Public Safety Notice: Ice Conditions on City of Fostoria Reservoirs

The City of Fostoria is reminding residents to stay off frozen reservoirs as temperatures fluctuate this winter. Even when ice appears thick and solid, changes in air temperature, wind, and water movement can create hidden weak spots that are impossible to see from the surface. Unlike a small pond, a reservoir often has varying depths and currents that prevent uniform ice formation, meaning one step can be safe and the next can send you crashing through into frigid water.

Falling through reservoir ice is especially dangerous because you can be pulled under by the powerful suction of intake pipes and underwater flows. Openings near dams, spillways, or intake structures can create strong currents beneath the ice, dragging a person away from the hole they fell through and making rescue far more difficult. Anyone near reservoirs is urged to admire them from the shoreline, keep children and pets off the ice, and call 911 immediately if they see someone in distress.