Author(s): Samantha Wilson; Karen Dow; Jarrod Malenchak; Brittany Peters
Linked Author(s): Karen Dow
Keywords: Nchor ice; Field monitoring; Energy budget
Abstract: Cold weather and turbulent water conditions promotes the formation and release of anchor ice on the riverbed at the outlet of Clark Lake throughout the winter season. Clark Lake is located in northern Manitoba, Canada on the Nelson River around 45 km upstream of the Keeyask Generating Station operated by Manitoba Hydro. The flow and lake storage variations due to anchor ice restrictions and releases at this location cause operational challenges for Manitoba Hydro, which can result in significant revenue losses. The objective of this research is to improve the understanding of anchor ice and other ice processes at the outlet of Clark Lake by analyzing data collected from on-site field monitoring programs to complement historical analysis. Field monitoring programs were conducted at the remote study site for 2016/17,2017/18,2022/23, and 2023/24 winter seasons. A weather station collected air temperature, net radiation, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and wind speed/direction. Water temperature sensors and field cameras were also deployed. Anchor ice events were identified by analyzing water levels and supported using trail camera photographs and satellite imagery. 30 potential anchor ice events were identified during the first 3 winters of the field programs (2016/17,2017/18, and 2022/23). The river energy budget and its components has been analyzed to identify trends relating to size and timing of anchor ice formation and release events. Future work will focus on developing a predictive model for Manitoba Hydro to improve their winter inflow forecasting.
Year: 2024