Your CEWF Executive Committee have continued to be in communication with TSW managers to get updates on water management activities and on their planning for the capital program projects.
WATER MANAGEMENT
TSW staff have been replacing logs in the reservoir dams since early March. At this time there are logs in almost all reservoir dams. The water level graphs on the TSW website (see link in upper right side of this page) show the levels rising on all reservoirs. The levels in the Kawartha lakes are also rising. At this point reservoirs are filling and the graphs indicate levels are rising a couple of weeks earlier than normal because of the early snow melt.
In the Gull and Burnt River basins most reservoir dams have enough logs in place that the top log is still dry. In a few cases including Kennisis, Red Pine, Hawk there is some flow. The southern reservoirs are closed off to fill except for Anstruther which is being allowed to spill to the Mississagua lake chain.
It was noted that snow monitoring is continuing and there is still water content to come from snowpack in the north. Flood risk management and ice conditions remain concerns and some storage will be maintained to deal with spring rainfall events and late snow melt.
In the Kawartha Lakes and the southern parts of the Trent Basin the Conservation Authorities are posting watershed condition statements and flood risk is being monitored.
CAPITAL PROGRAM
We have been in contact with the Parks Canada Manager of External Relations who is responsible for communications regarding the capital program. As reported previously in our note posted on February 22, 2016, there are numerous dam repair and construction projects planned for the reservoir area over the next 5 years.
CEWF has provided TSW with contact information for our member associations where work is being planned. As projects advance the External Relations staff will be in contact with municipalities and local associations.
As of this week we understand that:
Work at Kennisis, Little Bob and Halls dams is complete or near complete with site clean up expected before the May holiday.
The detailed planning for work at the Drag Lake dams is proceeding and it is likely that contact will be made with local groups in the next week or two. Plans are proceeding for work this summer.
Horseshoe Lake – Detailed design continues and there is a lot of consultation and project planning to be done with the municipality, the white water group and local associations. At this point it is not known if the actual construction work will be this year or next.
At Mississagua planning continues for the replacement of the dam and discussions with the County and Municipality are underway. Information will be made available to local groups in the spring. Construction is expected to begin this year.
The announced work at Coboconk Dam is still in the planning phase and it is not clear yet whether the work will proceed this year or next.
Planning is also beginning for work at Loon and Oblong dams. It is possible that work at those sites may occur later this year.
Other projects mentioned in our earlier posting (see note from February 22, 2016 below) are not yet in the detailed planning stage and will be undertaken over the remaining years of the announced capital program.