The St Clair Region Conservation Authority is taking a closer look at its operating criteria for the McKeough Dam.
For Wallaceburg residents there has been an ongoing issue regarding Sydenham River water levels, with some property owners questioning why the McKeough Dam, located in St. Clair Township, hasn’t been closed during high water events to possibly protect property in Wallaceburg.
At this week’s Chatham-Kent council meeting, Girish Sankar, Director of Water Resources, made a presentation about what the operating criteria of McKeough Dam is during high water events.
Sankar says there are three measured criteria that have to be met for the dam to become operational; which includes the flow at Bear Creek in Brigden, the rate the water is rising in Wallaceburg and the water level in Wallaceburg. The Conservation Authority has a camera on the Sydenham River near the walking bridge where they can also monitor ice jams. They also use other observations to help make their decision about using the dam.
“A combination of the measured and the observed parameters are reviewed and if the conditions are met, the staff would bring the recommendation to our general manager and at that point the general manager would have a discussion with our chair and a decision is made if the gates should be operated,’ Sankar says.
Sankar says the Conservation Authority is undergoing an internal study on operating criteria for the dam, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Wallaceburg councillor Carmen McGregor asked about community input into the operating criteria. Sankar said they will seek input from Chatham-Kent and St. Clair Township.
The dam, which became operational in 1984, is the largest flood diversion project in Ontario. The dam has been used three times in the past two years, and overall 14 times since 1984.
