Warning buoys in place at Millbrook Dam for first time
Otonabee Conservation has installed warning buoys near authority-owned dams to ensure the safety of the public.
While this is done every year at the Warsaw, Lang Mill and Hope Mill dams, this is the first time in several years they’ve been established at the Millbrook Dam.
“This is done every year at this time, and they’re taken out every year usually in November. We thought we’d let people know the safety measures are in,” said Dan Marinigh, chief administrative officer at Otonabee Conservation.
According to the agency, the yellow buoys act like a floating fence to warn paddlers, anglers and boaters to stay away due to the dangers of water flows near the dams.
“As a dam owner, we have a responsibility to protect people from getting hurt around our dams,” Marinigh said. “We put buoy lines in upstream because sometimes if you’re canoeing down the river, you might not be able to see the dam until it’s too late.”
This is just one of the public safety measures the agency has developed to reduce the risk of danger for those who enjoy water activities on local reservoirs and waterways.
Land-based signs warn boaters of the dam ahead and there are also signs mounted on the dams themselves that warn of dam inflow and outflow.
“There’s also those throw rings in case somebody gets caught out in the water, so you can throw a ring from shore,” Marinigh said.
While the water around dams can look peaceful, the area upstream and downstream is more dangerous than it appears, Otonabee Conservation warns. Water surges over the stop logs of the dam, creating strong undertows and currents around the dam. The most serious danger is that the water pressure can pin a body below the water for an extended period of time.
If people ignore the hazards around dams, the outcome could result in a serious injury or death, the agency warns.
Marinigh said Otonabee Conservation is just one of many trying to get the message out about the potential dangers of dams.
“You’ll often see on TV now Ontario Power Generation has commercials about fishing or swimming around dams, so you see this often and commonly,” he said.
Otonabee Conservation is also placing stop-logs into the dams as another safety measure and is urging the public to respect the warning buoys and signs and to stay away from the dams.
“For the core parts of our business, which includes operating dams safely, we’re doing the job,” Marinigh said.
Funded by the Government of Canada