Dear Editor,

I am writing to you in regards to the article “Residents not keen on power dam for Bala” that appeared in the Sept. 6 edition of The Muskokan.
We appreciate The Muskokan’s efforts to inform its readership about this important business initiative for the Bala community and its surrounding area. That said, some points raised in this article appear either misleading or without foundation, and as a result, may have only served to perpetuate unfounded concerns, unnecessarily.
As the article correctly notes, our Aug. 29 open house and our subsequent meeting with the Muskoka River Property Owners Association (MRPOA) Saturday, Sept. 2 were very preliminary meetings. We initiated these meetings to open important lines of communication with the community before the end of the summer season.
More than simply introducing ourselves and the project concept to the community, we felt it was important to begin the process of soliciting feedback crucial to improving upon our preliminary plans and designs for our Bala Falls small hydro generating project.
The title of the article “Hydroelectric dam in Bala” may suggest that our Bala Falls project entails the construction of a dam that is not already at this site. Let us be quite clear. Our proposed Bala Falls run-of-the-river small hydro project does not include, nor does it contemplate any modifications or additions to the existing north or south dams that would alter historical seasonal flows from Bala Bay to the Muskoka River.
None of Swift River Energy’s representations at either of the two public meetings suggested otherwise and we would be very disappointed if readers received an impression that characterized this project any differently.
As a run-of-the-river facility, our Bala Falls project would rely on seasonal flow patterns to generate electricity, while remaining in strict compliance with the flow rates set out in the Muskoka River Water Management Plan and the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Muskoka River Dam operation manual (1997).
As we mentioned to all those we spoke with at the open house, and those who attended the MRPOA meeting, the small generating station we propose for Bala Falls will not have a measurable impact on lake levels. And, its operation will certainly not have any impact on the sewage treatment facility or the quality/quantity of the treatment facility’s treated effluent.
As a run-of-the-river operation, it will not turn the lake into any more of a reservoir than it has been since these water control structures were first installed about one century ago. Our ability to say this with confidence is based on preliminary engineering studies Hatch has conducted.
The article mentioned that the Muskoka Lakes Association undertook a three-year study of water volumes in the Muskoka Lakes that concluded “there was not room for extra power generation in our area.” These conclusions were not correct. While the Muskoka Lakes Association participated as a member of a public advisory committee, the Muskoka River Water Management Plan did not, in fact, arrive at this conclusion as claimed.
Certainly, the detailed engineering and environmental studies we have recently commissioned will be required to quantify our preliminary assessments with some precision. I can assure you Swift River Energy would not contemplate incurring substantial development costs, if we were not confident a small run-of-the-river hydro generating facility could be operated at Bala Falls well within the strict local water management regulations dictated by MNR.
It is worth mentioning that it was due in large measure to Hatch’s expertise and intimate knowledge of the Muskoka River Water Management Plan that Swift River Energy retained this respected firm to conduct the detailed engineering/environmental studies and assessments our Bala Falls project will require.
We certainly appreciate and understand the community’s desire to question us about our Bala Falls project and the potential short and long-term impacts this project may pose. We are committed to addressing them on a point-by-point basis, in an open, responsive and responsible manner, as our studies and consultations continue. And, in this regard, we trust The Muskokan will continue to do its part in communicating with Swift River Energy Limited to keep its readers properly and accurately informed of this important business development in Bala.

John Wildman
Vice-Chair
Swift River Energy Limited