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Monora Park pond being drained in 2023 with removal of dam

May 12, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Peter Richardson

Mono Council heard from the Credit Valley Conversation (CVC) on Tuesday (May 19) about issues relating to Monora Park.

A delegation to Council lead by CVC CAO Quentin Hanchard and director of watershed management, John Sinnige, shared that the existing pond at Monora Park will be drained and the dam creating it is being removed in 2023.

Studies show that the dam is in danger of a collapse, and has reached the end of its useful life, while a new dam is far too expensive to build.

The plan to eliminate the dam will remove the risk to public safety, remove environmental impacts such as fish passage and creek temperature, restore the stream and wetland habitat in the pond basin, and maintain he trail connectivity for recreational purposes.

The cost will be approximately $320,000 and the funding is in place now with construction expected to run from June 1 to September 30, 2023.

A consultation process with the Town will allow input into the new structure of the Monora Creek and try to mitigate the impact of the work being done during by the summer season.

The CVC will gather information from the public, then present the options and share the final results.

The pond will be drawn down this spring and a Request For Proposal (RFP) will be sent out for detailed design, while public and stakeholder consultations are held. Hopes are for the design to be finalized by July 2022.

The land where the pond is located is owned by the CVC, who purchased it in 1963 for recreation and natural resource protection.

The creek was dammed in 1965 to provide for swimming and fishing. The CVC entered into a 50-year lease in 1988.

The dam is a clay core structure earth embankment with morning glory control regulating the water level.

Each autumn it is drawn down for weed control and to add sand to the beach. The pond warms Monora Creek, which is a cold-water system, and prevents fish movement.

While the Park will be dramatically changed by the removal of the pond, the resulting design is expected to restore the natural wetland environment and insure, public safety and continued access to the park area

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