Lake Victoria needs to be drained.
During last Thursday’s storm, a sluice gate at the RT Orr Dam on the Avon River opened automatically to release water and prevent floodings of roads and upstream buildings.
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority says while the gate was open for a short time, debris was drawn under the gate, preventing it from fully closing.
“Efforts by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to flush out the debris have been unsuccessful,” said the conservation authority.
“As a result, Lake Victoria has been draining.”
Communications and Marketing Specialist Emily Chandler says they’ll have to “drain the lake to under winter levels, which will be quite low. It is a significant thing to happen to the Avon River.”
“Avon River is a significant tourism draw and attraction for locals so we recognize that having the water down that low isn’t ideal,” said Chandler.
“However, this is unavoidable and has to be addressed. We’re trying to do it in a way that balances trying to keep the Avon River there and maintained, while also addressing the issue in a way that can have little impact on the ecosystem as possible.”
Chandler says the lake is being drained slowly, giving animals and aquatic species some time to re-locate, where if they tried to open the dam fully to remove debris, the water level would be reduced at a quicker rate, putting more species at risk.
The conservation authority expects at this rate, the lake would be low enough for them to remove debris by either the end of this week or the weekend.
Once the gate is closed, staff will start refilling the lake, with hope for a large rainfall to come after the closure to bring the lake back up.
