News

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) will delay filling the reservoir at the Wellington Street Dam, located in Royal City Park in Guelph due to the presence of a nesting bird (or bird nest) in an area that will be flooded with water if the reservoir is filled. The bird nest is protected by the Canadian Migratory Birds Convention Act and Regulation, which prohibits damage, destruction, disturbance or removal of the nest of a migratory bird that contains a live bird or viable egg.

As part of its ongoing maintenance program, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is continuing a comprehensive project to restore the concrete of the Conestogo Dam. This project is a continuation of work completed on the dam over the last several years to repair normal damage caused by regular weather and ice events. Work is scheduled to start on or around June 5, 2025, with setup of the site already underway.

The work completed in 2025 will be the same to that completed in 2024, except it will occur on the northern half of the upstream side (reservoir facing) of the dam. This method of construction requires the reservoir to be drawn down gradually to allow the contractor access to portions of the upstream face of the dam, and then time to complete repairs.

Repairs to the embankment at the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA)’s Wellesley Dam are complete. The discharge gate has been returned to service, and the pond is currently filling. An engineering assessment of the concrete spillway structure has been completed. The initial results of the assessment indicate that although the structure is in fair condition overall and does not currently present any risk to dam safety or public safety, there are areas in poor condition that will require remediation in the near future. GRCA staff will continue regular inspections of the structure, including the concrete spillway. The length of time to fill the head pond will depend on weather conditions and inflows. GRCA staff have completed a wildlife scan of the area and have not identified any nesting animals or wildlife that would be negatively impacted by the filling of the head pond.

Additional repairs to the embankment at the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA)’s Wellesley Dam will begin as early as Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Engineering assessments were completed at the Wellesley Dam throughout April and May to provide recommendations to address the safety and stability of the structure. While emergency repairs were completed quickly following the weather event and high water levels in early April, further repairs to the embankment are required to address dam safety and public safety concerns identified in the assessments. An engineering assessment of the concrete spillway has been completed and the GRCA is awaiting results of this study to determine if additional repairs may be required.

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) in partnership with the City of Brantford and County of Brant, welcomed 1,400 grade 4 students from Brantford, Brant and Six Nations of the Grand River for the 2025 Brantford-Brant Children's Water Festival. The three-day event ran May 13 to 15, 2025, at Mohawk Park in Brantford, and featured more than thirty fun, interactive activities, each with a message about water. Activity themes included: water science, protection, technology, attitudes, and conservation.

Due to repairs currently underway on the Speed River at the confluence with the Eramosa River, the Grand River Conservation Authority will be leaving the gates open at its Wellington Street Dam, located in Royal City Park in Guelph. This will result in lower-than-usual water levels until repairs are completed.

The Grand River Conservation Foundation (GRCF) is offering two scholarships in 2025 for post-secondary students enrolled in an environmental field of study, including a one-time scholarship valued at $9,500 in celebration of GRCF supporter Murray McEwen’s 95^th birthday.

The Grand River watershed experienced a mixed precipitation event from April 2 to April 3, 2025, that included significant amounts of overall precipitation. The extremely high water levels resulted in damage to the Grand River Conservation Authority’s (GRCA’s) Wellesley and Baden dams. Emergency repairs were initiated, and both sites were stabilized within hours of the dam safety incidents being identified. While initial repairs are complete, additional work will be required to address stability and public safety deficiencies with both of these structures.

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of water enthusiasts who enjoy activities on local reservoirs and waterways. As part of its annual procedures, the GRCA has begun the installation of public safety devices, specifically warning booms and buoys, upstream of GRCA-owned dams to alert paddlers, anglers and boaters to stay away.

The extremely high water flows passing through the dam resulted in damage to the discharge gate operation equipment. While the repairs to the gate operation equipment are complete, additional stability and public safety deficiencies have been noted. As a result, the GRCA is in the process of completing additional assessments, which require that the pond remain drained for the time being.