NIPIGON, Ont. — Lake Superior's ongoing high water level is causing headaches for officials in Nipigon.
Mayor Richard Harvey describes it as "a really serious concern," saying the town is considering how best to prevent damage to the public docks, and how to mitigate shoreline erosion.
The problem can't be addressed before this winter, which has the town worried how its docks will cope after freeze-up.
"WIth the extremes in weather and varying water levels, a lot of the time the docks are right under water...If the freeze takes place with water over the docks, it would do a lot of damage to the entire area down there," Harvey said in an interview.
The high water level is exacerbated at times, he said, with "extreme seiches."
A seiche occurs when wind or air pressure changes cause the surface of a lake to undulate rhythmically.
In the case of Nipigon's shoreline, Harvey said, "Within a few hours, we sometimes see up to a three or four foot difference in water level depending on what's happening on Lake Superior."
The Mayor said the waterfront is a big economic driver and tourist attraction for the town, and there's additional investment coming from Parks Canada for facilities related to the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.
While it's urgent that "repairs or replacements" be done, he said, "we don't want to just do some fixes and then be coming back in a few years."
Harvey said any infrastructure improvements must be adequate to protect the shoreline in the face of extremes in weather conditions that are now becoming more common.
The town is considering a number of different options, and is consulting with the federal and Ontario governments for funding assistance.
In preparation for this winter, Harvey said the floating docks have been "loosened up" to minimize potential damage, but there's not much that can be done to fortify the main dock.
"We'll have to see what the weather does," he said, adding that he still hopes the water level might drop before freezeup.
