As of January 15, due to unseasonably warm temperatures and forecast for rain, the Bureau of Maine Marine Patrol and the Department of Marine Resources are asking that all members of the public take steps to avoid going onto tidal ice if not certain that conditions are safe, particularly on the Kennebec River.

Smelt camp owners are asked to be especially cautious if considering going onto the ice. Ice is very thin in some locations and will undoubtedly continue to thin as temperatures rise.