The problem is the ice would break up and pile up at the falls as they are narrower than the river and that would quickly dam the river. Once the flow would stop, it would take a long time for the ice jam to melt and that would cause flooding.

The bigger fish downstream :-) I assume not many fish live at the top edge of a water fall so there probably aren't too many there. They only blast at the edge of the falls where it would be too risky to get other types of equipment to take care of the ice.

None that I saw. Fish don't hang around the surface when the water is cold and the shock wave seems to be mostly absorbed by the ice since there is barely a wave in the water from the blast.

It is to prevent ice damming. There are a waterfall just behind me and if they don't clear the ice, it will block the flow of the spring melt and flood parts of the city. They use a boat to do the rest but right at the edge is too risky for the operator and equipment so they blast the dangerous part.

To keep the ice from jamming at the falls a 100 or so feet downstream. If it jams, which it would be guaranteed to do so at that spot, it would cause major flooding throughout the city.

Why not!

I don't think it harms the fish. The blast shock wave seems to be absorbed by the ice as it barely makes a wave in the water. If the shock wave would enter the water, there would be a significant wave in the water.

There are specific cautions concerning using explosives in fish habitats. I think you quite simply do not know what you are talking about. I am sure that they have permission to do this. I just think it is foolish.

To prevent ice damming at the waterfall a few 100 yards downstream which would cause flooding.

@@lacroixp10 ah

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Congratulations. Glad to hear you are sober. :-)

If you look, the ice jam is behind the bridge so it is not the pillars causing the jam. There is a waterfall just behind that and it has a really shallow edge and that is where the ice jams up.

I don't think it harms the fish. The blast shock wave seems to be absorbed by the ice as it barely makes a wave in the water. If the shock wave would enter the water, there would be a significant wave in the water.

@@lacroixp10 you have no fucking idea what you're talking about.

@@lacroixp10 I've seen people fish with quarter sticks of dynamite, like an oversized firecracker. It makes a similar boom, little splash and no wave. Soon afterward you can see the fish float too the surface. Then just use a net.

@@awdeveau It would be worse if the blast was in the water but since it is on top of the ice, it seems to take most of the force from the blast. I was there for over an hour an saw no fish float up.

@@lacroixp10 I don't doubt it. I'm sure they know what they're doing. Even if it did catch a fish or 2 it would be well worth it compared with the flood damages that could be caused by the ice jamming up. Thanks for the video.

It is for flood control, not a sport. Not sure how you would make a sport out of it.

This is 1/2 a block from his residence. It's at Rideau Falls which is two properties from 24 Sussex. 😁

BTW: The option would be to use heavy equipment to stop the ice dam which would pollute way more carbon.

There doesn't seem to be much of a pressure wave going downwards so probably not many fish get harmed.

As I explained below, it's to prevent ice dancing and is only done for 100 Meyers or so.

The blasting is only strong enough to fracture the ice and the shock wave doesn't penetrate the water much. If it did, you would see a large wave and there isn't one.

@@lacroixp10 still dangerous to the baby fish

they're alot farther than u think

I bet you are a "blast" at parties!

Do you have anything to an actual measurement? The spectators were obviously far downstream from the blasting. The footage was taken by a drone which can operate closer to the blasting than humans, plainly. Lastly, how many times have they been blasting before you made your comment? Being an 'armchair' blasting operator usually works best with a certain amount of credible information before you make an opinion.

This is probably not the first time they have do this.

FURTHERMORE

They only blast the first few hundred meters from the falls to prevent ice damming. The option would be to leave it alone and flood about 1/4 of a city of 1 million people every spring. All the debris, sewage, fuel, garbage, building materials, household items, etc. would wash up into our waterways and would add way more pollution than a few dozen small blasts. And that doesn't account for all the machinery that would be required to clean up such a large area after a flood.

And so it is only Ottawa

I don't think it harms the fish. The blast shock wave seems to be absorbed by the ice as it barely makes a wave in the water. If the shock wave would enter the water, there would be a significant wave in the water.

stfu

The difference between someone that knows they can move those hunks of ice and a bystander who thinks they know. That’s why you have knowledgeable people do these things, you wouldn’t turn explosive loose to that woman. The big hunk of ice was already cracked and the flow of water behind it kept together until it got to spillway area.