APRIL 23, 2006 

Ice out!

Yesterday the ice broke up in the North Arm of Lake Temagami marking the end to the 2006 break-up.

A wind came up over Friday and Saturday from the southeast — a uncommon direction — and finished nature's work. This is the second earliest break-up since 1985.

However, there is still ice along the shores. "Usually the snow is gone by the time break-up comes," says Glen Toogood.

"It was a weird break-up. There are still cakes of ice floating around. Normally as it goes out it melts and disappears."

Toogood is Ottertooth's official break-up observer. Once Lake Temagami is fully open, as one of the deepest lakes in the area, virtually everything else is already. The North Arm, north of Toogood on Garden Island, is one of the last big areas of the lake to go. Once he declares it open, we call it break-up.

With the melt, Toogood says the water level is coming up pretty fast.

 BACKGROUND:  Liist of break-up dates