Township to dredge Beaverton Harbour to prevent winter flooding

[Spiel]

Township to dredge Beaverton Harbour to prevent winter flooding

 

 

Sept. 22, 2009

Scott Howard / www.mykawartha.com

 

 

 

 

The Beaverton harbour floor will be dredged this autumn to prevent a repeat of last winter's near-flood.

 

The work will likely take place in late October or early November, says Brock Township facilities co-ordinator Mark Warvill.

 

While the municipality has not yet settled on a contractor or a price, many members of council are anxious to see the project proceed.

 

"It's urgent that it gets done this fall," said regional councillor John Grant.

 

After nearly a full week of above-freezing temperatures and rain, a large ice jam formed at the mouth of the Beaver River on Feb. 12, blocking a tremendous volume of water from emptying into Lake Simcoe.

 

Contractors were called in to punch holes in the jam, but the water levels in the harbour came dangerously close to spilling over the concrete banks.

 

"The water levels were pretty much right up to the brim," Mr. Warvill said in an interview at the time.

 

Several large chunks of ice spilled into the parking areas on both the north and south sides of the harbour. Upstream, the situation wasn't much better. Ice jams blocked practically the entire riverbed around Riverdale Road. A torrent of water raged beside the bed, making it look like the river was far more than 150 feet wide in some sections.

 

Several residents reported that the situation was the worst they've ever seen.

 

According to the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, much of the problem at the harbour was caused by what is known as frazil ice -- a collection of loose, needle-shaped ice crystals -- in the Beaver River, which flows into the harbour.

 

A press release from the LSRCA explained that the frazil ice is floating downstream and is causing three potential problems.

 

"The ice crystals are:

 

1) becoming trapped and snagged by obstacles and obstructions in the channel;

2) coming to a rest in areas of reduced water velocity, such as within the harbour and at bends at curves in the river; and/or

3) attaching themselves to projections on the underside of solid ice covered water," the press release read.

 

At Monday's meeting, several members of council appeared confident that the dredging could at least partially solve the problem.

 

"If we proceed with the dredging, it may alleviate the flooding issues we've faced," said Mayor Larry O'Connor.