BALA IS ‘PINCH POINT’ FOR MUSKOKA RIVER FLOOD WATERS

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA LAKES — This aptly named community has been lost in the public’s eye, drowned out by the media-craving Heart of Muskoka up river.

But the ravaging waters and devastation are as real as a water bomber unloading its cargo bay on your house.

After years of focus and attention on the Bala Falls, the powers that be behind the Swift River project must be salivating at the prospect of next year harnessing the full forces of nature crashing over the two falls in this combative little community in west Muskoka.

Until then, Muskoka Lakes Township officials have been consumed the way Huntsville and Bracebridge have.

Even if to a lesser extent.

However, all the water that has been gushing down from the north and south branches of the Muskoka River reaches its “pinch point” on the Moon River that snakes through Bala before being destined for Georgian Bay, which has the capacity to absorb it.

The Bala Falls, where Swift River is building a hydro generating station, is raging with record water levels going over it.

The Port Carling Locks were also closed due to flood levels.

But it’s been Muskoka Lakes Township Mayor Phil Harding who has won hard-fought-for concessions from the province — at least in terms of getting a seat at the table in a hastily called for meeting on the Muskoka River management system.

Harding said the Moon River is up 6.5 feet above normal.

In Minett Friday afternoon, where the Ontario Chambers of Commerce was holding its AGM & Convention, Harding met with Ford after the premier gave the delegates a key note address that wasn’t open to the media.

Privately, Harding was promised a meeting on water and river management — and soon.

Ford said the meeting could happen within a week.

And while no expects it to help the The Flood of 2019, everyone wonders had such a meeting been convened post the The Flood of 2013, maybe Muskoka wouldn’t be in the logjam that it is now.

There will be a lot of questions about how in the intervening years the waters were more manageable.

Many remember legal challenges by cottagers’ associations that seemed to go nowhere.

Perhaps 2019 will be different.

One of the two channels of water that gush through Bala is hitting its peak as part of the annual spring freshet.
A river of water flows down River Street in Bala Friday morning, on the route of the annual winter Trek to Bethlehem.
The Moon River rushes down toward Georgian Bay behind the Swift River hydro plant under construction.
The dominating Swift River power plant, which could be done this fall, overlooks the Bala Falls Friday.
River Street in Bala was closed this week forcing some residents out of their homes.
There’s a lot of water under the bridge in Bala this spring, as it goes under Hwy. 169 at the old Stone Church.
Waters on Lake Joe at Port Sandfield are higher than normal, covering the marina gas pumps dock.
The view from across the street from the Bala Bay looks tranquil in the morning, but levels are definitely up.