TOE OF KATHERINE STREET WEATHER REPORT
April 4th was an exciting day for the Toe of Katherine Street site! Multiple weather extremes, including heightened winds, rising Buffalo River levels, and a Lake Erie storm surge, tested the durability and efficacy of our shoreline protection measures.
The site was blasted with high winds from 5AM to 9PM, ranging from 10-25mph on average and gusting upwards of 40mph. While visiting the site, we observed sporadic whiteouts of snow fall and rapid changes in cloud cover. Within the hub of the Blue Tower Turning Basin, directly across from the Toe of Katherine site, we observed whitecaps and multi-directional currents as the Buffalo River current surged downstream and mixed with Lake Erie waters moving upstream. From the normal average elevation of 572ft, the Buffalo River rose approximately 575ft, just shy of the height of our newly installed turtle nesting beaches.
Anticipating cumulative weather effects such as these, we designed the site to feature shoreline stabilization measures such as anchored logs placed at strategic levels to withstand high river flows. These measures worked perfectly to protect crucial habitat during the rapidly evolving wind and surge events on April 4th.
