Ice Jam Research Paper

Abstract: The January 1996 event, and its damages was used to understand ice jam flooding in the lower Mohawk River. Ice jams are formed when the blocks of ice formed along the river causing water retention behind the blocks of ice. Once the ice melts the water that was retained adds up to the water level already existing. to understand ice jams better the tree elevation scar of the eastern cottonwood tree was measured in the lock 8 in glenville, stockade park in schenectady and at the Glen sanders mansion in Scotia. A stadia rod and a vertical scale were used to measure the tree scars. The first ice jam formed at Stockade Park in Schenectady at around 12:15 AM and broke at 02:00AM lasting one 1 hour and 45 minutes while the second ice jam formed around 06:15 AM and broke around 07:45 AM lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes. Being aware of how ice jams form and the foundings
The three trees that were measured was the Polypous deltoid in the locations of of Lock 8 in Glenville, Stockade Park in schenectady and Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. At the Lock 8 the tree scar elevation was 22.5, at the Stockade riverside park the tree scars was 14ft for the first tree and 15 for the second tree. At the Glen Sanders Mansion the tree scar elevation was 17ft. In 1996 on the rising limb from the first ice jam to the second ice jam the water went from 34k cfs to0 117k cfs which was when the second ice jam outbreak occurred. The ice jam occurred in this area because of the characteristics that are present In the mohawk River. One aspect that contribute to the formation of jams are areas that are flat like the MOhawk river which prevents the free flow of water down the river. another aspect is that contributed to the flood was the Caslick drainage that cause significant discharge causing flooding. also the constriction prevented the