Ice Safety Questions? Ask A Kid – MFWP
Friday, January 15, 2010
Education
If you are unsure about the safety of ice on lakes and reservoirs this winter–you might want to ask the opinion of a young Montanan.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reaches thousands of kids each year with its angling education program, including winter courses on ice fishing.
“When we take a classroom of kids ice fishing we are as concerned about teaching them about ice safety as we are teaching ice-fishing,” said Dave Hagengruber, FWP’s angling education coordinator.
Hagengruber said ice that is four to six inches thick should be safe for a single person. For a family of anglers he is more comfortable with six to eight inches of ice, and for a full classroom he likes to have at least a foot of good, clear ice.
“There are rules of thumb on how thick ice needs to be, but people need to be aware that on every body of water the ice varies in thickness and its strength is affected by a lot of different factors,” he said. “Reservoirs can be especially challenging because the water levels vary over time as water is released and there may also be currents created as water flows into the reservoir.” Currents within a large body of water will cause the ice to be thinner where they flow.
Hagengruber said the strongest, most dependable ice forms on lakes and ponds early in the season when water and cold air come into direct contact to form a layer of clear, thick ice. Wind, snow cover and deep water are factors that may slow the formation of ice.
Underwater springs are a factor that may weaken the ice in certain areas, and pressure ridges create potentially dangerous situations.
“Pressure ridges are created when ice expands and the pressure pushes the ice together and up into a ridge,” Hagengruber said. “Where the ice buckles it may form a ridge several feet high with areas of open water nearby.”
“Under the best of circumstances ice is risky. Reading the ice is even trickier during warming spells,” he said. “We tell our angling classes that if you are in doubt stay off the ice. No fish is worth taking a chance with your life.”
Hagengruber makes a point of erring on the side of safety when working with kids. He tells them:
never go out on river ice, and
never be the first person on the ice.
Someone has to be the first person on the ice, just don’t let it be you!
