Normandale Resident Angered That MNR Did Nothing

[nautifish]

Brantford Expositor

 

 

 

 

MNR's damming evidence; Beavers may have contributed to release of Normandale fish hatchery

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources is examining the possibility that beavers contributed to the failure of the dam at the Normandale fish hatchery.

 

"I know staff has had ongoing difficulty with beaver activity at the dam," MNR spokesperson John Cooper said yesterday. "It's one of the possibilities. There's also the factor that you folks got a heavy rain there Friday (and Saturday)."

 

An official from the Long Point Region Conservation Authority reported Monday that the dam's spillway was clogged with debris following the rupture.

 

Cooper said beaver dams have been a nuisance in the reservoir this spring. Staff cleared out a beaver dam about a month ago near the hatchery. Beavers were building a new dam near the MNR dam when the latter failed.

 

Normandale residents were shocked Monday to discover a torrent of water rushing through their village at Normandale Creek.

 

Also known as Potters Creek, it normally runs quietly and gently. But around 7 a.m., it was washing over Front Road in the centre of the village and spewing debris into Lake Erie.

 

In the moments before that, a 60-foot section of berm west of the MNR dam collapsed after water in the reservoir flowed over it. The failure released a 20-acre pond that was 15-feet deep in places.

 

Thousands of fish - mostly bass - were killed. A two-kilometre section of Normandale Creek, between the lakeshore and the hatchery, was badly eroded, much of it private property. Spawning beds were buried or washed away. Large trees collapsed and were washed into the lake.

 

Along with the washout on Front Road, a large section of Mill Road in Normandale was washed out, as was a large section of an unopened road allowance maintained by the county. Several cottages and year-round homes are inaccessible by vehicle.

 

Monday's torrent obliterated the small public beach at the mouth of Normandale Creek. Geographer Paul Givens, a resident of Normandale, reported yesterday that the beach is regenerating now that the creek has returned to its normal flow.

 

Norfolk expects to re-open Front Road early next week. Eric D'Hondt, Norfolk's general manager of public works, said the county will bill MNR for repairs.

 

 

 

Dam burst at hatchery kills thousands of fish; Roads also washed out in Normandale

Posted By Monte Sonnenberg

Posted 6 days ago

 

Margaret Kruse witnessed a rare spectacle when she looked out her kitchen window in Normandale Monday morning - a deluge of water from a dam burst.

 

"I looked out my window and saw water rushing by and bubbling out into the lake a mile-and-a-half out," said Kruse, who lives at the mouth of Normandale Creek. "The water was filled with debris. I knew we were in trouble. I've never seen anything like this in my 12 years here."

 

She watched the water rush by for nearly 20 minutes. She didn't know that the dam on the reservoir at the Normandale fish hatchery, managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, had just failed.

 

resident angry, disgusted

 

"I couldn't believe my eyes," she said. "It's always been just a little creek. But it was full of bridge sections and huge trees. The force was just something."

 

The breech occurred around 8 a.m. A 60-foot section of the berm on the west side of the dam gave way, emptying a 20-acre reservoir that was filled to a depth of 15 feet in places.

 

The resulting wall of water washed out the south bank of Front Road in the centre of Normandale, located near Turkey Point. It also washed out a section of Mill Road.

 

Property on both sides of Normandale Creek were badly eroded. Thousands of fish - mostly bass - were found dead in the mud, while the trout spawn in the flood zone was buried in silt or washed away. After the flood, Kevin Ponting of Normandale walked the length of Normandale Creek - also known as Potter's Creek - to the hatchery. The devastation left him angry and disgusted.

 

"We found thousands upon thousands of bass, catfish, perch and sunfish that were washed up dead," he said. "We rescued a few. We saved quite a few but the area back there is just littered with bass. The worst thing is the Ministry of Natural Resources knew that reservoir was full of fish, yet they did nothing."

 

Several homes and cottages in Normandale are no longer accessible by vehicle. However, Norfolk County expects to complete repairs and re-open the affected roadways by next week.

[joonmoon]

Too bad...but I'd like to know what the resident expected the MNR to do? Really, being reasonable under the circumstances are we...lol.

[BillM]

Shoot the beavers.

[e-z-out]

I always wanted a stuffed beaver but they have the right to live as well.

they where there long befor man so they have the right.

Edited May 13, 2008 by AILE GOBY

[BillM]

I always wanted a stuffed beaver but ehy have the right to live as well.

they where there long befor man so they have the right.

 

 

Sure they have a right to live, but so did the thousands of fish, all the plants/wildlife that was messed up because of the flood.

 

A few beavers were worth all that?

[e-z-out]

Sure they have a right to live, but so did the thousands of fish, all the plants/wildlife that was messed up because of the flood.

 

A few beavers were worth all that?

 

 

I hear what your saying Bill a few beavers can do alot of damage and yes we should have done something befor this happend.

I know there was a big loss of life to fish, trees and wildlife. Beavers will always make dams and we will try to kill or relocate them.

It's sad that this happend

[nautifish]

I think a few of you misunderstood the Article.

 

The MNR were aware that there was problems concerning the dam at the hatchery. Alot of locals feel that there was not enough action taken to prevent this from happening.

 

Yes of course beavers have a right .

 

But that was a huge loss to the local fisherie here. Maybe had you seen the thousands of dead bass catfish. perch, ect you might of had a different Veiw.

 

Then again maybe not.

[CLofchik]

Cooper said beaver dams have been a nuisance in the reservoir this spring. Staff cleared out a beaver dam about a month ago near the hatchery. Beavers were building a new dam near the MNR dam when the latter failed.

 

Recruit the beavers to build the next dam?

 

But then somebody would protest the exploitation of slave beaver labour!

[Headhunter]

Well, since Irishfield is gone to the lake, I guess I'll play the role of Wayne here... let me know how I do!

"I always wanted a stuffed beaver but they have the right to live as well."

Don't we all dude, don't we all!

HH