Marquette, MI – (Great Lakes Radio News) – The Upper Peninsula Power Company has begun the lowering of water levels on its hydroelectric reservoir connected with the Hoist Project located on the Dead River System in Marquette County.
Company officials say lowering the reservoir water may cause “bridging” where the lower water level leaves a gap or space under the ice.
This may deteriorate the ice from the underside and result in unstable and unsafe ice conditions that are not easy to identify.
The public is being urged to be extremely careful around all reservoirs, lakes and associated rivers this time of year.
UPPCO expects the reservoir to begin returning to its normal water level in April, depending on the rate of snow melt and spring precipitation conditions.