Posted on March 7, 2022
Dredging at the mouth of Belle River as well as grading the West Beach to reduce flooding in Lakeshore has been delayed.
Municipal officials say some equipment was unable to be set up due to the amount of ice on Lake St. Clair, but are confident the warm weekend will allow things to proceed next week.
“With the good weather that we’re expecting over the weekend, that should break up some of the ice and allow the contractor to bring his barge in.” says Wayne Ormshaw, Lakeshore’s division leader of capitol projects. “It’s actually a very, very quick project and it should be over by the end of March.”
Ormshaw notes dredging will deepen the river and improve water flow and drainage for flood mitigation, recalling the last time similar work took place was in 2007.
“It was probably at the time due to low water levels, but we’re experiencing high water levels right now.” Ormshaw adds dredging will not become an annual or ongoing operation, “One of the reasons for constructing the jetty was to actually protect the protect the materials coming in from the lake.”
Ormshaw tells CTV News, access to the beach, river and Lake St. Clair will be impacted throughout the duration of the dredging project. Noting, the work will take place between the mouth of the lake and the footbridge between First Street and West River Street.
“Unsuitable material will be removed, but it’s going to be set on the beach to be reviewed before it gets spread out.” Ormshaw explains there are several community benefits that come from the work including flood mitigation throughout the community and the re-grading of West Beach which often has standing water in low-lying areas. “This is a great tourism area and once this project is completed, those benefits are going to be realized almost immediately and certainly for the summer and from that point on.”
