In the early 1900's, a series of heavy floods caused severe hardship, damage and expense in the Grand River valley. At that time there was no unified approach to dealing with water problems in the valley, although some legislation, such as the Public Health Act (1880), and the Municipal Waterworks Act (1882) was in place to respond, somewhat ineffectually, to water quality problems.
The Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission was created in 1907 to deal with the supply of hydro-electric power to the municipalities. It was also regarded by the provincial government as the primary water management agency, responsible for hydrologic and land use surveys.
After a particularly damaging period of floods, and litigation suits against municipalities, the Grand River Improvement Association of representatives of flood-prone municipalities was formed in 1912. Their spokesman was William H. Breithaupt, a civil engineer from Berlin (now Kitchener). Breithaupt advocated the construction of dams in the upper watershed to provide flood protection and flow augmentation to improve mill power problems in the summer. Provincial assistance was requested, and the proposal was referred to the Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission for study. The six year study took place during a period of stable, and often low flows, and the scheme was reported to be impractical.
In 1929, the largest and most damaging flood in living memory inundated the business areas of Brantford, Paris and Galt. In 1931, the Grand River Valley Boards of Trade, an amalgamation of local Boards, petitioned the provincial government to investigate the provision of flood control and water conservation in the valley. A collaborative government investigation produced the Finlayson Report in 1932.
The Finlayson Report recognized low flow as a health hazard for valley residents. It included consideration of problems of water supply, and sewage disposal, as well as flood control and provision of hydro-electric power. The Report recommended the construction of four reservoirs, at Luther, Waldemar, and Elora on the Grand River, and at Hollen on the Conestogo River. Also recommended was the establishment of an artificial lake at Luther.
The Grand River Conservation Commission Act, passed in 1932, allowed any five municipalities in the Grand River valley to complete the financial, legal and administrative arrangements to implement the engineering recommendations of the Finlayson Report. In 1934, a charter was granted to representatives from Brantford, Kitchener, Galt, Fergus and Caledonia to form the Grand River Conservation Commission. Further studies by H. G. Acres, Chief Engineer of the River Commission in 1939 resulted in changes to the recommendations and priorities for construction.
In spite of legal, governmental, and community differences, the Shand Dam was built on the Grand River just north of Fergus. Completed in 1942, it was the first dam to be built in Canada for the prevention of flooding and low flow problems. Seventy-five percent of the cost of the dam was shared by the federal and provincial governments, and the participating municipalities shared the remaining twenty-five percent.
The dam created Belwood Lake, a 12 kilometre-long reservoir, with a storage capacity of more than 14 million gallons. In 1952, a smaller impoundment was built on Black Creek at Luther Marsh, re-creating a vast wetland at the headwaters of the Grand River. The plan was completed with the addition of the Conestogo Reservoir in 1957.
With the Shand and Luther Dams built, and Conestogo Dam in the final design stages, the Ontario Department of Planning carried out a review of the major tributaries. Reports issued between 1957 and 1962 (Grand River Hydraulics Report), recommended the construction of a series of reservoirs including Montrose, Guelph, Hespeler, Everton, Nithburg, and Ayr. Of these, only Guelph Dam was built on the Speed River in 1976.
During the creation of the River Commission and the construction of the Shand Dam, many environmental and recreational groups recognized that land and water resources should have permanent management and protection. Representatives of these organizations met at the Guelph Conference in 1941. As a result of the conference, a joint federal and provincial survey of the Ganaraska River watershed was initiated. This pilot project looked at many issues of land and water conservation, including forest rehabilitation and soil preservation.
As a result of the recommendations of the Ganaraska Survey, the Conservation Authorities Act of 1946 was created. This legislation gave municipalities in a river valley the structure to initiate conservation measures within the framework of their watershed boundaries, with technical and financial help from the provincial government. Certain conditions determined the establishment and membership of each Conservation Authority. The Authorities were developed as semi-autonomous, corporate bodies with members appointed to represent each of the participating watershed municipalities and the Province.
The Grand Valley Conservation Authority was established in 1948, and two separate conservation agencies now operated in the Grand River valley. The activities of the Authority were focused on river valley development, reforestation, land use problems and recreational areas. The Grand River Commission maintained its responsibility for the construction and operation of multi-purpose reservoirs.
After a sometimes cooperative, and sometimes turbulent co-existence, the two conservation agencies amalgamated in 1966 to form the Grand River Conservation Authority, with the provincial mandate to manage the water and related land resources of the Grand River valley.
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