International Niagara Board of Control

The Board monitors the operation of the Chippawa-Grass Island Pool control structure above Niagara Falls, and oversees the annual installation and removal of an ice boom at the outlet of Lake Erie.

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Removal of the Lake Erie Niagara River ice boom will begin Monday, April 6, 2026.

Installation of the ice boom for the 2025-2026 ice season is scheduled to begin as early as December 14, 2025, by the New York Power Authority crews, subject to safe in water working conditions.

New York Power Authority (NYPA) will begin removal of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom as ice conditions and safe working conditions allow. Due to heavy buildup of ice in the Maid-of-the-Mist Pool and persistent thick ice conditions at the boom, a gradual removal of the boom will be undertaken.

The International Joint Commission’s International Niagara Board of Control has determined that the removal of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom will begin after April 1.

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