The water is high on the Humber

The water is high but so far hasn’t gotten inside the Oasis restaurant on Pasadena Beach

PASADENA — With the spring runoff of melting snow and the opening of the gates on Main Dam in Deer Lake it’s not uncommon for the water level of the Humber River to rise.

But not like it has been, according to Cathy Garcin, one of the co-owners of the Oasis Grillhouse on Pasadena Beach.

Since early May Garcin has seen the water level around the beachfront restaurant in Pasadena rise and spread through the parking area and reach back to Ryan’s Road.

“It’s only happened once before I think,” she said of how high and far the water has gotten.

She attributes this year’s water level to the dam, which controls water levels on Grand Lake, and feeds Kruger’s Deer Lake Power Company plant.

“I think they opened more gates this year and all at once,” said Gracin.

Images of the building surrounded by water have been shared on social media. One post even referred to it as Oasis Island.

Garcin said she and the other owners have been monitoring the situation since the water levels started to rise early this month.

As bad as the images look, Garcin said earlier this week that no water has entered the building just yet.

The building was built on supports to keep it above the level of rising water.

“Hopefully this is it going to be a turnaround now,” she said on May 24. “It looks like it’s gone down a bit this morning.

“Hopefully that’s going to work now.”

Though how fast the water will drop remains to be seen.

Once the water recedes Garcin said they can turn their attention to getting the restaurant open as soon as possible.

“We would have been open by now I think because the weather has been pretty good,” she said.

To the west of Pasadena, the Town of Steady Brook has also been watching the water level on the river and advising residents to be observant and monitor for any changes in their area.

A post on the town’s Facebook page on May 24 said Deer Lake Power planned to close one of the two remaining open gates that day.

The Department of Environment and Climate Change monitors the water level on the Humber at various stations.

To the east in Deer Lake there are stations on Nicholsville Bridge and at the Deer Lake Power plant.

Jason Young, the Town of Deer Lake’s director of operations and communications, said the town has seen the water level reach close to being a 1 in 20 (year flood level).

“We haven’t had any issues with infrastructure to date. Everything seems to be holding fast, but that could change,” he said.

Young said the concern now is for what happens when the water goes back down as there could be some slippage along the banks of the river.

“We’re probably a couple weeks out from the water starting to recede and just trying to see if there’s going to be any damage,” he said.

In 2018 the town saw a lot of damage along the river following a heavy winter rainfall event.

Pine Tree Drive had to have armour stone placed along the river to prevent more erosion and there were also concerns along Riverbank Road which Young said continues to be monitored.

“We’re waiting to see now when the water goes down, will it cause more devastation to that road where it’s going to become a major capital project,” he said.

This past winter also saw a lot of snow and rain and Young said the early opening of the dam in March, when there was still lots of snow on the ground, and then the substantial snow melt contributed to the highwater levels.

Young said there are parts of the town’s walking trail that run along low-lying areas on the river that they’ve had to put up notices advising people to stay off the trail. That will likely require some repairs once the water recedes.