COUNTY - Dam system upgrades in the watershed area southwest of Hebbville continue this year as a Valley-based company recently secured a nearly $1 million tender.

 Mid Valley Construction of Kingston receives $780,000 to complete a series of upgrades to dams in the areas of two lakes. The amount is cost shared between all three levels of government.

 Bridgewater's public service commission, the corporate body that operates the town's water utility and provides drinking water to over 3,000 town and Municipality of Lunenburg customers, awarded the deal last month. The work represents another step in the Hebb Lake dam system improvement project.

 Mid Valley will be tasked with upgrading 150 metres of the existing Minamkeak Lake embankment dam off Mines Road 2 in Hebbs Cross. They will also be upgrading the control structure of the lake's main dam.

 Other work includes improvements to 45 metres of the existing Croft embankment dam on Minamkeak Lake and sprucing up of 200 metres of existing Minamkeak Lake perimeter embankment dam. The Milipsigate Lake concrete dam's structure will also see improvement work.

 The work is in response to heavy rains and flooding that impacted the area in 2005.

 The commission's water system contains six dams that have to meet requirements of a national organization dedicated to safe operation of Canadian dams.

 Last year the water utility awarded a $2 million tender to have 800 metres of Hebb Lake embankment dams as well as the perimeter road upgraded.

 Additional work in that tender included an upgrade of the dam's spillway, improvements to the Weagle Road dams and the construction of fishways at the Hebb Lake and Weagle Road dams.

posted on 07/19/11