Discharge of water from Shand Dam temporarily reduced due to emergency at downstream hydro facility

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) reduced the discharge of water from Shand Dam at Belwood Lake reservoir just after midnight on September 3, 2025, due to an emergency request from a privately owned hydro company in Fergus.

The company’s small turbine malfunctioned, and as a result, they requested a reduction of discharge from Shand Dam to reduce the flow of water entering their turbine so that emergency repairs could be undertaken. Repairs are now underway.

The flow at Shand Dam is currently 2 cubic metres per second, which is lower than the GRCA’s normal low flow target of 2.8 cubic metres per second. GRCA staff are monitoring river conditions closely. Flows at the dam will be returned to their normal discharge rate as soon as repairs to the privately owned turbine are complete.