March 2025
Hello Lake Chaparral!
This month’s blog post is to update our members on our ice maintenance processes.
The LCRA maintenance staff are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the lake ice throughout the winter season. At the start of winter, staff begin by taking initial measurements once the lake is fully covered by ice. When the ice reaches a minimum of 6 inches in thickness, as measured in multiple test areas, the lake is opened, and green flags are displayed.
Staff will then monitor the ice daily and conduct weekly measurements, which are recorded throughout the season. When the ice is 6 inches thick, staff use walk-behind machines to mark out the rinks and skating surfaces. Once the ice reaches at least 8 inches in thickness, larger machinery can be used.
The Olympia (ice resurfacing machine) is first used at a minimum thickness of 12 inches for scraping the ice, and at 14 inches, it is used to flood and resurface the ice.
When clearing snowfall from the lake, staff may use snow blowers even for small amounts of snow. This is to prevent large snowbanks from forming around the edges of the rinks and skate path. Snow acts as an insulator, which can prevent the ice from thickening as quickly around the edges of the skating surfaces.
The lake ice continues to thicken, typically reaching about 20 inches by mid-February.
As we know, Calgary’s unique weather system, including Chinooks, can have a negative effect on the surface ice, though it usually does not impact the overall ice thickness. However, extended periods of Chinook weather can degrade the ice to the point where it is unsafe for machinery to be used on the lake. During this time, while the ice may still be 20+ inches thick and the green flag will remain up, skating is not recommended. Ice fishing and access to the lake will still be permitted until staff determine the lake is inaccessible, typically occurring in early to mid-March.
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For general updates please visit our website and social media pages.
If you would like us to write more blogs about what’s happening at the LCRA, please let us know!
Sincerely,
Paul, LCRA Maintenance Manager
Past Blog Posts