There is a place on a turn in the river where the water shows its power.  If you live near the Delaware River, I hope you caught the ice-out this year.  It happened over the course of maybe three days or so, and left many large icebergs along our riverbanks.  It is a very powerful display; when the ice crashes downstream, it is a sight to see and a sound to hear—overall, a spectacle.  

After the very long and cold winter, these ice sheets were nearly solid across the river from Narrowsburg, NY, all the way up to Downsville, NY on the East Branch. So when the warm-up happened, rain and melting snow added to the flow and the ice sheets began to break up and flow downstream, occasionally getting jammed up at river bends and in narrow or shallow channels.  

The ice along the sides of the Upper Delaware above Narrowsburg and Callicoon, NY is thick, stacked up and impressive along the shorelines.   Some ice measured up to a foot thick, and was pushed up along the banks as the water rose and dropped, and remains there today.  

The man-made causeway under the Callicoon bridge caused an interesting backup of ice and it spread out above the Callicoon bridge more than it would have with the normal flow channels. This ice will make shore access to the river rather difficult for the foreseeable future in many places.  

I recommend being very careful near the river’s edge with all of the slippery ice and high cold-water flows.  The Delaware River is very strong, and the risk of hypothermia is high if one were to fall in.  The bank ice is sure to linger for quite some time; we all know that spring is far from over.  

Ice can have some interesting effects as spring progresses. As it slowly melts over the next few months, it will contribute to a lower water temperature than if the ice had not gotten stuck on the banks in all of these places.  Although this is not very uncommon, it is very different from the past few seasons. 

As a trout fisherman, I can’t help but wonder if the colder water will last longer thanks to the bank ice. If we get low flows and high air temperatures through April, but have cold ice still melting into the river, in turn the river will be colder than usual.  Also, the bugs that feed the trout hatch at similar times each spring, but as the water temperature could stay a bit colder from the melting bank ice, it could delay bug hatches in some locations this coming spring.  That is mostly a speculation, but mayfly hatches vary due to changing weather and water temperature.  Only time will tell with the remainder of cold winter conditions and the actual spring warm-up down the road. 

Take a step outside, dress warmly, and go look at these giant ice blocks near our river towns.  It is as though temporary glacier ice moved into our town and will be our neighbor for a few months.  The blocks have interesting textures as they melt and change into many creative shapes and deep blue colors.  It is a fleeting sight and very worth the pleasure of laying your own personal eyes on this natural beauty.