Spring Water Awareness Program 2013 Good Morning/Afternoon Thank you for allowing me to come talk to you guys! My name is Erin, I work for the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority. I am the environmental education and outreach co-ordinator which means I get to come to schools like yours and help you learn some important information about our environment – what is happening outside. Other times I have school groups come out to one of our Conservation Areas, where we go a for a hike, look for birds, play with soil or catch frogs to get a real hands experience outside! Has anyone ever been to the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area? Been to Camp Bitobig or had an outdoor school program there? But today I am here to talk to you about our Spring Water Awareness Program. As spring approaches (GROUND HOG DAY…) the frozen river’s and lakes start to change….what type of change is happening to our frozen river’s and lakes? Spring Water indicates to myself and many of my co-workers that melting ice and snow are active. Brought to you by:

WHY is ICE SAFETY Important? ***Ask the students: Why is Ice Safety Important? By learning about ice safety, we can prevent accidents, save lives, be safe and still have fun! Like any season, there are dangers that we need to be aware of, but the important point to remember from today’s presentation is that we should never be scared, but aware of our surroundings So let’s get started…

Winter is FUN… Identify the dangers of activities that take place on ice -What other activities take place on the ice?; snowmobiling, sometimes driving (ice roads), atv’s Every winter we head outside and enjoy the snow and ice. We love sledding, building snowmen, throwing snowballs, ice skating, ice fishing, skiing…there is so much to do! What type of activities do you like to do in winter? What do these activities have in common? – they often can take place close to or on the water, and we often do not realize how risky these activities can be

Staying SAFE on and near ICE Understand safety procedures that will minimize the possibility of falling through the ice What are ways in which we can prevent a possibility of falling through the ice?

BE AWARE! Changing seasons can be unpredictable Changes can happen quickly As winter changes to spring, our environment changes as well. What happens as we get closer to spring? -ice melts -snow disappears -temperatures warm -changes can be unpredictable -changes can happen quickly Daily Temperatures change. If you hear ice ‘booming’ or cracking on cold days or still evenings, it doesn’t necessarily mean the ice is dangerous, merely that its changing shape as the temperature changes When you are playing outside, even if you not planning on going on a frozen river or lake, it is important to BE AWARE of ice conditions that could be dangerous

1. Slippery riverbanks and overhanging snow banks Slippery river bank and overhanging snow can look safe, but under that snow, usually in conditions like this, the water is moving quickly. If you were to put weight on that shelf it would likely fall into the river and take you with it, lets BE AWARE OF:SLIPPERY RIVERBANKS AND OVERHANGING SNOWBANKS

2. Fast flowing water Fast flowing water rarely freezes. This picture was take in February we may think that February could be a fairly safe time to go out on frozen rivers and lakes. So lets BE AWARE OF: FAST FLOWING WATER

3. Melting ice As I mentioned before spring bring melting ice, because of warming temperatures. So lets BE AWARE OF: MELTING ICE

And high water levels, not only can be deep, but can also be fast flowing. This is a photo taken in March of a foot bridge across a trail at Cascades Conservation Area. You can easily see that the water has started to melt and overflow over the bridge, now it has refrozen. But as warmer and warmer temperatures approach the bridge water will melt and until the spring run off settle, this bridge could very likely be underwater. So let BE AWARE OF: HIGH WATER LEVELS 4. High water levels

Talk to an Adult! If you think you want to play on the ice…Talk to an adult. This could a parent, teacher, older friend, sibling or cousin. It is always a great idea for a responsible adult to know where you are.

Have an adult check if the ice is thick enough before you play on it. Make sure an adult has checked the ice before you decide to go out to play on the ice Make sure an adult is supervising while if you decided to play on the ice Have an adult check if the ice is thick enough before you play on it.

Never go out alone. Use the buddy system! Make sure you are always playing with a buddy, never venture out on the ice alone, and ask an adult to supervise you and your friends while you play on the ice Never go out alone. Use the buddy system!

Never go out at night on ice. Never go out on the ice at night Never go out at night on ice.

Always read and obey all signs near water. Signs are posted on the ice to make people aware of the ice conditions on a lake Not all lakes are posted, usually lakes that are heavily used by snowmobilers and ice fisherman So there is no sign, do we assume the lake is safe? NO WAY! Always read and obey all signs near water.

Never play by dams or structures in the water.

Reading the ICE Reading the ICE means we are learning what different colours and ice conditions are best for venturing out to play hockey or go ice fishing…

Colours of ICE Clear blue is the strongest White opaque (difficult to see through) or snow ice is half as strong as blue ice, opaque ice is formed by snow freezing on the ice Grey ice is unsafe, the grayness indicates the presences of water

Colours of ICE White opaque (difficult to see through) or snow ice is half as strong as blue ice, opaque ice is formed by snow freezing on the ice

Colours of ICE Grey/yellow ice is unsafe, the grayness indicates the presences of water

ICE Thickness How many people have been out on the ice this year? Another may to ‘read’ the ICE is by measuring the its thickness ***ASK the two questions… How many people checked the thickness of the ice before they went out?

30 - 40 cm 20 - 30 cm 10 cm 13 cm Remember ice is always unpredictable and thickness will always vary from one location to another If one lake is frozen, this does not mean another lake in the same area will be frozen also, always have an adult test the ice before you play on or around the ice Ice often does not freeze or thaw a the same rate I am going to show you some examples of how to help you read the ice and determine its strength

Call 9-1-1 and find an ADULT If you are playing on the shore and you see someone fall through the ice…WHAT SHOULD WE DO?... call 9-1-1 and find an ADULT. By not venturing out on the ice, this is the best way to prevent further accidents.

Spot the Danger! DANGER

“Think twice, thin ice”

THANK YOU! Nickel District Conservation Authority 200 Brady Street, Tom Davies Square Sudbury, ON P3E 5K3 phone: 705-674-5249 email: nickeldistrict@sudbury.ca