Peninsula Harbour Area of Concern Sediment Management Project Update
Construction activities
Capping activities in Penninsula Harbour, Marathon Ontario - Photos by Jim Bailey of EcoSuperior
Thin layer capping in Penninsula Harbour, Marathon Ontario - Photos by Jim Bailey of EcoSuperior
The thin layer capping activities are nearly complete! Work on the construction phase of the project has been ongoing since May and progress has been steady, with minimal downtime. Sand was brought in from gravel pits in the Marathon area and Manitoulin Island and has been stockpiled at the site. The amount of truck traffic through the town has been lower than expected because the sand from Manitoulin Island was transported by barge.
As of this weekend 100% of the project area has been capped (see attached map). Water quality monitoring has been ongoing throughout the construction phase and no exceedances have been reported. The silt curtain that surrounded the barge during capping was effective at minimizing turbidity while the sand cap was placed in the harbour.
Public outreach
Representative of Environment Canada explains to those aboard the activities they are viewing. Photos by Jim Bailey of EcoSuperior
Marathon Peninsula Harbour - Photos by Jim Bailey of Eco Superior
Thunder Bay - Superior North MP Bruce Hyer was among those who enjoyed the public tours of the harbour and capping activities on Lake Superior Day in Marathon. Capping activities in Penninsula Harbour, Marathon Ontario - Photos by Jim Bailey of EcoSuperior
With funding from Environment Canada and support from EcoSuperior, the Town of Marathon hired a Green Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Gillespie, to act as a local contact for the project and assist with communications. Ms. Gillespie worked with EcoSuperior to host a Lake Superior Day event in Marathon on July 15. Approximately, 43 people attended the event, which was held at the tourism information centre. Information on the project was provided and the overall response was positive.
The Ministry of the Environment and Environment Canada have installed an interpretive sign at the end of Stevens Avenue to provide members of the public with information on the project. The sign was installed on July 18 and will remain in place until the completion of the project.
With funding from Environment Canada, EcoSuperior co-ordinated and promoted a boat tour of the project area on July 24. About 20 members of the community participated in the tour. Boat tours were offered at 5 pm and 6 pm aboard a McCuaig Marine vessel. Roger Santiago of Environment Canada provided commentary the tours, giving a detailed explanation of the intent of the project, how the project was being constructed and how monitoring would be done after project completion to determine success.
Next steps
Post-construction monitoring will begin in August. This will include bathymetric assessment to measure water depth and assessment using a camera to measure the thickness of the newly placed cap material. These activities will be used to confirm that cap materials have been placed in accordance to design specifications. An aquatic vegetation survey will also be conducted in order to establish a baseline against which to monitor the re-colonization of aquatic vegetation.
Please contact Ashley with any questions or concerns at green@marathon.ca or 229 -1341.
