February 27, 2025| Community, Environment, Recreation, Safety
By: Caitlin Doran
With fifty-degree temps in the forecast next week, it’s hard to believe that just a few days ago, I was teetering on ice skates just off my coworker Donna’s dock, attempting to glide gracefully, but mostly flailing for balance, distracted by the awesome sight of quads and dirt bikes whizzing past. This was all while dodging snowballs playfully hurled at me by rosy-cheeked children (I was too focused on staying upright to fight back, and I probably deserved a snowball pelting for one reason or another). A beautiful, but fleeting thing is winter on Lake Hopatcong…
As spring approaches and lake ice starts to weaken and recede, this might be the best time to repeat the important message of ice safety for both “ice adventurers”, like me, and homeowners who operate ice retardant systems, which could be you! Or, perhaps, you belong to both groups! Chances are if you’ve lived on the lake for some time and spent winters here, you’re no stranger to its long menu of frozen activities: skating, hockey, sailing, fishing, snowmobiling, and more. But after a long draught of significant ice (roughly three winters), and with a recent ice emergency, the message of ice safety bears repeating.
If you’re going out on the ice, we want you to know one message above all others: no ice is safe ice. We’re often asked, “Is it safe to go out?” Our response is that while certain conditions contribute to safer ice – and there are steps you can take to protect yourself from an emergency – no ice is ever completely safe.
Here are four things to know about venturing out:
1) Grab a buddy. Don’t go out alone! Having someone with you means having someone who can potentially act quickly to help you out of an emergency. Telling a friend where you’re headed, too, will also prove important in an emergency.
2) Wear a life jacket. If you find yourself going through the ice, a life jacket will keep your head above water, which is especially important if you are struggling to self-rescue.
3) Know when and where to go. Four inches of ice supports walking and fishing. Measure the ice with an auger, if you have one, or talk to locals who measure, like fishermen and sailors. Learn how to visually tell the difference between thick and thin ice. Blue or clear is generally strongest and gray is generally weakest, with snow-ice somewhere in the middle.
4) Watch a self-rescue video. It will help ensure you know what to do, should you fall in.
Ice retardant systems are useful tools to keep heaving and shifting ice from damaging your dock or boathouse. However, in recent years, the arrival of more powerful propeller-driven systems combined with warmer winter temperatures have increased the amount of open water on Lake Hopatcong, which impacts access and safety.
Here are three things to know about operating an ice eater:
1) Know the rules. You might be operating outside of the rules set forth by your town’s ordinance, which could result in a fine. Check with your town to ensure you are staying in compliance.
2) Check time and temp. Timers and thermostats are critical! All ice retardant systems should be operated with a timer to limit run-time to 15 minutes per half-hour at night and 15 minutes per hour during the day. A thermostat is equally important and should be used to prevent systems running at temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
3) Position it upward. Position your device to direct water vertically toward the surface, rather than at an angle toward the middle of the lake. This will reduce the formation of dangerously thin ice.
Just like in summer, winter enjoyment of Lake Hopatcong is a shared responsibility. By staying informed and working together, we can all enjoy our lake safely! For a more complete list of things you can do to become a safer ice explorer and/or safer ice retardant system user, we encourage you to refer to our previous blog posts. Thanks, and be safe!
