DEM REPORTS SAFE ICE CONDITIONS AT FOUR MONITORED STATE PARKS

PROVIDENCE - As a result of the recent spate of cold weather, the Department of Environmental Management has determined that ice is currently safe for skating at designated areas in four Rhode Island state parks.

According to DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation, safe ice conditions now exist in certain areas of Lincoln Woods State Park in Lincoln, World War II Memorial State Park in Woonsocket, Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick, and Meshanticut State Park in Cranston. The ice at the designated skating areas currently ranges between eight and nine inches in thickness. DEM monitors the thickness of the ice at the four state parks on a daily basis, from Monday through Friday, during the winter months.

Ice must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it may be considered safe for skating by DEM. It generally takes at least five to seven days of temperatures in the low 20s before ice may become safe. Even then, the strength of the ice is determined by a number of factors such as the size and depth of a pond, presence of springs or currents, and local temperature fluctuations.

"No one should ever assume that ice is safe for skating by merely conducting a visual inspection," cautions John Faltus, Deputy Chief of DEM’s Division of Parks and Recreation. "Rather, the ice needs to be cut through and measured in various locations in order to ensure that it is thick enough to support safe skating." Faltus also encourages skaters to follow other safety precautions, such as never skating alone or on an untested lake or pond; never using the ice for a shortcut; and never going out onto the ice after an animal or toy.

DEM provides ice safety information for Lincoln Woods, World War II, Goddard and Meshanticut State Parks on its 24-hour Ice Information telephone line, 222-2632. However, residents should contact their local recreation departments for skating opportunities and conditions in individual communities since DEM does not monitor ice conditions in local communities.

DEM has an ice safety guide that can be found on its website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Parks and Recreation" under "Programs". DEM's website also lists municipal ice skating rinks and their telephone numbers, and provides links to those with websites.