Crouseville on State Route 164 between the
towns of Washburn and Presque Isle) was
estimated to be one-quarter of a mile long in
December. This jam remained in place until 21
April 2003, then appeared to break in half,
sending the downstream floe of ice southeast
through the town of Presque Isle while the most
upstream section of the jam remained lodged
among the islands of the Aroostook River near
Crouseville. This jam caused the river to back
up into low lying areas of the flood plane (NWS
2003j).
Corps of Engineers Response
During the 20022003 ice jam season,
ERDC-CRREL provided technical assistance to
communities affected by ice jams and subse-
quent flooding. ERDC-CRREL provided recom-
Figure 8. Looking across the St. John River from the gage at Dickey,
mendations, referrals, on-site observations, and
Maine. Photo courtesy of Mark Turner, NWS.
points of contact to the Corps of Engineers New
England Division and of other regions.
How Is This Information Helpful?
This overview of WY 2003 ice jams is the seventh entry in a series of yearly ice jam summaries. The Ice Jam Database is
updated annually to provide an accurate summary of the previous water year ice events, including date of occurrence,
location, damages incurred, and Corps response. This historical information can be crucial to officials in emergency situa-
tions. Weather patterns, frequent jamming locations, water stage, flooded areas, and mitigation techniques are all pertinent
factors when trying to predict ice jams and prevent potential damages. Knowing what situations caused jamming and to what
extent can help prepare a community for the effects of the jam.
ERDC-CRREL also has an Ice Jam Archive containing hard copies of the information used in annual reports. Informa-
tion sources include NWS reports, newspaper articles, and other reports that have been used as sources of information for the
Ice Jam Database since before WY 1996. These reports can be checked out or photocopied for research purposes.
References
Buffalo District (1966, reprinted 1971) Flood Plain Information Report.
Buffalo District (1970) Situation Report (SITREPS) 302045Z JAN 70 and 032125Z FEB 70.
Buffalo District (1972) Report of flood 17 March 1972, Western New York in Buffalo District.
Buffalo District (1975) Interim report on feasibility of flood management in Cazenovia Creek watershed.
Gustek, E., and K. Koralewski (2003) CELRB Trip Report: Report on ice jams for Cazenovia Creek in the City of
Buffalo and the Town of West Seneca on 17 March.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003a) National Weather Service, 824 PM EST, Sunday, 23 February 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003b) National Weather Service, River Ice Statement, 155 PM EST, Tuesday, 21
January 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003c) River Ice Statement, 1235 PM EST, Friday, 7 February 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003d) Hydrologic Statement, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1159 AM EST, Friday, 24
January 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003e) River Ice Statement, 1205 PM EST, Tuesday, 28 January 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003f) 511 AM EST, Tuesday, 18 March 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003g) 440 PM EST Sunday, 16 March 2003.
National Weather Service (NWS) (2003h) 155 PM EST Saturday, 5 April 2003.
ERDC/CRREL TN-04-5
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