Maintenance work on New Hamburg dike to restart in late January

Maintenance work that began in November to clear vegetation from the top of the New Hamburg dike will restart next week and continue through the end of February.

The maintenance project will take place over the next several weeks, weather dependent, and includes removal of fallen tree debris, large willows with structural issues and a number of large Manitoba maple trees below the dike. This project is being managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), who owns and maintains this section of dike along the Nith River behind Sobeys, between Burns and Mill streets.

The work is being undertaken by contractors and will cost approximately $20,000, funded by the GRCA and the Ontario government through its Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure program.

Most of the work is being completed in areas with limited access, however the public is asked to obey signage and stay well back from areas where work is being completed.

The New Hamburg dikes were built in the 1970s in conjunction with channel work undertaken in the river to help reduce the impact of flooding.

The New Hamburg Flood Mitigation Study, completed in 2020, proposed vegetation management along the existing dike as one mitigation option that could help to reduce flood damages within the community. The removal of these trees and debris will help reduce obstructions in the floodplain and allow floodwaters to move more freely. More information on the study is available at www.grandriver.ca/NHFloodStudy.

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Media Contacts:

Cam Linwood, GRCA Supervisor, Strategic Communications
Phone 519-621-2763 x2251  |  Email clinwood@grandriver.ca

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