Conservation Authority gives Mother Nature a helping hand

North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority
News Release

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Nature gets a helping hand March 19 when the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority removes ice at the mouth of Parks Creek as part of the overall floodplain management strategy for the creek.

“Parks Creek has been able to absorb the runoff from the slow melt that’s taken place so far this season. Removal of ice between the flood control structure and Lake Nipissing will help minimize the risk of any property flooding or ice damage to the control structure,” explains Troy Storms, Fields Operations Supervisor, NBMCA. “The ice removal will also continue a short ways into Lake Nipissing and we are urging the public and snowmobilers to be cautious when travelling near the creek.”

Each year NBMCA assesses the capacity of Parks Creek to absorb the spring melt and manages the flood control structure on the creek to ensure that people and property along the creek are safe from the risks associated with significant floods.

Lakeshore Drive residents in the area should experience minimal disruption from the ice removal project. The NBMCA is not anticipating any disturbance to the creek bed and the ice will be piled on the banks of Parks Creek to slowly melt. Individuals who wish additional information are welcome to contact the NBMCA at (705) 474-5420.

Mandated by the Province of Ontario to proactively and reactively respond to floodplain issues, the NBMCA constructed a Backflood Control Structure on Parks Creek in 1995 to prevent high water from Lake Nipissing flooding properties within the Parks Creek floodplain.

As part of the maintenance plan for the Backflood Control Structure, the conditions at Parks Creek are assessed each spring and autumn for the creek’s capacity to accommodate the season’s increased water flows.

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario and its 10 member municipalities. A non-profit organization, the NBMCA works closely with the public to balance human needs with environmental needs throughout the region’s watershed. The NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities who are members of Conservation Ontario.

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