An ORA advocacy work success!! Maitland Valley Conservation Authority removed Gorrie Dam in August of 2021.
Before: Gorrie Dam breached in June 2017 heavy rain event – scour hole.
Category Archives: North Maitland River
Updates: Howson Dam, North Maitland River
The motion, presented on Monday night, suggested by the committee calls for North Huron Council to approve an engineering study to determine the future of the dam and set out a schedule for fundraising for the rehabilitation of the structure. If that schedule cannot be met, however, the recommendation calls for the removal of the structure.
Articles:
Howson Dam and Pond Citizens Community chairperson reacts to budget talks, 3 February
Howson Dam – Out to Tender – bids due 20 October 2022
Howson Dam spillway to be tested, 23 Nov 2020
North Huron Council approves engineering study on Howson Dam, 9 July 2020
‘It’s going to be black or white’: North Huron council approves funding Howson Dam committee to speak to engineers, experts, 9 July 2020
Decision on Wingham’s Howson Dam Expected Next Month, 19 June 2018
Update: Gorrie Dam on the North Maitland River to be Decommissioned
UPDATE: Gorrie Dam Demolition Underway, Toronto Star, 23 July 2021
The Gorrie Dam failed as the result of an extreme rain and flood event in June of 2017. The dam had failed before, so the ORA advocated for its decommissioning, rather than its repair.
Part of the earthen berm to the south of the dam failed in June 2017. In June 2019, after reviewing a study of alternatives for the dam, the Conservation Authority membership decided to begin the process of decommissioning the structure which is located at Gorrie Conservation Area.
It is crucial that we take action on infrastructure that would put citizens at risk, degrade water quality, threaten our fisheries, or that jeopardize the ecosystem services that healthy rivers provide.
The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority has decided to decommission the dam and will move ahead with decommissioning in 2021.
Maitland Conservation Moves Ahead With Next Steps at Gorrie Conservation Area, 6 July 2020, by Maitland CA.
Advocating for Decommissioning of the Howson Dam, North Maitland River
Howson Dam at capacity in the 24 June 2017 storm event.
ORA has seen few dams that attract tourists to a town, but large healthy rivers and fisheries appear to be more attractive, especially to anglers and canoeists, that can bring additional tourist dollars into the community.
Howson Dam on the North Maitland River should be Decommissioned
Concrete is failing and eroding away.
Linda Heron, Chair of ORA, made this presentation on the 18th of June 2018, to the Township of North Huron’s Reeve and Council regarding the Howson Dam on the North Maitland River. According to a 19 June article by Adam Bell, Blackburn News, a decision will be made on the future of the Howson Dam soon. Continue reading
Decommission Howson Dam on the North Maitland River
Looking downstream at Howson Dam on the North Maitland River.
On 23 – 24 June of 2017, the upstream Gorrie Dam failed and the Howson Dam was at capacity during an extreme rain event and flood when 175 mm of rain fell in just 7 hours, placing more than 150 property owners at risk and resulting in an estimated $11-million in damages in the Town of Harriston. This severe rain event broke previous records by approximately 40% and was the second highest flow on the North Maitland in the 48 years of record. Fortunately, no one was killed; however, it could have been much worse, as in October of 2015, when a South Carolina flood breached 18 dams, and resulted in 16 deaths.
Gorrie Dam Failure, North Maitland River
Gorrie Dam Breach – Scour Hole
It has come to ORA’s attention that the Gorrie Dam on the North Maitland River failed as a result of flooding during an extreme rain event on 23 – 24 June 2017, and that Maitland Conservation is considering its options. We understand that no one is more aware of the extremes of a volatile and changing climate than Conservation Authorities, and yours in particular; and we understand the pressure that Conservation Authorities and municipalities are under when communities rally to maintain their coveted mill ponds. However, it is up to all authorities to take a leadership role that places public safety and landscape scale ecological integrity above local individual or group interests.