The public is being advised to stay off of the reservoir at Roughbark Dam, known locally as Barnes Dam, for the rest of the winter.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)-owned dam and reservoir, located approximately twelve kilometres west of Halbrite, are unsafe due to thin ice and open water.
In the summer of 2011, AAFC lowered the water at Roughbark Dam in order to perform a routine inspection and required maintenance repairs.
Lower-than-usual water may adversely affect fish populations, so an aeration system was installed to ensure the fish living in the Roughbark Dam reservoir have enough oxygen to survive the lower water levels. The aeration system melts the ice covering the dam.
Danger signs are posted and the section of the reservoir with open water is fenced off. AAFC requests the public to stay off the ice on the entire reservoir.
