GRCA preparing for maintenance work at Shand Dam

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is preparing for a maintenance project on the Shand Dam, pending GRCA Board approval on October 25, 2024. 

To accommodate the work, water in the reservoir will be lowered at a faster rate than is typical for this time of year, beginning the week of October 15, 2024. The drawdown will continue until a water elevation of approximately 415 m is met prior to the project beginning. The dam will continue to operate as intended throughout the duration of the project and provide its primary flood storage and flow augmentation functions.  

Cottagers and visitors to Belwood Lake Conservation Area should expect fluctuating water levels as well as some disruptions to the operation of the conversation area. The boat launch is now closed and some parking space at Belwood Lake Conservation Area will be reserved for contractor use for equipment and material. The portion of the Elora Cataract Trail that crosses the dam will be partially blocked but will remain open throughout the project. Trail users are reminded to obey signage and be aware of the construction area. Discharges from the Shand Dam will not affect trout spawning in the Grand River downstream. However, it is anticipated that ice fishing will not be permitted at Belwood Lake Conservation Area this winter. Updates on the project and any impacts to the conservation area will be posted on the GRCA’s website as information becomes available. Reservoir elevation levels can be monitored on the Shand Dam reservoir webpage.  

Work will begin in November 2024 and is expected to conclude in February 2025; however, timing is subject to change pending weather conditions. 

About Shand Dam and the project  

Located within Belwood Lake Conservation Area in Fergus, Shand Dam began operation in 1942 and is one of seven multi-purpose dams built by the GRCA to help reduce the impact of flooding as well as augment river flows during the summer and fall. It is an earth embankment dam with a concrete spillway equipped with four flood control gates, two valves and one turbine. In addition to its primary purpose of flood mitigation and flow augmentation, the dam and reservoir provide supplementary benefits including recreational opportunities, habitat for fisheries and power generation. The project will entail the refurbishment of the dam’s isolation stoplog gains, which are located on the upstream side of the dam. Shand dam is equipped with four flood control gates to pass high flows through the dam. When the gates are raised or lowered to control flows, they slide up and down in guides that are slots in the upstream concrete piers. These guides are called gains and are used to secure the flood control gates against the concrete to provide a watertight seal to hold back the water in the reservoir. 

Multiple projects have been completed to maintain and upgrade the dam over the years. 

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Media contacts: 

James Clark, Senior Communications and Marketing Advisor  
Phone 519-621-2763 x2240  |  Email jclark@grandriver.ca 

Lisa Stocco, GRCA Manager, Strategic Communications and Environmental Education 
Phone 519-621-2763 x2316  |  Email lstocco@grandriver.ca