A disagreement on water levels along a few local lakes is bubbling up between two townships.
At a recent council meeting, Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jen Murphy explained that Killaloe, Hagarty, and Richards Township Mayor David Mayville had opened a can of worms while speaking about drastically low water levels along Round Lake.
Mayor Mayville has suggested he would like to speak with the Ministry of Natural Resources about revisiting the Bonnechere River Watershed Management Plan, but not everyone’s on board.
Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jen Murphy says that she and Council would spend the next weekend after those remarks answering calls from constituents asking, “Why now?”
She says the reason the plan is in place is to level the playing field on managing water levels along the Bonnechere River and Golden Lake, as well as Round Lake, which nobody is ever happy with regardless of the season.
Councillor Brent Patrick adds that a lot of money and time went into keeping the plan fair for everyone involved.
The Bonnechere River Watershed Management Plan was a collaborative effort from shareholders along the area’s lakes and the Bonnechere River, as well as elected representatives, power dam project managers, and the community.
A letter to Mayor Mayville expressing Bonnechere Valley Township’s unwillingness to revisit the plan was approved.
(written by Kasey Egan)
