The ice has now receded from the stretch of the canal near our property on Balsam Lake Drive, leaving a corridor of open water. It’s a promising sign of things to come. The days are getting longer and warmer. And although a chill still clings to the air, the spring solstice is just days away. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, spring arrives on Sunday, March 20 at 12:30 a.m. After the spring thaw, the waterway’s locks and canals open. With the opening of the waterway comes a new cottage and boating season.
The Trent-Severn Waterway employees manage the water within the waterway, which meanders 386 kilometres along central Ontario. This means they take actions to change water levels and water flows (volume or speed). Trent-Severn Waterway employees monitor and manage the water twenty-four hours a day throughout the year. There are many reasons why the Trent-Severn Waterway employees manage the water levels and flows within the Trent-Severn watersheds. They adjust water levels and flows:
The Trent-Severn Waterway staff members oversee more than 120 water-control structures along the waterway. Managing the waterway and making adjustments to the water-control structures involve complex decisions encompassing multiple factors. The water-retaining structures play a key role in managing the waterway’s water levels, and in protecting residents and visitors. Indeed, the Trent-Severn Waterway is being primed for a new season. And the ice and snow will soon disappear entirely. We thought this news might put a spring in your step.
