A public open house will be held here on Sept. 2 to provide information on alternative measures to improve the safety of the Drimmie Dam.
The open house will be at the Elora community centre from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
Representatives from the Grand River Conservation Authority and Sanchez Engineering Inc. will be on hand throughout the evening to discuss the alternatives.
The GRCA has launched an environmental assessment to consider the future of the dam, which is in poor condition and at risk of failure. It had attempted to shore the dam with rocks, but that plan was rejected by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Sanchez Engineering is managing the environmental assessment process. It conducted a dam safety assessment for the GRCA in 2008 and developed several choices for the future of the dam. They range from complete removal to construction of a new dam.
As part of the environmental assessment, a public liaison committee has been created with representatives of groups with an interest in the future of the dam, including business, tourism, heritage, kayakers, anglers and the Township of Centre Wellington.
The liaison committee will help in the process of selecting a preferred outcome from the list of alternatives. In selecting the preferred option, consideration will be given to the engineering, social, environmental and cultural aspects of the project.
The public open house is the first of three to be held over the next two months.
It will give people the opportunity to learn more about the alternatives and provide comment to the liaison committee members and Sanchez Engineering.
More information on the project is available at www.grandriver.ca.
