many of these methods, such as early warning systems, ice dusting, ice breaking, ice weakening, and ice jam removal techniques, can be carried out by local offices at a reasonable cost (Corps of Engineers 1994). Methods of predicting ice jam occurrence and severity are also being developed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA407540
Entities
People
- Heidi J. Eames
- Kathleen D. White
- Lourie A. Herrin
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory