DAMS, WEIRS AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Public safety around our dams and weirs is often taken for granted. We are not informed or sufficiently warned about the potential risks of living or playing near them. Decrepit dams can fail, putting people at risk, property in peril or the river’s aquatic health in jeopardy. Children have drowned below them in their turbulent waters and in the depths of their reservoirs. Safety around dams and weirs needs to be better communicated to the public. Many of our estimated 3,000 dams and weirs across the Province of Ontario need remedial work to ensure public safety. The majority of these barriers were built over 50 years ago, with some structures being over 150 years old. As time passes, the erosive action of water chews away at the concrete, steel and wood within the man-made obstructions. The freezing and thawing of water in concrete in our cold climate, further degenerates the structural integrity of these barriers. The growing roots of trees can also cause deterioration of a dam or weir. Intense storms can produce more water than a dam can handle causing a breach. Water can find routes around and under the structure that leads to foundation defects. As these barriers become structurally unsafe, they become more susceptible to failure and represent a significant liability to the owner.