An operation to break up the ice cover using specialized icebreaker vessels is underway on the Vistula River and the Włocławek Reservoir. The action aims to ensure flood safety on the river. The work is being carried out by the relevant services, and its commencement had been announced for several days. The phenomenon of ice cracking on the river is part of annual activities in the early spring period.
In the last days of February, the seasonal operation to break up the ice cover on the Vistula River and the Włocławek Reservoir began. The activities are carried out by specialized icebreaker vessels, whose task is to preemptively break up the ice before natural melting with the arrival of higher temperatures causes it to crack and shift spontaneously. The main goal of the operation is to ensure flood safety. A thick ice cover on the river can pose a serious threat. During thaws, drifting ice floes can become blocked, forming ice jams. Such ice jams cause water to back up, which can result in local or even larger floods. Regular ice-breaking by icebreakers aims to prevent this by controlling the disintegration process of the cover and directing it in a safe manner. The action is not an ad-hoc measure but a planned seasonal one. As early as February 25th, several days before its actual start, announcements appeared that "tomorrow the icebreakers will start their operation." This indicates the routine nature of the activities, coordinated by the relevant services, likely by the Regional Water Management Authority or water administration. Work on the Włocławek Reservoir, an artificial retention reservoir on the Vistula, is equally important. Ice accumulating there can pose a threat to the dam itself and to coastal infrastructure. Controlled ice-breaking on Polish rivers, especially on the Vistula, has a long tradition stemming from historical flood experiences, including the catastrophic flood of 1997, which highlighted the need for comprehensive ice risk management. Since then, the monitoring system and preventive actions have been significantly strengthened. The ice-breaking process is accompanied by characteristic acoustic effects. Reports speak of the Vistula "cracking with a roar." This is a natural phenomenon resulting from the release of stress in thick ice under the influence of icebreaker engines or special cutting devices. For residents of riverside areas, it can be a spectacular, though unsettling, sight and sound. In reality, however, it is a sign of controlled actions being carried out, not a sudden, unforeseen failure. <porównanie tytuł=