GRCA says Port Hope beaver dam on lower Ganaraska River not flooding private land

A beaver dam on the lower Ganaraska River in Port Hope is not flooding private land or increasing flood risk, the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority said in an Oct. 29 media release.

The update may be of interest to nearby residents because the conservation authority said it has been tracking the site for several years and has not found impacts to private property, infrastructure or public safety.

The GRCA said its staff and staff from the Municipality of Port Hope have been monitoring the dam since 2022. The agency placed the dam south of Jocelyn Street and west of the former Ontario Ministry of Transportation property.

The dam is in a side channel that runs parallel to the main river channel. The GRCA said it is not blocking flow or fish passage in the main branch of the Ganaraska River.

The conservation authority said the dam is on public land in a natural river corridor. Based on its ongoing monitoring, the GRCA said it has confirmed the beaver activity and associated dam is not flooding private lands, increasing flood risk, threatening infrastructure or creating public safety concerns.

The GRCA reported that river flow below the dam is currently 2 to 3 m³/s. The agency said that level is typical base flow for this time of year, and it said the last major precipitation event in the region was Oct. 16.

If monitoring finds the beavers are creating a hazard on public property, the GRCA said it would recommend the property owner hire a licensed contractor to remove the animals. The agency said removal would be treated as a last resort and would follow applicable laws.