MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 19, 2021) – Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle announced on Friday afternoon that all City-owned lake, pond and creek surfaces are temporarily closed due to public safety concerns, specifically to prevent people and their pets from walking on them. This closure prohibits fishing, boating, walking, skating, or any other activity in, or on the surface of a lake or pond.
“We have had reports of individuals walking on the ice every day since Sunday,” said Assistant Chief of Police Shannon Jordan. “Many of the cases have been children.”
Oklahomans should always consider iced over bodies of water as unsafe. Rising temperatures will only make the surfaces more dangerous. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about the hazards of falling through frozen bodies of water. Dog owners should not throw sticks or balls on the ice.
“We are very concerned about the safety of our residents and the safety of our first responders,” McNickle said. “Falling through thin ice into freezing water can be deadly and you could easily become hypothermic before emergency responders are able to reach you.”
Closures include Boomer, Sanborn and Whittenburg Lakes, Lake McMurtry, and all creeks that run alongside or though Stillwater parks. Unless otherwise posted, the park grounds are not affected by this closure.
Captain Colt Chandler from the Oklahoma State University Police Department said that the surface of all bodies of water owned by the university have also been closed. This includes Lake Blackwell, Theta Pond, and the two bodies of water at Meridian Technology Center.
The City of Stillwater will cite violators for trespassing.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678.
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For media inquiries, contact the Department of Marketing and Civic Engagement at 405.742.8219 or email news@stillwater.org.
