Community Update: Update on Project Status

July 4, 2017 – As Parks Canada continues to work on the important preparatory and design work for the replacement of the Bobs Lake dam at Bolingbroke, construction is now anticipated to begin in the summer of 2018.

Careful consideration has been made in scheduling this complex in-water construction due to known timing challenges associated with fish spawning and both high and low water periods. Due to these challenges, the optimal month to begin construction is in early July. Though earlier or later starting dates are possible, a July start minimizes the possibility of the project running into a more challenging spring season. As the design process is still ongoing, a Summer 2017 construction start is not possible and therefore July 2018 is the new target.

While the design of the new dam is ongoing, some details are already known. Due to poor quality rock at the current dam site, it is anticipated that the new dam will be located approximately 40m upstream. Additionally, a second spillway will be added to the dam in order to meet current Canadian Dam Association safety guidelines. This additional spillway will act as a redundancy in case one spillway is ever blocked or requires repair.

Significant progress has also been made in the preparations for construction. A detailed fish habitat assessment and species at risk study has been completed. Additionally, enhanced environmental investigation and design work has been undertaken in order to create new walleye spawning habitat in the stream channel that will be created between the new dam and the existing dam. An archaeological review has also been undertaken on the areas likely to be disturbed by construction. Community engagement is also underway for this project and will continue through the summer and into 2018. This will include additional public meetings that will be coordinated with community and lake associations and advertised through our community engagement list and via social media. Engagement with Algonquin First Nation of Ontario is also underway.

The new dam will not alter the water management strategy for Bobs Lake. Furthermore, throughout the construction of the new dam plans will accommodate Parks Canada’s water management requirements and residents should not experience any significant change in water levels as a result of construction.

The replacement of the Bobs Lake dam is part of Parks Canada’s unprecedented $3 billion dollar investment over 5 years to support infrastructure work to heritage, visitor, waterway and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas across Canada. These historic investments will mitigate health and safety risks, halt the loss of nationally significant built heritage and stimulate the economy in communities across the country.

About Bobs Lake Dam at Bolingbroke

Dams have existed on Bobs Lake at Bolingbroke since at least 1821. In 1870 the dam site was purchased by the Government of Canada in order to enhance the size of the reservoir for the Northern Sector of the Rideau Canal. In 1871 the dam was significantly increased in size and the volume of water in Bobs Lake was raised considerably. The current dam has been in place since 1930 and has seen several major repairs over the course of its operation.

For More Information:

For up-to-date news on infrastructure work along the Rideau Canal, please visit our website: www.pc.gc.ca/rcInfrastructure. If you would like to be added to our community engagement list and receive updates on this project, please e-mail RideauCanal.info@pc.gc.ca and include Bobs Lake Dam in the subject heading.