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Who Owns and Operates the Dams?

The CRCA operates seven dams and three water control structures.

There are many other dams and dam operators in our watershed. Click here for a complete listing by municipality and lake.

Lake Water Levels

Dams and Water Control Structures

The Temperance Lake dam controls water levels on Temperance Lake, part of the Gananoque River watershed.
One of the CRCA's primary responsibilities is the management of water. Our focus is protecting natural waterways, controlling flooding and maintaining water levels during the drier summer months.

To control flooding and to maintain water levels throughout the drier summer months, the CRCA has constructed dams, reservoirs, channels and detention basins. Although flooding has not been a major problem in our watershed, it has been an occasional challenge in some of our urban areas. The operation of these water control structures minimizes the impact of major storms.

CRCA Water Control Structures

The CRCA owns and operates the following:
  • Sydenham Lake Dam (South Frontenac Twp.)
  • Millhaven Dam and Reservoir (Loyalist Twp.)
  • Highgate Creek Channelization (City of Kingston)
  • Little Cataraqui Creek Dam & Reservoir (City of Kingston)
  • Temperance Lake Dam (Athens Twp.)
  • Marsh Bridge Dam (Front of Yonge Twp.)
  • Fred Grant Dam & Lees Pond Dyke (Elizabethtown-Kitley Twp.)
  • Broome-Runciman Dam & Reservoir (Elizabethtown-Kitley Twp., City of Brockville)
  • Buells Creek Detention Basin (City of Brockville)
  • Central Avenue Channelization-Booth Falls Diversion (City of Brockville)

Operating any water control structure is a balancing act. In time of high or low water flow, upstream and downstream water control requirements often conflict. For example maintenance of lake levels for recreation may conflict with downstream needs for water supplies. The CRCA staff continuously monitor and adjust water flow and retention to balance these sometimes conflicting needs.

Other Water Control Structures

There are lakes throughout our watershed that are controlled by dams owned and operated by other agencies or private companies. These dams are operated for a variety of purposes including power generation, navigation and water management. The CRCA does not have control over how these structures are operated.

For a complete list of dams and their owners within the CRCA watershed click here.

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P.O. Box 160, Glenburnie, Ontario, Canada K0H 1S0
Telephone: (613) 546-4228
E-mail: crca@cataraquiregion.on.ca

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