Still cleaning up on Cedar Lake, more than 40 years after the Grand Rapids Dam was built

Few people in southern Manitoba realize that there is still clean up occurring on Cedar Lake, 40 years after the construction of the Grand Rapids Dam between 1960 and 1968. The Dam flooded large areas of land and forced the relocation of the community of Chemawawin to its present site on the south shore of Cedar Lake. For more of this story see
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg41_e.html

When Cedar Lake was flooded in the 1960s, so far as I am aware no attempt was made to cut down any of the trees in the area. The result, even today, is that Cedar Lake has many areas where there are trees which were flooded but never cleared, and their continuing presence creates hazards for boaters and for fishers. When I was through Chemawawin in July (see http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/08/chemawawin-cree-nation-emphasis-on.html ), I talked with community members who were heading out to help with cleaning up the flooded trees some 40 years after the flooding occurred. Piles of debris like this one on the shores of Cedar Lake reflect the continuing clean up efforts.