Log boom

Log boom foundations were commonly constructed of piles or large stones placed into cribs in a river to form small islands.

Significantly large chunks of ice can even gain enough power so as to break through the boom altogether, freeing the logs and endangering unsuspecting people and wildlife located downstream.

Moreover, flooding and the changing of the seasons fluctuate water levels, occasionally causing jams that can extend for miles on end.

During the largely bloodless Aroostook War that centred on the disputed border between Maine and New Brunswick, hastily built booms proved pricy for local governments.

Licensed loggers commonly sent their wood in easily manageable raft units, but illegal lumbermen cunningly sent loose timber, complicating the sorting process and angering officials.