Ice Season Begins in the Great Lakes

Captains,

The ice season is underway in the Great Lakes. Most of the aids to navigation have been removed for the winter and the cutters are beginning to break ice. Last year was the heaviest year for ice since 1984. looks like this year could be another doosy.

RADM W

Coast Guard Starts Ice Breaking Operations

Cleveland, OH (Northland's NewsCenter) To ensure the highest state of readiness and the Coast Guard’s ability to complete this critical mission, an additional icebreaker from the First Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, a 140-foot ice breaking tug, home ported in New London, Conn., has been temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes region. Morro Bay will augment the other Coast Guard icebreakers that call the Great Lakes home.

Morro Bay arrived in Cleveland on Dec. 10.

“We are taking all steps necessary to ensure we are ready to provide the best level of service and keep the fleet moving through the ice,' said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, chief of waterways management for the Ninth Coast Guard District. “We are ready to respond to emergencies and provide assistance to those who may be effected by ice or flooding.”

Coast Guard Commences Operation Taconite

CLEVELAND – The Great Lakes Coast Guard fleet has commenced Operation Taconite after ice has caused the significant slowing of traffic in the St. Marys River system and other areas in the Lakes.

Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay, homeport of St. Ignace, Mich., and the Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay, homeport of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., will be the focus of the first ice breaking operations, with the immediate concern to break small ice formations in the Duluth-Superior area first.

The Coast Guard Cutter Alder, homeport of Duluth, Minn., is currently removing aids to navigation buoys in the lower St. Marys River with the Coast Guard Cutter Buckthorn and replacing them with winter marks.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit begins ice breaking operation early

DETROIT December 15, 2010 – The U.S. Coast Guard commenced Operation Coal Shovel today after colder temperatures caused a rapid development of ice in the eastern Great Lakes.

Originally scheduled to begin Friday, Operation Coal Shovel is the ice breaking operation for the southern part of Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair/Detroit River systems, and lakes Erie and Ontario.