Canoeists and anglers in the Grand River watershed are going to start seeing booms of a different colour at some dams.
The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) will gradually install yellow booms to replace orange warning booms upstream of some GRCA dams.
The change is consistent with regulations set by Transport Canada, which oversees navigable waterways. The booms are made of plastic floats joined by a chain.
Yellow booms were installed this year on Cedar Creek in Ayr and Baden Creek in Baden.
Yellow booms will be installed at other dams as the older orange ones wear out. Booms are installed upstream of major GRCA dams such as Conestogo, Shand, Guelph, Luther and Woolwich. They are also used on several smaller dams: Breslau, New Dundee, Rockwood (lower dam), Drimmie (Elora) and Wellesley.
The GRCA also installs warning buoys upstream of other dams such as Dunnville, Caledonia, Wilkes (Brantford), Victoria Mills (on McKenzie Creek), Parkhill (Cambridge), New Hamburg, Wellington (Guelph), Rockwood (upper dam), Everton and Bissell (Elora).
The purpose of the booms and buoys is to warn boaters and anglers of the dangers around dams.
At “low head” or “run of the river” dams, water flows across the entire width of the dam so they can sometimes be difficult to spot from upstream.
Larger dams are regulated by gates and valves, which can create dangerous currents in the dam area.
