ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is reminding outdoor enthusiasts that the lakes and rivers may have unsafe ice conditions due to the warmer winter weather.
The Corps asks everyone to remember that no ice condition should ever be considered completely safe. Lake and rivers are dynamic places with water currents, springs, water control structures, cattails, snow cover and many other factors that affect the thickness of ice and how it forms. Many of these factors are hidden from us and are difficult to see.
If people are going to venture onto the ice, the Corps asks them to keep these facts in mind:
• Ice conditions change daily.
• Talk to someone familiar with the lake about the ice conditions.
• Take ice picks or nails and a throw rope to help you get out of the water, if you happen to fall in.
• Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.
• Remember that standing or parking in a group will require more ice than what is recommended in ice thickness guidelines.
Please consult your local natural resources department for ice thickness guidelines.
• North Dakota Game and Fish: www.gf.nd.gov
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.state.mn.us
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.wi.gov
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district economy. The 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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Release no. 12-003