Harsens Island News

Icebreaking vessels from the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards are scheduled to break ice in the North Channel of the St. Clair River, Friday. Canadian Coast Guard ship Samuel Risley will break ice in the river near Algonac, Mich., and Harsens Island. Due to concentrated ice buildup, the water levels in the area rose between 15 and 20 inches overnight prompting the Clay Township Emergency Operation Center and Champion’s Auto Ferry to request Coast Guard assistance. Throughout the remainder of the winter, U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers will continue to respond in the St.

The US Coast Guard says that its nine Great Lakes icebreakers put in nearly four times as many icebreaking hours the first quarter of this fiscal year as compared to previous years, due to harsh winter weather. Pictured to the right: the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw and the crew of tug Joyce L. Van Enkevort cut through the ice as they escort motor vessel Algoway through the southeast bend in the lower St. Clair River near Harsens Island, Feb. 2, 2014. The crew of Mackinaw is assisting in Operation Coal Shovel one of two ice-breaking operations conducted in the Great Lakes.