The US Coast Guard has concluded all domestic icebreaking operations in the US Eastern and Great Lakes waterways following a severe winter season that continued well into spring in some regions.
Operation Taconite, the coast guard’s final ongoing domestic icebreaking operation, has ended as ice throughout the Western Great Lakes has nearly melted and icebreaking in support of commercial navigation is no longer required.
Throughout the 2025-2026 season, coast guard crews and icebreaking assets worked to ensure year-round movement of essential supplies, bolstering US commerce and national security.
Austere conditions and ice buildup that accrued after storms such as Winter Storm Fern required persistent efforts from underway crews and assets.
Coast guard teams and partners maintained the majority of a navigable marine transportation system to support maritime shipping of vital products such as fuel to power plants in the mid-Atlantic, critical iron ore in the Great Lakes, and home heating oil in New England.
A fleet of coast guard cutters that include heavy, medium and light icebreakers as well as ice-capable buoy tenders and boats worked in tandem with partner agencies and commercially contracted tugs that were needed to augment service in areas typically used to milder ice conditions.
Throughout the icebreaking season, approximately 6,940 domestic icebreaking hours were provided by more than 30 coast guard cutters and boats to directly assist or enable the transit of 981 vessels while maintaining critical waterways availability.