SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Captain of the Port Lake Michigan will open the Regulated Navigation Area encompassing southern Green Bay Tuesday, March 14 at 7 a.m. CST.
With ice in the bay already beginning to deteriorate, the Port of Green Bay requested an opening to facilitate the arrival of commercial shipping. Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw and Neah Bay arrive to northern Green Bay through Rock Island Passage late Monday afternoon. The two icebreakers will proceed south to establish tracks into the Port of Green Bay beginning Tuesday morning. Later in the week, icebreaking will expand to Escanaba, Marinette-Menominee, then the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. Every effort will be made to restrict icebreaking to the charted shipping channels, but the diminished ice thickness and increased sun light have already started weakening shore fast ice.
All snowmobile, All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) operators, ice fishing, and other recreational users of the ice are asked to plan their activities carefully, use caution, especially in proximity to charted navigation areas.
Further inquiries may be made by phone to Sault Vessel Traffic Service at (906) 635-3232 or via email at SOOTFC@USCG.MIL.
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