‘The sand is gone’
Rising lake levels wash away much of Lakeside Park beach
POSTMEDIA NEWS
The full extent of the damage won’t be known until the water finally recedes.
But much of the beach at Lakeside Park appears to have been washed away, as water levels on Lake Ontario continue to rise.
St. Catharines acting recreation and culture services director Phil Cristi said city staff are aware that some sand has been “either washed away or pushed inland by the waves.”
“We are looking forward to really ascertaining what the conditions are as a result of the high water level,” he said. “We’re hoping to start the clean up as soon as Mother Nature allows us to do so, but it’s hard for us to tell right now, how much sand we’ve actually lost.”
Any costs that could be associated with restoring the beach have yet to be determined. Cristi said there could also be damage to other waterfront infrastructure such as the piers, but the extent of that damage won’t be known until the flood subsides and “a fulsome analysis” can be done. And that likely won’t happen until at least mid-June.
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority reported that lake water level is currently at 75.86 metres – the highest it has been since 1918. And water levels are expected to continue rising slightly in the weeks to come.
“It’s a natural disaster, in all reality,” said Paul Haynes, the Commodore at Dalhousie Yacht Club which continues to be threatened by the rising lake water.
“I walked on the beach the other day, and there really isn’t a lot of beach left. There’s only about a 10-foot strip, if that. And then it goes down on a slope. The sand is gone,” he said. “There’s been a lot of devastation to the port in general throughout this.”
About a month ago, club members placed sandbags and plas- tic drums around the buildings in the hope of holding back the flood.
The efforts have helped “to a degree, but they’re really only helping against waves that now will come down the channel.”
The water, however, is still making its way past the sandbag, through the saturated ground.
“You can pump all day long, but it’s just going to keep coming in behind the sandbags,” Haynes said.
Nevertheless, the water has yet to infiltrate the club’s buildings, which currently remain open.
“If the water gets any higher, then absolutely there could be concern for closure of the building,” he said.
Haynes said he’s hoping the water level may have already reached its peak, although that normally doesn’t happen until about mid-June.
“From what we’ve heard from different sources, we have another four weeks of high water. So even if it has peaked now, it probably won’t go down for another four weeks,” he said. “And it may not have peaked. That’s an optimistic statement.”
Although flows through the Moses- Saunders Power Dam have been slightly increased in the hope of easing the flooding in Lake Ontario, outflows into the St. Lawrence River are being limited due to flooding in Montreal.
While much of Niagara has been protected from the rising lake water by its coastline, Cristi said it has had a devastating impact on other communities, particularly along the lake’s north shore.
He said he had an opportunity to see the damage driving to Ottawa a few weeks ago.
“I was just marveling at how many playgrounds I saw in communities that were underwater – lakefront properties and lakefront parks, and their playgrounds were underwater,” he said. “It’ll be interesting for sure to see what municipalities have to do to get things back in order.”
Haynes said the water levels have forced about 90 per cent of yacht clubs surrounding Lake Ontario on both sides of the border to be “closed for business for incoming boats, and they are basically in the same situation that we are.”
Dalhousie Yacht Club board members met Thursday evening to discuss the problem, as well as launching boats for the season which have already been stored ashore for about a month longer than normal.
Haynes said the earliest oppor- tunity to launch boats won’t happen until Friday, June 9. And even then, he said it will likely only be a partial launch.
The boats are normally lowered into the water by crane, using fenders that float in the water to prevent the hulls from hitting the concrete pier. But because of the water levels, the fenders are floating uselessly above the submerged pier.
He said the club has instead made adjustments to its floating docks, allowing them to be used to launch boats. Nevertheless, he said it literally could be more towards the end of June before all the boats have been launched this season.
“For club members, I’m going to say that the word of the day is patience,” Haynes said.
Meanwhile the water levels have also led to algae growth on the piers.
“They’re very slippery, and safety is at the forefront of our concern. If it’s not a safe situation we won’t be launching until it is safe,” Haynes said.
But when the water finally does subside, he said Dalhousie Yacht Club members can be counted on to help clean up the beach, “or whatever is required to be done in Port Dalhousie.”
“The yacht club and our members are prepared to help in whatever way we can.”
And Cristi, too, said he’s looking forward to eventually enjoying the beach and the park, “because it’s going to be awesome when it’s done.”
He was referring to upgrades and renovations underway on city facilities within the park.
“I keep saying that, but it’s hard to get past what you see there when you first arrive,” Cristi said. ABenner@postmedia.com Twitter: @abenner1