Mississauga (Jan 17) – News reports of individuals falling through unsafe ice give credence to a conservation body’s public advisory on staying away from water bodies at this time of the year.
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) issued a statement urging caution near streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. “Keep family and pets away from the edges of all waterways,” the CVC warned. “Avoid all recreational activities in or around water, including skating in unsanctioned areas.”
While temperatures have declined since December’s unseasonably warm weather, frequent freeze-thaw cycles and winter storms are bringing wet and mixed precipitation which are expected to continue throughout the coming winter months.
CVC says that fluctuations of temperature and precipitation types can increase runoff and contribute to higher water levels and faster flows in local watercourses. Once rivers and waterbodies become ice covered, periods of rainfall and snowmelt can result in the weakening, shifting, and melting of that ice cover, making it unsafe.
The conservation body also cautioned the public about stormwater ponds/facilities, explaining that they were not built for ice skating. “Water levels on these ponds can change due to road salt, snow melt and changing temperatures causing cracks and dangerously thin ice,” the CVC said.
Residents living next to watercourses are encouraged to secure loose objects, such as lawn furniture and watercrafts, that are in the floodplain in preparation for the spring snowmelt and rains that can increase the risk of flooding downstream.
Rescuing another person or a pet from ice is dangerous, the CVC said. If you see anyone that has fallen through the ice, call 9-1-1 for help immediately.
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is a local conservation authority established by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed.
