Flaking of the surface of the spillway is not a safety concern, but remedial work is required to shore up erosion in other areas.
At last week’s Council meeting, Otonabee Conservation CAO Janette Loveys Smith was on hand to share information about pending dam work and impact of the merger of conservation authorities across the province.
Annual maintenance on the dam is conducted in cooperation between Conservation Authority and municipal staff, whereas annual safety inspections are conducted by an outside consultant.
She began by explaining that in the most recent annual inspections of the dam identified a few issues that require some remedial work. She stressed that there are no safety concerns regarding the functioning of the dam, despite the appearance of flaking on the surface of the water spill area which is a natural occurrence. Of concern is the appearance of some erosion along the edges of the concrete corners below the spillway, and the exposure of the flexamat laying below the groundcover on the hill on the north side of the dam. If not addressed, both of these issues can threaten the structural integrity of the dam.
The rehabilitation work will begin in late spring or early summer. The proposal indicated the conservation authority would like to erect a split rail fence separating the area between walkway that crosses the bridge from the hill behind Needlers’ Mill, with a smaller section cordoned off on the south side of the spillway. It was suggested that this barrier would protect the area as it recovered by preventing food traffic on the hill which is an integral part of the dam structure. The fencing suggestion for the project was not well received, as it restricts resident access to the main attraction of the waterway which is an important local attraction and in which the municipality has invested more than $1.4 million in the dam reconstruction project which was initiated in 2018. Council members also questioned the effectiveness of such a barrier which would be easily crossed. These comments were noted and the project details will be fleshed out through additional discussions between conservation authority and municipal staff. Loveys Smith also indicated that any work undertaken will be explained through signage explaining the nature of the project and why it is necessary.