OPG is to Blame

[Guest lacman]

OPG opened the Greenwater dam...not sure how many logs they pulled. I do know that on their water flow map on their website that flow and level data for Greenwater has been non-operational since last September. I was told they will not be repairing the equipment. I guess they figure that what the public can't see....can't be used against them. They are gambling that mother nature will replace what they are taking from Greenwater before the fall spawn..........just like they gambled on the spring rains for the walleye spawn.

It looks as of they are using greenwater to get to their min flows on the Kam. Looks as if they aren't taking anything from dog anymore, I'm guessing because they can get the water from Greenwater? Dog is by far in the worst shape out of all the lakes feeding the Kam.

I wonder what would happen if they let the flows on the Kam go below what the MNR has stipulated? Would we see dead fish? Ruin the sturgeon spawn?

[Guest MNR]

The depth of reservoir drawdown (ie. Kashabowie Lake) in the Kaministiquia River watershed is not influenced by the ongoing lake sturgeon study below Kakabeka Falls. This study involves “spilling” a certain volume of water over Kakabeka Falls, utilizing existing flows in the upper Kaministiquia River. The remaining water is used to generate power at the Kakabeka Falls generating station. Since it was agreed that reservoirs would not be compromised in order to provide water for sturgeon, MNR and OPG do not study flow scenarios in excess of available water. In 2010 for example, low river flows in early May dictated that a low flow scenario (14 m3∙s-1) would be studied. This flow is actually less than the required minimum flow for the lower river (17 m3∙s-1) which is in effect from May 15 to October 14. This year, most of the water that would have gone through the Kakabeka Falls generating station was diverted over Kakabeka Falls for this study.

[Guest Run N Gun]

The depth of reservoir drawdown (ie. Kashabowie Lake) in the Kaministiquia River watershed is not influenced by the ongoing lake sturgeon study below Kakabeka Falls. This study involves “spilling” a certain volume of water over Kakabeka Falls, utilizing existing flows in the upper Kaministiquia River. The remaining water is used to generate power at the Kakabeka Falls generating station. Since it was agreed that reservoirs would not be compromised in order to provide water for sturgeon, MNR and OPG do not study flow scenarios in excess of available water. In 2010 for example, low river flows in early May dictated that a low flow scenario (14 m3∙s-1) would be studied. This flow is actually less than the required minimum flow for the lower river (17 m3∙s-1) which is in effect from May 15 to October 14. This year, most of the water that would have gone through the Kakabeka Falls generating station was diverted over Kakabeka Falls for this study.

WOW ..... all this drawdown to do a study??? and then not to use the water for the generating station????

Great water management

[Guest Limiter]

Thanks for clarifying the situation. I am also very pleased that the water in Kashabowie is coming up well once the dam was closed. There was a netting of the lake a year or so ago. Where would I get this information on this study?

The depth of reservoir drawdown (ie. Kashabowie Lake) in the Kaministiquia River watershed is not influenced by the ongoing lake sturgeon study below Kakabeka Falls. This study involves “spilling” a certain volume of water over Kakabeka Falls, utilizing existing flows in the upper Kaministiquia River. The remaining water is used to generate power at the Kakabeka Falls generating station. Since it was agreed that reservoirs would not be compromised in order to provide water for sturgeon, MNR and OPG do not study flow scenarios in excess of available water. In 2010 for example, low river flows in early May dictated that a low flow scenario (14 m3∙s-1) would be studied. This flow is actually less than the required minimum flow for the lower river (17 m3∙s-1) which is in effect from May 15 to October 14. This year, most of the water that would have gone through the Kakabeka Falls generating station was diverted over Kakabeka Falls for this study.