by Peter Sporring
The Mill Pond Dam has been in need of upgrading and has been on the O'Hara Volunteers Association 'to do' list for some time. The upgrade will include structural and aesthetic upgrades to the dam. We will take the opportunity to dredge the pond in the vicinity of the dam as well.
Any work involving waterways and dams requires a very significant level of planning effort in terms of engineering and permitry; all in the interests of public and environmental safety. Funding is also a challenging task. The O'Hara Volunteers Association is fortunate in that Quinte Conservation has, and continues, to undertake these aspects of the Mill Pond Dam reconstruction project.
Through 2009 Quinte Conservation was busy completing the planning, engineering and funding arrangements necessary for the Mill Pond Dam reconstruction. As of this writing (early February 2010) a few permits and construction drawings and some of the funding remains to be completed. An environmental study will be completed in the spring and, pending the outcome of that study, the O'Hara Volunteers Association will be able to proceed with its part of the actual reconstruction.
Below are before and after images of the dam showing the new concrete structure faced with limestone from the donated Atkinson barn, which is also shown during demolition in Fall 2009.
It appears at this time that reconstruction activities at the dam will begin sometime in late April 2010.
Contact: Peter Sporring, Dave Little
The O'Hara Mill Pond Dam Prior to Reconstruction in 2010
Artist's Impression of the Mill Pond Dam after Reconstruction
The limestone for the down stream face of the reconstructed dam has been sourced from the nearby Atkinson barn shown here during the Fall 2009 demolition.
The Mill Pond Drained for Dredging in 1962. We will be dredging the pond during the 2010 dam upgrades.
