Blaine residents are being urged to steer clear of a particular local feature: stormwater ponds. The City of Blaine, which houses over 700 such ponds and infiltration basins, is doubling down on a public safety announcement. They're designed to treat stormwater runoff and provide crucial flood storage, not recreational activities.
A statement released by the city government highlighted a critical issue, "There is a constant flow of water in and out of the stormwater ponds, even in the winter." This constant movement means ice forming on these ponds is less stable and more dangerous for winter pastimes like ice skating. The city strongly discourages the public from using these ponds for any winter recreation.
The city offers numerous outdoor ice rinks specifically designed for safe skating experiences. Interested locals looking for a place to whirl and twirl can find more information on these rinks by clicking here.
To further educate the public, the City of Blaine has also established an online stormwater information portal. Through this resource, available at BlaineMN.gov/StormwaterPonds, residents can learn more about the critical role these stormwater ponds play, their engineered features, and why keeping them solely for flood control and runoff treatment is of utmost importance.
