CENTRE WELLINGTON – A maintenance project at the Shand Dam means Belwood Lake will be drawn down more quickly than usual and there will likely be no ice fishing there this winter.
In an Oct. 17 press release, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) announced that, starting this week, Belwood Lake will be drawn down by as much as one foot (30cm) per day.
The maintenance project, which depends on GRCA board approval on Oct. 25, will take place between November and February, depending on weather conditions.
It will entail the refurbishment of upstream guides used to raise and lower the dam’s gates.
“The drawdown will continue until a water elevation of approximately 415m is met prior to the project beginning,” states the GRCA press release.
“The dam will continue to operate as intended throughout the duration of the project and provide its primary flood storage and flow augmentation functions.”
The total project budget is approximately $600,000 and is funded by the GRCA with 50% matching funds from the Ministry of Natural Resorces’ Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure Fund.
The tender will go to the board for approval at its Oct. 25 meeting.
Belwood Lake cottagers and visitors “should expect fluctuating water levels as well as some disruptions to the operation of the conversation area,” officials say, noting:
- some parking space at Belwood Lake Conservation Area will be reserved for the contractor’s equipment/material;
- the Elora Cataract Trail crossing the dam will be partially blocked but will remain open throughout the project;
- discharges from the Shand Dam will not affect trout spawning in the Grand River downstream; and
- “it is anticipated that ice fishing will not be permitted … this winter.”
Updates on the project will be posted on the GRCA website and lake levels can be monitored on the Shand Dam reservoir webpage.
