Ship keeps St. Clair River flowing

Jim Lynch / The Detroit News

Ice clogging the St. Clair River is threatening to flood areas along the coast and halt the ferry that takes Harsens Island residents to and from their homes.

Massive floes of ice that rise over the water line and reach far beneath the surface quickly raised water levels along the shores of East China and Algonac late Saturday. Residents alerted St. Clair County emergency management officials of waters rising as much as two and a half feet in less than an hour.

Within 24 hours, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Samuel Risley had moved through the south channel of the river around Harsens Island, causing the waters to subside. But more work may be necessary.

"The ice is getting even thicker today, and by mid-week we're supposed to see winds coming down from the north at 25 to 30 knots," said Lt. Junior Grade Paul Raska of the U.S. Coast Guard. "That could potentially raise the water levels for communities along the St. Clair River."

Today, Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers are expected to begin work in the northern channel to further relieve ice congestion. Jeff Friedland, St. Clair County's emergency management director, said the goal is to prevent additional problems once the winds hit later this week.

"There is so much ice backed up in the river right now that I'm worried about the storm coming through on Wednesday and Thursday," he said, referring to wintry weather predicted for mid-week. "When the ice doesn't flow through normally, the canals in Algonac and East China Township can (flood)."

Additional icebreaking should help keep the water levels down, but may also cause difficulties for the Algonac-based ferry that services Harsens Island -- home to 2,000 year-round residents.

By breaking up ice north of the island, the ships may free up masses that could make the ferry trip treacherous and force operators to shut down.

For people like 71-year-old Arlene Earl, that's just island life.

"I've always felt this way -- Harsens Island is not for everyone to live on," said Earl, who has called the island home for more than 30 years. "You have to deal with a lot of things like this. You just can't be whiney about it."

The occasional loss of ferry service is not uncommon. Two weeks ago, Earl said, the ferry was unable to operate for six days. An airboat provides access to the mainland for supply runs, and residents have learned to leave their cars in Algonac when ice threatens.

jlynch@detnews.com (313) 222-2034