CASSIA SHERIFF: Stay Off River Ice

BURLEY, Idaho (KLIX)-The Cassia County Sheriff's Office is asking people to stay off river ice out of concern for the public's safety. Staff Sgt. Jason Lynch, with the sheriff's office, posted on social media that it has gotten several reports of people walking on frozen parts of the Snake River, especially children. The sheriff's office points out that it isn't illegal to be on the frozen river however, it creates a more dangerous situation. This includes Lake Walcott, where the sheriff's office says ice forms differently where there is a river current which makes the ice thinner, "The safest thing to do is to stay off of the ice on the river," says the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office included six reasons why people should stay off river ice:
1) Currents underneath the ice can make it thinner.
2) River ice can come and go more rapidly and is less predictable than lake ice.
3) If you do fall through the ice there is the added risk of being swept under the ice. This would make a rescue mission extremely difficult and survival would be highly unlikely.
4) Variable flow rates in the river can affect ice thickness and create pockets between the ice and water and/or pressure ridges.
5) There are several springs/creeks that drain into the Snake River creating very unsafe ice.
6) Bridges over rivers often have thinner ice or open water near them.