Ice Clearing To Start in Great Lakes for March 21 Opening of Seaway
Dangerous Ice Conditions Exist on Bay and River After Recent Warm Spell
March 11, 2007
By: Dave Rogers
A fast start to the shipping season appears in the cards despite 18-24 inch thick ice on the lakes.
However, the environmentalist group "Save the River" is opposing the early opening, according to TV 10, Syracuse, New York.
The St. Lawrence Seaway will open up to ships on March 21, one of the earliest openings on record. Crews will begin breaking ice Thursday around the American Locks in Massena, New York. Shortly after, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker will travel up the river, clearing the way to Lake Ontario.
The Welland Canal will open March 20 and the Soo Locks on March 25, after which traffic will begin to flow into Lake Huron and the Saginaw Bay and river.
Recent warm weather has degraded local ice and dangerous conditions exist in the bay and river, according to local marine sources. Ice fishing that was strong for many weeks has slowed considerably because of the soft ice.
Also, beginning Thursday, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation tug Robinson Bay will begin ice-clearing activities in the vicinity of the Eisenhower and Snell Locks in preparation for the Seaway's upcoming navigation season.
All ice fishermen, snowmobile and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) operators are requested to refrain from using the river in the areas above, below and in between the two locks as icebreaking activities will cause an unstable ice cover.
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The Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway is scheduled to open at 8 a.m., March 21. The Seaway opened last year on March 23rd and, over the last 21 years, has opened in March 19 times.
The Seaway is coordinating closely with the Canadian Coast Guard on setting a date for icebreaking activity in the upper St. Lawrence River. The public on both sides of the river will be notified once the date for ice breaking has been determined.
The U.S. and Canadian Seaway Corporations coordinate to set opening dates are set after considering: current and projected ice and weather conditions, the winter infrastructure maintenance schedule, availability of ice breaking resources and industry demand for Seaway services.
"When the river is frozen in like this, spill response assets are not available, boats are not in the water, booms are not, so the ability to respond to any kind of accident in this kind of weather is extremely difficult," Save the River Executive Director Jennifer Caddick said.
New York state and local politicians in the past have come out against starting navigation early.###