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EMC News – Perth
Len Dickinson of Ferguson Falls, a well known and respected community volunteer, has been appointed to chair the organization which works in conjunction with local agencies, county and municipal government as well as the Province of Ontario.
The water management plan was signed in 2007 for a 10-year period. The objectives of the committee are to review and document current operation and management regimes from an ecological and water management perspective. The organization is also charged with setting water management objectives for the extensive Mississippi River and lakes system to balance environmental, social and economic values and considerations.
The Mississippi River committee also works in an effort to enhance public understanding of the importance of water management as well as to define the individual operating plans for each water control structure across the expansive system.
New chairman Dickinson says, “The Mississippi River system is composed of a complex network of rivers, streams, rapids and lakes and numerous water control structures.”
Referring to the water controls which are in place Dickinson adds, “Twenty-three are owned and operated by Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC), Ontario Power Generation, Canadian Hydro Developers, Enerdu Power Systems Ltd. and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.”
Explaining the current situation relative to water management Dickinson adds, “Over the past few years the watershed has been experiencing more severe weather events, whether due to global climate change or to the natural, long-term fluctuations in climate and weather.
“These unpredictable, severe rainfalls or droughts make the job of managing water levels that much more difficult,” the chairman explains.
He says each water control structure within the system has a baseline condition, set on environmental, social and economic criteria.
“Any variances in that baseline must be presented to the advisory board for ratification,” he outlines.
“This ensures that current management of water levels and flows is consistent with the relative scale of effective water management in relation to water resource users and the public interest in water.
“I am looking forward to this challenge,” Dickinson told the EMC.
“We (committee) will continue to work with the many stakeholders, agencies and government departments involved to ensure our water resource is managed to the benefit of all the residents along the Mississippi system,” he stresses.
The Mississippi River, a tributary of the Ottawa River, is 170 kilometres (101 miles) in length. It begins in Upper Mazinaw Lake and has a drainage area of 3,750 square km. (1,450 sq. miles).
The river flows through Crotch, Dalhousie and the Mississippi Lakes and passes through Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills (including Almonte and Pakenham) in Lanark County before emptying into the Ottawa River, just east of Arnprior.
Once a catalyst for the former textile industry in the region, turning machinery at large mill complexes along its path, the river today provides mainly hydro-electric power. It is also a source of drinking water for municipalities such as Carleton Place. But the expansive system which includes tributaries such as the Clyde, Indian and Fall Rivers is used mainly for recreation purposes.