French River – Lake Nipissing Water Levels Part I of III

 February 2012

 Submitted by the FRSC Communications Committee

Living or cottaging on the French River or Lake Nipissing makes the issue of water levels and how they are managed a matter of continuing interest.  In this three part article there will be an attempt to explain some of the history of management efforts and where we are today with trying to meet current management objectives.  That is, despite how Mother Nature continually tries to surprise and upset the managers.

The Lake Nipissing – French River watershed is very large at some 19,000 square KM.  It encompasses hundreds and hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams.  When the last glacier that covered all of this area retreated some 10,000 years ago we were left with this beautiful landscape that we all appreciate and enjoy.

The largest lake in the watershed is Lake Nipissing at 850 Sq.KM.  It is the fourth largest lake in Ontario.  The watershed includes the Lake Temagami and Lake Wanapitei areas.  Most of the watershed is north and a little east of Lake Nipissing and most of the waters in the watershed area drain into Lake Nipissing and then down the French River.

The foregoing is background in an attempt to outline the complexities that arise when man decides that we should control water levels on parts of the upper watershed, on the main water body and finally no controls on the bottom end of the drainage which is the French River.

A number of bodies of water that drain into Lake Nipissing have control mechanisms, most do not. Some smaller dams on those water bodies are there simply to hold stable water levels on those waters.  Some of the larger dams are producing power.  There are presently efforts being made at strategic times to co-ordinate the operations of the different dams in order to preserve water for hydro power making or for flood control.

Because so many water bodies are not controlled, the efforts to achieve a good result are not always successful.  Finally, Mother Nature and weather predictions that are sketchy at best, can really throw a monkey wrench into man-made planning.  Efforts will continue however, utilizing best known practices.

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s forestry operations were extensively being carried out around Lake Nipissing, particularly North and West of the Lake.  The only practical way of moving the logs being harvested considerable distances was down the rivers and into the lake.  For many years there was a large saw mill operation in Cache Bay which is just west of Sturgeon Falls. That mill processed thousands and thousands of the logs that were brought to the lake for many, many years.

However, there was always a problem by early or mid-summer in floating the logs into the bay as Lake Nipissing water levels would naturally go down with summer dryness and cause difficulties in shallow Cache Bay.  So, at some point in the early 1900’s, it was decided that the Government should build dams on the Upper French River in order to facilitate the large lumber interests in getting their logs to the Cache Bay mill.  The dams would provide a stable water level all season on Lake Nipissing.  A desirable level was established and subsequently, has always been referred to as the level for navigation.  The goal every spring was to have the lake at that level by May 15^th.

Over the years many structures such as docks, boathouses and cottages have been established along the lake shores to take advantage of the navigation level.  Boating was also facilitated by the stable water levels.  This was especially true for the larger deep draft vessels such as the successive Chief Commanda’s that sailed the lake from end to end.

When the dams were built on the Upper French River the Government and their engineers apparently gave no thought to what the impacts would be on the Lower French River ecology and the rivers fish population.  It seemed that the only consideration was what the effects would be on the lake and would they be beneficial.

As a result, serious flooding occurred in the 1940’s and 1950’s, along with observable harmful impacts on the river fisheries, brought forth an outcry from the French River Tourist Operators and others about how the dams were being managed.  A long arduous effort began to try and change some of the French River dam operational criteria and mandates.  In the next segment of this story there will be more history presented related to this issue, and what has been achieved to date.

Please watch for Part II in the next edition brought to you by the French River Stewardship Council.