Spring is in the air; melting ice on local waterways

Temperatures will be climbing this week – a high of 2 today; might get to 14 by Thursday, which has brought the annual warning from conservation authorities about unsafe ice and slippery banks.

It’s a chat parents will want to have with the kids who may be out playing with their friends during the March Break.

Anglers, canoeists, hikers, hunters, and those walking pets are also urged to stay well back from waterways.

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) offers the following tips:

• Keep family and pets away from the edges of all bodies of water.  
• Avoid all recreational activities in or around water, especially near ice jams or ice-covered watercourses and waterbodies—including municipally managed stormwater ponds.  
• Do not attempt to walk on ice-covered waterbodies or drive through flooded roads or fast-moving water.  
• If you live close to the water, move objects such as chairs or benches away from the water’s edge to avoid losing them during potential spring high water.    
• Avoid walking close to and across riverbanks and ice-covered water to prevent falling through.