With current conditions considered unsafe for on-ice activities, the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority is urging residents to stay off frozen creeks, lakes and reservoirs within the watershed.
The KCCA states that while colder temperatures allow for some ice formation, most water bodies throughout the Kettle Creek watershed are not monitored for the purpose of winter recreation and may not be safe.
They note that ice conditions are susceptible to daily changes in temperature, wind, precipitation and underwater currents and taking a risk could result in hypothermia or death within minutes if someone were to fall through.
“Ice can be tricky – it can be thick and strong in one spot, while thin and weak in another and conditions change daily, sometimes hourly,“ warns Water Conservation Supervisor Jennifer Dow. “Minimize your risk – no ice is 100% safe all the time!”
Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks are very slippery and, when combined with cold, fast flowing water, pose a serious hazard.
With schools closed and many families at home, parents are encouraged to remind their children of the risks associated with these hazards and keep pets away from all water bodies.
