The first patches of ice form on water in the Sauerland: dangerous to walk on!
The frost may have only arrived in NRW a few days ago, but the first tender patches of ice are already forming on the reservoirs in the Sauerland region. And as in every winter, there is a great temptation to test the surface for its load-bearing capacity.
The Ruhrverband therefore points out that walking on the ice and skating on the reservoirs and dams is life-threatening and forbidden.
The danger of the ice suddenly giving way exists with every lake or pond. However, due to the fluctuating water level, the risk is particularly high at dams and reservoirs, as the ice layer keeps cracking and cannot freeze through completely. Water rises through the cracks and forms a new, thinner layer of ice, which can of course easily break again under pressure.
The reservoirs along the Ruhr (Lakes Harkort-Hengstey, Kemnade, Baldeney and Kettwig) have not yet been affected by ice formation.
The first patches of ice have barely begun to form on the waters of the Sauerland, as here on the reservoir of the Hennetalsperre dam, the first daredevils are already testing the load-bearing capacity