The fate of two area dams run by the Ministry of Natural Resources will take longer than anticipated to determine, according to a letter sent to concerned citizens.
The letter—dated Feb. 21—was sent to all those who submitted comments to the MNR either by mail or by attending the open house that was held here Jan. 14.
The open house was held to allow the public to comment on the fate of dams at Esox and Footprint lakes—and learn more about the various options available regarding the dams.
The options, which included rebuilding the dams and completely decommissioning them, were arrived at after an environmental assessment was done.
Both these dams were found to be in disrepair and in imminent need of action. The assessment gave their life expectancy at five years.
A letter also was sent to land owners in the affected watersheds in December encouraging them to comment on the proposed options.
“We got a lot more feedback, a lot more interest than we expected,” said Rachel Hill of the MNR. “So we need a little bit more time.”
Hill said the vast number of people who commented on the fate of the dams, as well as suggested alternative options, has made the process take longer than expected.
“It’s a little more complex than we originally thought when we launched the environmental assessment,” admitted Hill.
“To date we’ve had good responses,” she added. “We’re currently reviewing all the comments, including suggestions for different types of dams and other alternatives.”
Hill said a “more involved analysis” of the situations surrounding the two dam sites is needed.
“We didn’t think there was enough information available to make a decision,” she remarked, adding additional studies of the various scenarios will depend on the amount of funding available.
In the meantime, a decision on the fate of both the Esox and Footprint dams has been delayed indefinitely. Hill couldn’t give an estimate as to when one will be made.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
