The International Joint Commission has set an early benchmark for when the ice boom could be installed in the Niagara River and Lake Erie.

The IJC says installation will happen when the temperature of Lake Erie reaches about 39 degrees Fahrenheit. If that doesn't happen, then installation will begin no later than Dec 16.

According to the IJC, fall temperatures have been more mild, which has kept the temperature of Lake Erie warmer than usual for this time of year, but it will continue to monitor.

Historically, the device has been removed each year between late February and early May.

The use of the ice boom first began in 1964, near the outlet of Lake Erie, to reduce the amount of ice entering the Niagara River. It is owned and operated by the New York Power Authority and Ontario Power Generation.