Ice damage hits Keuka Lake docks

Apr 08, 2014 at 11:25 pm by Observer-Review


Ice damage hits Keuka Lake docks   ADVERTISEMENT

Ice damage hits Keuka Lake docks

KEUKA LAKE—While the ice sheet that once covered Keuka Lake melts and breaks apart, it is causing significant damage to docks along the shore. Chad  Robbins of R&R Docks in Bath deals with dock repairs on Keuka Lake and said he receives three to four calls daily regarding damage caused by the ice. While Chad said not all damage cases are “total annihilations,” he said it is the worst he has seen in the 10 years he has done dock repair.
“This year is kind of unprecedented,” Robbins said. “I have been doing this 10 years and never had a winter like this.”
Robbins said while docks can buckle and break due to the pilings being frozen, most of the damage has been due to the moving ice floating across the lake. He said some of the chunks that are five to six inches thick can weigh between 30 and 40 tons. Robbins said if the wind gets blowing in the right direction, they can build up considerable momentum before crashing into a dock.
Robbins said the damage has not been focused in one area of the lake, but usually depends on which way the wind is blowing. He said dock owners can not do much to prevent damage done by the floating ice, adding the only thing someone can do is “keep your fingers crossed and hope the wind doesn’t blow in your direction.”
Robbins said they have only completed 10 repairs so far on Keuka this year, but it is because they were already booked up for dock work before the ice began to break apart. He said they fit in repair jobs when they can, but keep getting more calls each day reporting more damage. Robbins said many summer residents who do not live on the lake year round may not even know they have a damaged dock until they move back. Robbins said with the unprecedented damage levels along with the late calls coming in from summer residents, they will be working on dock repairs well into August of this year.

 

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