First patches of ice on waterways: Ruhrverband warns of danger to life

It turned frosty cold just in time for Christmas 2025, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing, especially at night. As the weather also provided some localised sunshine and many people still had time off into the New Year, the reservoirs in the Sauerland and the reservoirs on the Ruhr were ideal destinations for excursions and local recreation. The first tender patches of ice are already forming on the forebays of the reservoirs in the Sauerland and in the sheltered bays of the reservoirs and, as in every winter, the temptation to test the surface for its load-bearing capacity is great.

The Ruhrverband therefore once again points out that walking on the ice and skating on the reservoirs and dams is life-threatening and forbidden.

There is always a risk of the ice giving way in any body of water. However, due to the fluctuating water level, the risk is particularly high at reservoirs and dams, as the ice layer keeps cracking and does not freeze completely. Water rises through the cracks and forms a new, thinner layer of ice, which can break particularly easily under load. Our symbolic image shows the seductive attraction that ice surfaces can exert on bodies of water. The associated danger is often underestimated.