Fastwater debacle: what lies beneath

For ten years I lived on the Saint Lawrence River. Every April, following several months of whisper-quiet, snowy ice cover, I was jarred by the sudden crack, pop, and loud groaning of large ice floats as they broke up and butted into each other.

Eventually these ice floats were carried along the current, causing a rapid increase of water flow, at times leading to flooding. These were the first signs of spring, as the mighty Saint Lawrence resumes its course, revealing what lies beneath.