View - The Municipality of Lambton Shores

Throughout the 2012 boating season numerous complaints were received from users of
both harbours regarding issues with the depth of the respective harbour channels. The
most common complaint was related to the depth of the channel at the mouth of each
harbour after storm events and heavy wave action (at the pier in Grand Bend, and at the
river mouth in Port Franks). These complaints result from an expectation that the
channel should be maintained immediately after these events, however this is an
expectation that cannot be met. There will always be a lag time after an event to allow
wave heights to subside to the point where it is safe for Mitoi Works to operate. This
causes frustration for boaters as the weather may be sunny and warm, but conditions
are not suitable for prop washing. Overall Mitoi Works has fulfilled the obligations of
their contract, and has been readily available and willing to complete extra dredging
work on an as requested basis as conditions permit. In 2012 the contractor funded
additional work to complete soundings of the Ausable River at no cost to the
municipality.
The other main complaint that was received during the 2012 season relates to the fact
that the municipality is no longer using the Northside to maintain the Port Franks
harbour. In 2012 the Northside was removed from service until mid-June for its four year
maintenance and certification. The Northside drafts 5 feet, and when it was returned to
the water the river depth was below 5 feet which caused the vessel to be inoperable. At
the end of the 2012 boating season water levels in the river were close to 3 feet, and
they are forecasted to remain low for 2013 (discussed below). As a result, the Northside
will not be able to navigate the channel until water levels rise.
When conducting a root cause analysis of the challenges that were faced by both
harbours during the 2012 season the cause of all complaints was harbour depth. When
reviewing this issue from a root cause perspective the cause is well documented: the
falling Lake Huron Water levels.
Issues Facing the Harbour Depth Maintenance Program
Currently there are two main issues that are affecting this program’s success: the low
water levels in Lake Huron, and the program’s financing model. Each issue is discussed
separately below.
1. Lake Huron Water Levels
The falling water level in the Lake Huron-Michigan system is well documented by the
US Army Corps of Engineers and local media (several recent articles with pertinent
information are attached to this report). The Corps of Engineers record monthly level
readings, publish monthly reports regarding water levels in the Great Lakes, and create
6-month forecasts of expected levels in the lakes.
Attachment 2 to this report is the January 2013 water level summary published by the
Corps of Engineers. It shows that the baseline (chart datum) water level is measured at
176.0 m (577.5 feet) above sea level, and that December water levels were recorded at
just slightly above 0.4 m below chart datum. This is the record low since lake level data
began to be collected in 1918, and is below the prior record low set in 1964.
The US Army Corps of Engineers is forecasting that water levels in the Lake Huron-
Michigan system will remain near or below the record low for the next six months until
June when the lake level is forecasted to 102be
slightly higher. Regardless, 2013 lake