How to get rid of an ice-free pond in a lake
The National Park Service’s National Ice Center has begun the process of removing ice from a lake in Utah, where it has been in place for about a century.
The park service has been working to clear the lake in the Black Hills, which is surrounded by the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, for more than two decades.
The agency said Monday that it plans to remove the ice within a few days.
This year, the park service said, the agency had cleared the lake about three times.
Since the park system was established in 1910, the area has been home to millions of visitors and about 10 million people a year, said park spokeswoman Nancy Feltman.
The lake’s ice was about 4.5 feet deep, Feltmann said.
Once the ice is removed, the water level will be lowered to about 4 feet.
If the lake is left for a year or more, it could lead to the lake bottoming out and the lake’s bottom would be covered by a layer of snow.
The project will be funded through a federal grant program.
