During winter or spring breakup the water rises and the intact river ice disaggregates into ice floes. It is not uncommon for these ice floes to get stuck in constrictions in the river channel. One of our main efforts has been to understand where these constriction points occur along the lower Mohawk River. In addition, we have studied a number of relatively recent ice jam events. The most notable in recent time was the one that occurred in January 1996, but these events occur to some degree almost every year. The most destructive was the infamous flood of 1914 where ice floes took out a number of bridges along the Mohawk River, effectively isolating communities on either side of the river.

Ice Jams inferred from tree scars made during the 1996 mid-winter flood on the Mohawk River (New York) Paper details the location and significance of ice jams near Schenectady, NY.

Ice Jams during the 2000 mid-winter flood on the lower Mohawk River, Crescent (New York). Paper details the location and significance of ice jams near Crescent, NY.

Ice Jams during the 2007 mid-winter flood on the lower Mohawk River (New York).

Ice Jams on the Lower Mohawk River, New York: Lessons from recent breakup events (Geological Society of America Abstract - here)

 

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