Spring Dam Operations Commence

Otonabee Conservation conducting spring dam operations and installing warning booms for public safety

Otonabee Conservation staff are conducting spring dam operations including placing stop-logs into dams and installing warning buoys and buoy-lines upstream of Authority-owned dams.

The hazards around dams can be serious and if ignored, could include serious injury or death. Warning buoys and buoy-lines are located upstream of Otonabee Conservation-owned dams and spillways. They act like ‘floating fences’ that warn paddlers, anglers, swimmers, and boaters to stay away. They are installed each spring and then removed in the fall before winter freeze-up. This is one of many public safety measures that reduces risks on and around dams.

Land-based signs warn boaters of a dam ahead, and there are also signs mounted on the dams themselves that warn about the presence of dam inflow and outflow areas. Portage routes are also posted for safe passage around dams and spillways.

Dam operations will be undertaken over the next two weeks. The affected dams include:

• Warsaw Dam (Warsaw)
• Lang Mill Dam (Lang)
• Hope Mill Dam (Lang)
• Millbrook Dam (Millbrook)

The water around dams can look peaceful, but the area upstream and downstream is more dangerous than it appears. Water surges over the stop logs of the dam, creating strong undertows and currents around the dam. Otonabee Conservation urges the public to respect the warning booms and signs and to stay away from dams.

For more information contact:

Janette Loveys Smith | CAO
Otonabee Conservation
jsmith@otonabeeconservation.com | 705-745-5791 ext. 222