Winter Pond Safety Tips
As winter quickly approaches many of you are probably beginning to think about ice skating/fishing season that comes along with the frigid weather. While these activities are fun and a tradition of the winter season, they should be approached with caution.
First of all NEVER go out on the ice alone (this is especially applicable to children), because if something were to go wrong your fellow skater/fisher could go for help and potentially save your life. Before going out on the ice, inform someone where you are going to be and the expected time of return. Always wear a life jacket over winter clothing to provide flotation and insulation just in case you fall in and can’t get out of the water right away. Test and inspect the ice thickness by drilling holes and taking measurements every 10 feet (3 m) each time you go out on the ice. Beware of ice around partially submerged objects including: trees, brush, logs, embankments, and dam structures. Be cautious of ice that forms at the edge and center of the pond, these 2 areas are where the weakest ice is located in any body of water. Don’t go on any ice that is covered with snow, because the snow could just be camouflaging open pits in the ice. Avoid taking vehicles onto the ice, because the weight of any vehicle is often too much for even the good ice to handle. Don’t build fires on your ice, I know this may seem obvious but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people that haven’t tried it before. The only absolutely safe ice is the ice you stay OFF of. But, if you’re like me, you’ll do it anyway so here are some guideline tables to help you stay as safe as possible while still playing on the ice this winter:
Ice Type | Color | Formed From | Good Issues | Dangerous Issues | Safety Rating |
First/Old Ice | Oily to Opaque | Frozen crystal clumps of water | None | Can form solid sheet, but is very unstable | Very Poor |
Gray/Black Ice | Light Gray to Dark Black | Melting Ice | None | Not Safe, weak density | Very Poor |
Snow Ice | White to Opaque | Snow Freezing on Top of Ice | If it has high density | Weakness due to being Porous | Poor to Fair |
Clear Ice | Blue to Clear | Freezing Water | Safest Ice, if Thick Enough* | Stay off if < 4 inches thick | Best |
Table 1: Ice Types. (*= refer to Table 2 for specific weight recommendations depending on thickness of ice) | |||||
Thickness of Ice |
|
|
Inches | Activity | Maximum Weight (lbs.) |
0-3 | No Activities | None |
4-5 | Skating/Fishing | 250 |
6-7 | Snowmobile/ATV | 1,100 |
8-11 | Light Truck/Car | 3,527 |
12-14 | Medium Truck | 7,937 |
Table 2: General guidelines to ice thickness & activities. | ||
Contact Sanco for more information about our pond maintenance products or additional winter safety tips.