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LAKE ARBUTUS REFILL DEPENDENT ON WEATHER
Thursday, February 28th, 2008 -- 1:45 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
The transition from winter to spring will play a big role in how quickly Lake Arbutus returns to normal water levels.
The water level of the lake—which is controlled by the dam—was lowered six-feet in September 2005 so needed repairs of the dam could take place.
"In the past, the ice has gone out sometime in March, but look how cold it is this late in the year," says Robby McDonald, West Central Regional Manager for North American Hydro, "Are we going to get a quick warming trend? And even after the ice goes out, if there's water going over the dam, of course, I can't do the work."
When the ice melts, the final repairs will take about 8 weeks. And, while much is dependent on the weather, McDonald expects to start refilling the lake in late May.
While property owners around the lake, and those that like to boat and fish there might be getting a little impatient, he says North American Hydro, who owns the hydroelectric facility and dam, isn't to excited about the delays either.
"We're losing money everyday this lake is down, believe it or not," McDonald says. "The loss in revenue is atrocious. It's really cost us a ton of money. So it's in our benefit to get that filled up as soon as possible."
While the cold snowy winter has delayed repairs, it could accelerate the refilling process, McDonald says.
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