J.A. Spencer
Dear editor:
Having attended the public meeting of the IJC here on Aug. 11, I now understand why the water levels got so high—and were high for so long.
The “Commission” is comprised of people who do not live on the shores of Rainy Lake and is complacent (I could use many other adjectives but they may be considered rude).
The “Rule Curve” was not printed by some higher being, and probably was largely printed at the behest of the power company whose interest is to maintain a head of water as much of the time as possible!
The “Rule Curve” does not take into account:
1. Snowfall
In the apologia for last year’s flood, the committee said the excessive snowpack was gone by May. Clearly this is untrue—the melted water was still in the ground as well as the numerous ponds, muskeg, and rivers that drain into Rainy Lake (they are difficult or impossible to quantify).
2. Higher precipitation (in the fall of 2013)
3. Date of “ice out” (which was very late in 2014)
Clearly, water should have been spilled much earlier, which would have mitigated but not prevented the flood.
This, indeed, was caused by excessive rainfall in June and July. However, these months always are our months of heaviest precipitation.
With the existing “Rule Curve” and attitude of the IJC, if these circumstances repeat, so will the severity of the flood.
This could be avoided by the pro-active spilling of water much earlier.
This also would benefit the wild rice germination and growth, and nesting which has been damaged year after year (2011-14) because of the precipitous rise in the lake level in May.
Sincerely,
J.A. Spencer,
M.D., F.R.C.S.,
Fort Frances, Ont.
