Brenda Haley shares her picturesque views from a recent hike near Violin Lake.
After the dam was decommissioned, however, there is very little "lake" remaining.
That said, the landscape remains pretty as a picture.
If you have a recent photo to share with Trail Times readers, email: editor@trailtimes.ca
Dam history
The Cambridge reservoir and Violin Lake dam system was used as a drinking water source for the City of Trail until 1994.
The original system consisted of a dam built across Cambridge Creek and another across Goodeve Creek, the natural channel for Violin Lake.
The creeks drain in opposite directions, north and south respectively.
In 1968, the city increased storage capacity of both dams and installed a piping system to increase year round availability.
In December 2019, provincial dam safety management ordered the City of Trail to either upgrade the spillway at the Cambridge Creek Dam or pursue its decommission.
Accordingly, the City of Trail opted to decommission both the Cambridge Creek and Violin Lake dams.
Trail worked in partnership with the British Columbia Wildlife Federation (BCWF) to obtain the government’s permission for removal of both dams.
BCWF has assisted the city in applying for grants to restore wetlands and streams that were affected by dam construction as part of the dam decommissioning project.
Read more: City takes first steps to decommission dams
Read more: Wildlife advocates sound alarm over dam decommissioning and land remediation
Read more: Contract awarded for takedown of dams
