The Maumee River surprised us with a show of nature last weekend. The eagerly awaited “Ice Out”! The weather had been warming up all week until it reached the 50 degree mark on Friday. Everyone was anticipating that the ice would break at any time. It decided that very early on Saturday morning the ice would crack above the dam and then would fall over the dam in sheets, floating in large chunks down the river. Below are pictures taken at the dam the day before the break and pictures of the left over chunks of ice settled along the banks of the river on Saturday morning.
Chunk of ice along the river bank, probably about a foot thick!
The Canal before the ice broke. Even though it looks like it is melting there is still a thick layer of ice underneath.
The Grand Rapids Dam before the ice broke.
Ice chunks gathered just behind The Mill House near the Gilead Canal Spillway.
Saturday afternoon, smaller chunks of ice were still flowing down the river.
The ice chunks are so big and travel at such a fast speed they knock down small trees.
What an amazing sight and display. The power of nature is awe inspiring. Thank you God for your power and creation! You have blessed The Mill House with such interesting experiences for our guests! If you visit us in late February or early March you may just be lucky enough to catch the show!!