The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority is holding a special info event to talk about how the dam on Parks Creek helps protect properties from flooding when Lake Nipissing levels rise. It’s going to be held at the Eva Wardlaw Conservation Area on May 25th at 6:00pm. Conservation Authority Supervisor Sue Buckle says it’s a great chance for people to discover what they do to help protect properties.
The NBMCA constructed a Backflood Control Structure on Parks Creek in 1995 to prevent high water from Lake Nipissing flooding properties within the Parks Creek floodplain. Buckle says stop logs are put in place to prevent high Lake Nipissing levels from surcharging the storm sewer system and causing basement flooding. She says when the stop logs are in place, electric pumps are used to dewater the Parks Creek flood plain after a major rain event and to discharge normal creek flows around the structure.
Buckle says it’s also an opportunity to thank RBC for a $10,000 grant to support the Restore Your Shore shoreline vegetation program. As part of the program, NBMCA recently added trees and shrubs to the shoreline of Parks Creek to help prevent erosion and runoff of the streambank. Buckle says they know shoreline erosion adds sediment and unwanted nutrients to streams and lakes that can impact water quality and aquatic habitat. She says the Restore Your Shore program will provide 30 property owners throughout the watershed with free plants and trees to help protect their shoreline this year.
Launched in 2007, the RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year, $50 million global charitable commitment to help provide access to drinkable, swimmable, fishable water, nor and for future generations.
