Red Pine Lake Dam Construction Update
Boater Caution Due to Construction Equipment on Red Pine Lake
Red Pine Lake Dam Replacement Project
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site
Haliburton, Ontario, August 6, 2021 – Parks Canada advises boaters to exercise caution on Red Pine Lake due to construction barges and dredging equipment that will be on the water performing work associated with the Red Pine Lake Dam replacement project. Caution should be exercised to avoid the barges as they are slow moving with poor navigation capabilities. Construction equipment being moved to and from Red Pine Lake Dam may also cause some delays to boaters travelling in the area. In addition, the barge equipment will be moored overnight on the water. While the barges will be visible in the dark and equipped with operating lights, caution should be exercised.
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.
Here is another link to some Q&A
The KLCOA will continue to keep you updated as we receive more confirmed information
For more information:
Carly Wallace
Public Relations and Communications Officer
Ontario Waterways, Parks Canada
249-387-0519