It is all hands on deck as the U.S. Coast Guard continues spring ice-breaking work as part of Operation Taconite on the upper Great Lakes and St. Marys River. According to a Tuesday, March 31 update, the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards have assisted 13 upbound and 10 downbound commercial vessels to transit the St. Marys River since the Soo Locks opened for the 2026 season on March 25. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw, SPAR, Neah Bay, Katmai Bay, Biscayne Bay, Mobile Bay and Bristol Bay are all taking part in Operation Taconite in conjunction with the Canadian Coast Guard Ships Vincent Massey and Judy LaMarsh. Coast Guard officials have noted that Operation Taconite, also known as Spring Breakout, has been affected by colder-than-average water temperatures and higher-than-average snowfall in specific regions, causing some delays.
