HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-01-15, Page 24Page 8
SHORELI
E MANAGEMENTLAKE LEVE LS Ai' SHORELINE
How much does it cost to control a
Great Lake? Who is, or will be respon-
sible? Who will benefit?
Like a black and white picture show,
there needn't be any sound. We can
see our feeble efforts at attempting to
control the bluff erosion along the
shores of Lake Huron. Property
owners, in desperation, have thrown
virtually everything, including the kit-.
(hen sink, onto these eroding bluffs in
hopes of protecting the few remaining
meters of soil that presently support
their homes.
The Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority has been in the business of
flood and erosion control for over 30
years but throughout those years the
western boundary of the watershed,
namely the shoreline, has been poorly
understood. The cost and complexity
of Iakeshore flooding and erosion has
steadily risen. In addition, efforts to
control the problems are not easily
mounted. The shoreline is ad-
ministered by several municipalities
and at (east 5 provincial and federal
agencies have legislation that applies to
shoreline activity. Little wonder then
that few shoreline management pro-
grams exist in Ontario.
Since 1979, the Maitland Valley Con-
servation Authority has acted as a
liaison between the various levels of
government presently involved in
shoreline management. This approach
ensures that property owners get infor-
mation relevant to their specific con-
cern, without having to contact eac h of
the organizations to get the answers
they need.
GODERICH BLUFFS
EROSION CONTROL PROJECT
The Town of Goderich has had an
ongoing battle with the lake to keep
the shoreline in place. Lake currents
and the prevailing winds remove
shoreline sands and silts leaving a cob-
ble stone beach. The most serious area
of erosion occurs between the water
intake plant and the sewage treatment
plant just south of St. Christopher's
beach.
Previous study has shown that the
high value public and private property
can be protected with the construction
of a man-made groyne and hard point
in front of the Town sewage treatment
plant. To keep the costs to a minimum,
the Town and the Conservation
Authority have requested the use of the
rock and sand material that will he ex-
cavated from the Federal Govern-
ment's harbour improvement pro-
gram.
The cooperation of the Federal agen-
cies involved has made this joint pro-
ject a benefit to all parties. In addition
to protecting the shore, the groyne and
hard point will help the Federal agen-
cies in their efforts to keep the siltation
of the harbour to a minimum and
thereby, reduce future maintenance
costs.
Construction has already commenc-
ed with the Town of Goderich dump-
ing used concrete and rubble along the
shoreline. Over the next few months,
the Conservation Authority hopes to
obtain $75,000 from the Provincial
Ministry of Natural Resources to con-
struct the remaining rock core groyne
prior to next spring's storms.
PORT ALBERT EROSION CONTROL
The hamlet of Port Albert has long
been a recreation center. The fishing,
swimming, boating and scenic
lookouts have attracted both local and
regional tourists. In recent years, a
sand bar at the Nine Mile River mouth
has been causing some flooding, ero-
sion and fish migration problems, but
cottagers have expressed concern that
a more lasting solution must be found.
4 /
J
\ , t.::it , A.-) .2
r
The Conservation Authority has
been asked to investigate the most
economical solution to the problem on
behalf of the local cottagers and the
Township of Ashfield. If the study
shows that the benefits of constructing
a protection device outweigh the costs,
the Authority could act as a catalyst to
secure funding from other government
agencies.
•
,
AJ r
'f
EROSION ARE ON THE 'ISE
It has been 12 years since Lake
Huron rose to record heights. In' the
summer of 1973, the lake rose to the
highest levels in over 100 years of
record. At that time the lake was over 1
meter (3 fee=t) above normal levels and
the erosion problems stretched the full
length of Huron County's shoreline. In
1973 and subsequent years, property
owners felt helpless as they watched
their cottages and homes diminish in
value with each new bank slump.
Now, in 1985, the lake levels have
again returned to record highs and
projections for 1986 offer no signs of
relief. The unusually large amount of
rainfall and snowmelt in the Lake
Superior and Lake Huron basins are
the major culprits. Some have sug-
gested that Netter management of the
locks at the mouth of Lake Superior
would relieve some of the flooding but
experts have confirmed that the level
of Lake Huron can be lowered no more
than :3 inches with such management.
Even this lowering can only be sustain-
ed for a short period of time before the
Lake Superior levels become
dangerously high themselves.
Judging by the wide range of possi-
ble lake levels in any given month, it
seems that the lakes will rise and fall in
their own time and the efforts of
government and private enterprise
should be focused on how to reduce
the impact of the lake flooding and
subsequent erosion.
Goderich Township - Shoreline
tions and using private funding.
protection based on Authority recommenda-
Jr;
:r.
k
Zi Maitland Valley
Conservation
Authority
Box 127,
Wroxeter, Ontario
NOG 2X0
-Office: (519) 335-3557