A stop log has been removed from the Hebb Dam ahead of this weekends rain. Photo: Evan Taylor.
In a proactive move, the Bridgewater Public Safety Commission (PSC) has announced they are removing one of the stop logs from the Hebb Dam ahead of this weekend’s anticipated rainfall.
By doing so, water levels in Hebb Lake which serves as Bridgewater’s water reservoir will be lowered and flow into Fancy Lake will increase.
This move comes following heavy rain In July that prompted the PSC to remove seven stop logs while heavy rain was still falling as the dam’s levels were increasing. Ultimately that decision was not the PSC’s to make and was a result of the Canadian Dam regulations that require operators to release water when levels are rising at certain rates.
That decision resulted in an evacuation order being issued for over 300 homes in the Fancy Lake area, some of which ended up flooding.
Following that incident, the Hebbville Village Commission hosted a special meeting for residents to discuss potential solutions. Some of the ideas put forward included; improving communications with the PSC, and fostering a more proactive approach to removing the stop logs.
In a statement provided to our newsroom HVC Chair Jamie Richards commented on the decision, “The HVC certainly supports any proactive measures by the PSC regarding the management of the dam. It is better to err on the side of caution. Pulling out a stop log in advance of a predicted weather event is in our estimation, good management,”.
Whether the announcement to remove the one log ahead of this weekend was influenced by the HVC special meeting is unknown.
The plan currently is to leave the one-stop log out for the next few days so as to allow increased flow and lower the levels of Hebb Lake, however, the PSC has indicated they plan to put it back in the dam prior to this weekend’s rainfall.
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