The Springbank Dam on the Thames River here in London has been a topic discussed for quite some time. The Dam suffered damages from a flood in 2000 and was never fully repaired.
In 2006 an attempted repair began but was never actually fixed. The city then sued the engineers who built the dam, there was no settlement until 2015 when the city was rewarded $3.7 million.
One of Mayor Matt Brown’s major topics while running for mayor was the Springbank Dam. The discussion he was having was whether or not to fix it.
This topic was met with arguments from multiple sides. Many did not want tax payer money spent on either repairing it or removing it, both would be costly. Others, mostly environmentalists, say it should stay as is. When the dam became ineffective many rare species of fish and other animals were seen in the river. The thought is that the dam is harmful to natural habitats on the river.
Kayakers and other water sport enthusiasts support repairing the dam as it leaves them with a safe river for their activities.
Council is expected to reach an agreement on the dam by the end of 2017. The committee will meet this Tuesday to discuss the options.
