River Ice Data Instrumentation
ROGER L. KAY AND KATHLEEN D. WHITE
Automatic data collection can be performed
INTRODUCTION
around the clock, providing a continuous source
Ice jams cause approximately 5 million in
of data while at the same time decreasing bud-
damages annually in the United States alone, in-
geted manpower and freeing personnel for other
cluding million in personal property damage
work. In remote sites, automated data collection
and million in operation and maintenance
allows the collection of data that might otherwise
costs to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
be unavailable.
projects and structures (USACE 1994a). There are
CRREL has also researched and developed a
11 USACE Divisions, of which nine reside at least
number of instruments for making both manual
within climates that can potentially experience ice
and automated ice observations. Many of these in-
jam flooding (see Fig. 1). The Corps of Engineers
struments are used primarily for research pur-
must deal with ice problems affecting operations
poses, but some have been used in the field by
at Corps projects and at other locations for which
various Districts. Some Districts have indepen-
the Corps is responsible primarily for emergency
dently developed their own methods of field data
response.
collection (e.g., Pomerleau 1992). However, little
Monitoring of river ice can help to alleviate
direct coordination has taken place between Dis-
some damages, but monitoring procedures and re-
tricts in identifying instrumentation that could
sources are not uniform between, or even within,
automate or simplify ice data collection, storage,
USACE Divisions affected by ice problems. Per-
and retrieval.
sonnel within the Corps of Engineers have differ-
The 1994 Ice Engineering Research Program
ent needs and uses for ice-related data. Operations
Field Review Group recognized that ice data col-
personnel may be most concerned with current ice
lection could be improved with the aid of more
conditions and how the operation of various
communication between IERD and the Districts,
projects may be impacted by ice. Hydraulic engi-
and between the Districts themselves. Use of ap-
neers may be most concerned with collecting pre-
propriate instruments was also seen as a way to
vious ice data, such as ice thickness and high wa-
increase the quality and quantity of ice monitor-
ter marks, for designing flood control projects.
ing in an economical, safe, and efficient manner.
Emergency management personnel may be most
The Field Review Group recommended that IERD
concerned about whether ice jams could aggra-
conduct a survey of USACE Districts to identify
vate an existing or potential flood threat, and wa-
instrumentation used by the various Districts.
ter control personnel may be most concerned with
IERD was also directed to develop prioritized list
collecting river stages as affected by ice and dis-
of data collection needs to direct future research
seminating that information to those most im-
efforts in enhancing or developing instrumentation.
pacted.
This report presents the results of a survey of
Each District has established its own methods
the present and potential use of instrumentation
and priorities of collecting information or making
within the Corps of Engineers, as well as the means
observations to meet their needs, including those
by which the collected data are used and stored.
listed above. The Ice Engineering Research Divi-
The survey of currently used data collection meth-
sion (IERD) at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Re-
ods is presented first, along with a brief discus-
search and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) has
sion of ice impacts experienced by the various
worked closely with a number of Districts in iden-
Divisions and current data storage and transmis-
tifying or recommending procedures for obtain-
sion methods. Existing data collection methods
ing ice observations on an individual, generally
and potential methods available in the future are
site-specific basis. Manually collected ice observa-
then evaluated, followed by an evaluation of meth-
tions are manpower intensive, costly, and hazard-
ods for the transmission and storage of data. Fi-
ous. They also provide only discrete or spot mea-
nally, recommendations are made for further work
surements of a generally dynamic process.
in the field of ice data collection.
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