U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Chief Petty Officer Nick Gould

From WLUC-TV • April 16, 2022

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Saturday that its icebreaking operations on the western Great Lakes are complete for the season.

Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie says it has concluded its domestic icebreaking operation, also known as Operation TACONITE. With the ice throughout the Western Great Lakes nearly melted, ice-breaking in support of commercial navigation is no longer required.

The Great Lakes ice cover peaked on February 26 at 56%. Lake Superior was 80% ice-covered on March 15. In the 108 days of the 2022 domestic icebreaking season, 11 ice breakers (nine American, two Canadian) combined to deliver 2,046 hours of icebreaking assistance to the benefit of 404 vessel transits. 197 of these movements required direct icebreaking assistance to ensure commercial vessel safety.

These eleven icebreakers also conducted 3,685 hours of preventative icebreaking to establish and maintain tracks in the ice-hampered waterways of western Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, Georgian Bay, Green Bay, and the Straits of Mackinac. It is estimated more than 7.8 million tons of dry bulk and liquid cargoes were assisted during the 108-day operational period. This translates to roughly $284 million US dollars of cargo critical to power generation, industrial productivity, and public safety, assisted during this period of ice cover.

To see the original post and read related stories, follow this link to the WLUC-TV website. https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/04/16/us-coastguard-concludes-icebreaking-operations-weste...