WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today received a status report on the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission to break up a nine mile ice jam in the St. Clair River. This ice jam has been affecting the water levels north of the jam which is causing the water to rise and some flooding, and the water levels south of the jam in Lake St. Clair to drop about two feet. The mission began yesterday morning.

“Today, the Coast Guard reported that the objective of their mission is mostly achieved, and as things stand today, most of the ice is south of the Russell Island area. They intent to continue to facilitate more of the ice breaking into the next 48 hours,” Miller said. “At the beginning of the Coast Guard’s mission, the water levels of Lake St. Clair were below negative six median water level. As of today, the water level stands at zero, which means we had a rise of at least six inches of water in Lake St. Clair in the last couple of days. The Harsens Island Ferry is operating as the ice continues to be broken and moving south to Lake St. Clair and it is anticipated that the lake’s water levels will continue to rise. However, there is a potential threat from a large ice bridge in Lake Huron, and there is some anticipation that shifting winds will cause this ice bridge to break and pose a challenge. The Coast Guard has their assets standing by, the Mackinaw, the Mobile Bay and the Neah Bay, and they will keep an eye on this situation.”

The mission’s operations are being preformed by the USCGC Mackinaw from Cheboygan, Michigan, the USCGC Mobile Bay from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the USCGC Neah Bay from Cleveland, Ohio and the Canadian CCGS Samuel Risley from Parry Sound, Ontario.

###