Community Update: Construction Update - Red Pine Lake Dam

July 29, 2021

Parks Canada is advancing on-site work to replace Red Pine Lake Dam, in Haliburton County, beginning in early August 2021.

Red Pine Lake Dam was originally built prior to 1878, and has seen many changes and improvements over the years. The current timber crib dam, constructed downstream of Kennisis Lake, has a wooden deck with one sluice measuring 5.2m wide. Engineering inspections in recent years have identified the declining condition of the Red Pine Lake Dam. The wood structure has outlived its normal expected service life and will be replaced.

The new dam has been designed with two sluices spanning the same width, and its longevity will be increased by utilizing concrete construction with a metal deck. The new dam’s location will be 14m upstream of the current dam as a result of more favorable bedrock conditions in that location.

Access to the Red Pine Lake Dam is by water only. This adds a challenging element to modern construction. To facilitate reliable construction, sections of the upstream river will be dredged to allow access for a construction barge to and from the site. In an effort to minimize costs, environmental impact and public interruptions, the project will be accessed via West Shore Road as outlined in the dredging map below.

What to Expect

Contractors are expected to commence work in August 2021 and the work will span three calendar years. There will be little to no work over the winter periods due to the reduced accessibility of the site. The expected timeline is as follows:

• 2021: Construction will be mainly ancillary to the dam which will consist of dredging, cofferdam and bypass channel installation, the transportation of material and site setup
• 2022: Construction of the dam at the site
• 2023: Continued construction followed by full restoration and demobilization

More Information

For questions or concerns, or to receive email updates regarding this project, please contact us at pc.trentsevern.pc@canada.ca and include “Red Pine Lake Dam” in the subject heading. For more information about this infrastructure project, as well as Questions and Answers, please visit www.pc.gc.ca/tswHaliburton.