The Ministry of Natural Resources has decided the Footprint Lake dam will be rebuilt.
The MNR announced its decision in a letter to affected property owners and concerned citizens who had attended the public forum on the Footprint and Esox Lake dams here back on Jan. 14.
“After careful consideration of the input from the public, the Footprint dam will be reconstructed,” said the letter, which was dated March 20.
No decision has been announced on the future of the dam at Esox.
The rebuilding of the Footprint dam is scheduled to be done this summer during the non-spawning season. A cofferdam will be built to de-water the working dam site to allow the work to be done.
The cost of the project is estimated to be more than $1 million.
The public now has until April 21 to voice any concerns with the current project plan, which falls under the Class Environmental Assessment for Small Scale MNR projects—Dams and Dikes.
Anyone feeling that serious environmental concerns remain unresolved should make a request for an individual environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
