To fix the dam, or not to fix it?
That’s the question residents asked Wednesday during the first of two public information meetings.
Londoners came out to the Central Library to learn from staff and share their thoughts on the three options for the Springbank Dam: leave it, remove it or fix it.
Community members on all sides of the debate shared their opinions.
“Don’t remove it. Every time you fiddle with the river you change things in the river and it takes a while for it to recover. There’s probably sediment in there from previous environmental issues that would be disturbed when they remove the dam,” said Shelley Carr.
Al Miller agrees. He’s lived along the Thames for 65 years, and wants the dam to stay as is, saying he’s worried about all the new trees and other greenery that sprung up along the river’s banks.
“It’s had 10 years to establish itself. I think it’ll be a shame to put the dam back in and ruin all that new vegetation,” said Miller. ” I think they should leave it the way it is. My idea is to make a little foot bridge and have a hiking trail on the north side of the Thames and use it that way.”
Others said using the Thames River for recreational purposes is important.
“We believe there should be recreational use of the river. At some point and in some way we would like to see that happen again. It would basically require higher water levels at certain times of the year, usually in the summertime,” said Earleen Moulton who is on the board of the London Rowing Club. “The advantage to any sort of river rowing like this is that the banks and the vegetation, I guess, that’ll stay along the bank will make the water calm. So that’s the benefits to rowing on the river versus rowing at Fanshawe Lake.”
Jackie Farquohar is also in favour of fixing the dam. She said she doesn’t agree with the argument that a number of at risk species are better off since the dam broke.
“I think a lot of the species that environmentalists are saying are flourishing now have been flourishing in all parts of the Thames for years,” said Farquohar.
The next public consultation meeting is set for Thursday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Goodwill Industries on Horton Street.
Once the public consultation meetings conclude staff will take the results and report to city politicians later this fall.
A staff report has identified 17 different species that are at risk and would be negatively impacted if the dam was repaired. The report suggests repairing the dam would be extremely difficult.
The future of the dam is included in the One River environmental assessment which covers the Thames River from Boler Road Bridge to the Forks of the Thames and Harris Park. The EA ties together the Back to the River revitalization project and the Springbank Dam. Supporters of the Back to the River project, which would revitalize the forks of the Thames River, want the dam fixed to raise water levels.
London city council is expected to make a decision on the future of the dam by the end of the year.
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