From the Ontario Game and Fisheries Department, Toronto, Ontario January 12th, 1934
Deputy Minister to the Chair of the Ontario Hydro Commission, Parliament Buildings, Toronto
From the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives
Sir; our District Superintendent Fraser, at Fort William, has forwarded the Department a copy of a letter he received from Mr. J.D. McKirdy, of Orient Bay, the third paragraph of which reads as follows:
" The Hydro Controlling Dam at Virgin Falls. Before this Dam was constructed, the Speckled Trout could go up and down the river as they pleased, mostly down as I believe most of the fish in the river dropped down the river and very few of them came up, and when they did come up was after they had spawned. There are anumber of arguments on this question, with the stop logs in the dam and these work in from the botttom up allowing the overflow to flow over the top, from the middle of July until long after the close season, there are any number of Speckled Trout hanging around close to these stop logs. I don't believe any of them will go over the top. I have not seen one go over and have talked to any number of my guides, and they say the same thing. Could it not be possible to arrange with the Hydro to set up the sluiceway on the west shore of the river, make it into a fishway with a somewhat natural bottom that will allow our Speckled Trout to come down or up as they wish. They still have plenty of sluiceways to take care of the rise and fall of the river, besides the original bed they have an extra channel that during the construction of the main dam tokk care of the full flow of the river. Of considerable annoyance to our patrons fishing the river is the Hydro changing the level of the river. They sometimes raise the water two or three feet in one day and four or five days later lower it two, three and sometimes four feet.This changes pools in the river and for a day after this change, it is almost impossible to catch a Speckled Trout, during the summer there is very seldom a week there is not a change of some kind madein the water level, and quite often, two changes a week. I would certainly appreciate it if your Dept. would approach the Hydro and ask them to eliminate these drastic water changes as much as possible. I cannot understand why they cannot handle this situation with their wate supply immediately above their power plants, changing their controlling dam at the head of the river only when absolutely necessary and leave the river set at a certain level for two or three weeks at a time. One instance, I had a party of two come in from New York City, they outfitted for ten days, camping at Virgin Falls the night after they arrived. The following morning teh Hydro raised the water on the river four feet, that afternoon the party returned to Orient Bay prepared to leave that night for home. After considerable persuasion I arranged for them to spend five days on the Wintering River. They were very much pleased with their trip and caught some nice speckled trout, but left with a very bad impression of the Nipigon River. The situation is such that I advise almost all our parties to spend part of their time on the Nipigon River and the balance of their time fishing the streams that flow into the Lake, smaller streams that cross the railroad east of Orient Bay or the shore of the Lake at different points where coasters can be picked up."
The fifth paragraph of Mr. Fraser's letter to the Department reads:
" I can also verify his statement regarding the changes in water levels of the river, and it seems hard to understand why it should be necessary to have these sudden changes made, considering the volumes of water at the disposal of the Hydro Plant. From my observations, it appears to me that the Operating Department at Hydro uses teh water all week from the river directly above it, and then they close this lower Dam and open the Dam at Virgin Falls over the weekend, with the result that while they are drawing the water off for operations at the lower end, teh levels are lowered from two to three feet up the river, and then they close the Dam at Hydro and open the one at Virgin Falls, almost overnight the water levels are raised again another one to three feet. Perhaps if this matter were taken up with the Hydro officials at Toronto, some arrangements could be made for a gradual lowering and raising of the water levels."
As you are no doubt aware, the Nipigon River holds the World's record for Speckled Trout. The Department here has established one of the most up-to-date trout rearing stations in the DOminion of Canada at Dorion (STILL OPERATING 2012) principally to take care of the stocking of the Nipigon River as well as other streams in the Thunder Bay District. Both the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific Railways are very much interested in the upkeep of the Nipigon River. I lived for years in the Nipigon district and I agree with Mr. McKirdy and the District Superintendent Fraser that, with the willing co-operation of the officers of your Department, the difficulty of this sudden fluctuation in levels could be overcome. With a reservoir like Lake Nipigon, with approximately twenty-eight hundred square miles, surely these sudden fluctuations are unnecessary.
In discussing the matter one time with the ex-Chairmand of the Hydro, he assured me that he was absolutely with the Department in connection with the protection, conservation, and propagation of fish life, and I am sure that all I have to do is to bring the matter to your attention and that the same will receive your serious consideration. You will realize what these tourist agents are up against, and if this impression went generally abroad the effect it would have on the amount of money spent by tourists in that section of the Province.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
D. McDonald, Deputy Minister
Photos of Virgin Falls can be seen in http://nipigonmuseumtheblog.blogspot.ca/ .Old photos before the dam . I'll look for one to post here and get the exact post to look for shortly.
http://nipigonmuseumtheblog.blogspot.ca/2011/08/nipigon-river-19th-century-photos.html
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