THUNDER BAY — Sediment that's accumulated in a section of McVicar Creek over the years has caught the attention of the City of Thunder Bay's engineering division.
After a recent inspection of the concrete culvert that carries water beneath Margaret Street, city staff have decided the problem is severe enough that it should be addressed this summer in order to avoid flooding.
"There's a lot of sediment and build-up that needs to be removed in order to return the culvert's flowing capacity...because eventually more sediment will accumulate, and if it gets completely blocked off, the area will most likely be flooded," said city project engineer Lisa Parent.
The city plans to hire a contractor to remove about 150 cubic metres of sediment.
Some on-site preparations are expected to begin in late spring, but no work can be done in the creek before June 15th in order to protect spawning fish.
Parent said it's uncommon for the city to have to clean out a culvert.
Before proceeding, it needed permission from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and from the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority.
The concrete box culvert beneath Margaret Street has three separate channels, or cells.
To remove the sediment, water flowing through the two channels where the buildup has occurred must be diverted to the third cell so the work area is dry.
The project is expected to be completed before the end of August.
