Construction is set to resume at Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 on the Trent-Severn Waterway near Peterborough, Ontario. Following a thorough planning and design process, Parks Canada and partners at Public Service and Procurement Canada are going ahead with construction to replace the dam at Scotts Mills Lock 19. This project is part of over US$90M investment in Parks Canada assets in the City of Peterborough, through an unprecedented five-year program of infrastructure work across Parks Canada sites.
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Previous engineering inspections showed that the current dam at Lock 19 is nearing the end of its useful life. The Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 will be replaced fully with a new dam that respects the historic appearance of the site and has a life expectancy of over 80 years. The new dam will optimize hydraulic capacity, increase the water safety management operations, and be constructed in a way that allows improved access for maintenance activities. In addition, the project will be the first step in creating a more public-friendly site, equipped with pedestrian access to the dam itself once restored.
The Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 plays a vital role in the City of Peterborough and is an essential part Trent-Severn system. The dam at Lock 19 is one link in a chain of dams across Ontario that help Parks Canada in the management of water, achieving a variety of objectives including navigation, mitigation of flooding, and the protection of the environment. Within Peterborough, the dam helps to control upstream and downstream water levels, including Little Lake which serves the waterside economy and quality of life that Peterborough residents enjoy, however, renovation of the dam at Lock 19 holds logistical hurdles due to its location in an urban area. To manage this challenge, Parks Canada purchased four plots adjacent to the dam on the east side to use for construction staging. During the project, this space will be used to store materials, manoeuvre machinery, and access the construction site.
Why has hydraulic power generation not been part of this major undertaking?? It seems shortsighted to exclude this opportunity to provide cheap, clean power to the community as do several of the power plants already on the waterway.