Grand Lake has a serious shoreline erosion problem!

Grand Lake's shoreline was inextricably altered many years ago when a dam was constructed at the south end of Dam Lake. As a result, water levels were raised, low lying areas were flooded, and Grand Lake's shoreline moved up and inland many feet. Shoreline vegetation was submerged and old growth tree roots were exposed as their soil was carried away into the lake. Relentless ongoing erosion can be seen all around the lake, and each year the high spring water further batters this already fragile shoreline.

Grand Lake is on a major multi-lake watershed, with a waterfall at the Culbute (awe-inspiring in the spring) pouring hundreds of thousands of tons of water into the north basin. Unfortunately, the fixed static dam downstream has nowhere near the outflow. In between, there is constriction caused by the old Barrage bridge which greatly slows the exit of the water into Dam Lake, rapidly raising Grand Lake's water level, and often flooding low lying properties in the south end of the lake in the spring.

Despite years of lobbying, the municipality refuses to remove even a partial log in the fall to lower the lake level for the spring runoff, or to manage it in any way. Similar appeals to rework the bridge, dredge the channel, or install side culverts to reduce the blockage and increase the outflow have so far been unsuccessful as well.

Towering old pines that grace the shoreline of Grand Lake have, and will continue to topple into the water as their undersides are hollowed out by wave action. Many are being held back only by their remaining roots, as they lean further towards the water each year.

High spring water is the source of most of the ongoing shore line erosion each year. The only thing we can do is to continue to lobby the municipality regarding the dam and bridge, and not make the situation any worse with unnecessarily high wakes.