CHISHOLM — A new  committee mandated to look into funding options to put a weir on Wasi Lake is making no commitments on a future water control structure. Instead, members want to ensure the health of the lake before moving to replace an illegal dam decommissioned last year by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The Wasi Lake Weir ad hoc committee held its first meeting on Nov. 26 under the chairmanship of councillor Doug Penny. Penny said, with the water level of the lake lower than in remembered history,  and an outbreak this summer of blue-green algae, “we have a huge problem and we have to get everyone's commitment to solve it. That includes all agencies and ministries, as well as lakefront property owners."

Dave Dockendorff, who sits on the committee representing the agricultural interests of Chisholm Township, pointed out that despite the fact the committee's name indicates its mandate is to build a weir, “that has to be determined to be a good thing for the lake and I don't think that is clear at this point in time.”  

He also pointed out “with beaver activity increasing across the township, more natural damming is effecting the whole water system. Anything we do to smooth out the level in the lake will affect flooding downstream and also cause serious upstream effects as well.”

Dockendorff said he felt the purpose of the committee “should be to investigate the health and economic issues of putting in a weir (and raising the water level). If it's good from both of those aspects, then we should move ahead to find the financial means to make it happen.”

But he also pointed out to move forward with the construction of any form of water control structure, “we have to get all of the people on the lake on board. We can't flood them without their permission,” he said referring to some lake residents who complained the higher levels sustained by the former sand bag dam had cause erosion and flooding problems on their property. “Raising the water level requires the acceptance of all property owners, and that's something that may never be achieved.”

Penny agreed “we need to understand the ramifications of anything we do,” he said, “and we have to have everyone talking to everyone else. There's a group out there that don't feel they were listened to. Council should have taken more notice of their concerns and now we need to get those people at the table.”

Paul Gerard, who sits on the committee as the chair of the Friends of Wasi Lake group, said the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) had been asked this spring to broker a meeting between the two lake property factions, “but they refused to meet with us,” he said.

Former Chisholm councillor Catherine O'Banion, who sits on the committee as a member at large, wasn't in favour of bringing new faces to the table. She argued council had already given the mandate of how to deal with Wasi Lake's water levels to this already established new group.

“What's talking to these people have to do with what we're supposed to be doing as this committee,” she said.

“If they don't agree with us, we won't be able to do anything,” said Penny. “The former sand bag dam was put in with all the best intentions, but it obviously had some negative effects. Unless everyone on the lake agrees, MNR will not support our doing anything to control the water levels in the future.`

In addressing the mandate of the Wasi Lake Weir committee, he said, “council feels that a weir is a solution and that's why it's in our mandate, but it has not suggested how high the water levels should be. It's up to everyone at the table to discuss the water level we feel we can all live with. Getting the others here is our first priority.”

He also concurred with Dockendorff`s early comments about the township's total water system.  

“We have to realize that we're dealing with more then just a problem with the Wasi Lake levels,” he said.

Having taken a recent airplane trip over the township, Dockendorff said “clearly the water in the system has risen. From the air you can see fence lines now under water, alders dying from high water levels, and until we solve this problem I think we'll have a difficult time convincing residents that we should be putting in a weir. The more opinions at the table, the better chance we have of arriving at an agreement.”

The committee agreed to send a recommendation to Chisholm council to request those living on Wasi Lake who had been  concerned about increased water levels when the previous dam was in place, be contacted to join the new group.  

“Without that representation at the table,” said Penny, “ this committee doesn’t completely meet its mandate.”