# Anglers Urged to be Wary of Lake Audubon Ice Conditions



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Anglers Urged to be Wary of Lake Audubon Ice Conditions

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to lower Lake Audubon an
additional two feet could create hazardous conditions for ice anglers.

Due to the difference in lake levels between Lake Sakakawea and Lake
Audubon, the corps has elected to lower Lake Audubon as a way to lessen
the head pressure on the embankment between the two lakes. Historically,
Lake Audubon is managed at 1,847 feet above mean sea level during the
summer, and lowered to 1,845 msl during winter months. The corps will
lower Audubon to 1,843 msl this winter to maintain a head differential
less than 36.5 feet between the two lakes.

The draw down is scheduled for completion Dec. 2, but anglers should be
aware the unsafe ice conditions could occur until well after that, said
Nancy Boldt, water safety coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish
Department. "Our primary concern is the change in water level management
for Lake Audubon this winter may create unsafe ice in locations that
were historically less of a hazard," she said. "Additional islands may
be exposed, or appear near the surface of the ice, creating an area
where radiant heat may deteriorate the quality of ice that may have been
fine under historical water management regimes."

In addition, solid ice that has already formed may slump and crack as
the water level falls.


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