As with most places in Bruce County, Denny’s Dam on the Saugeen River at Southampton is filled with a rich history.
Named after John Denny, the site was home to a sawmill, gristmill, store, hotel, home and barns. Its later fame was as the first source of hydro electricity for Southampton and then to Port Elgin.
Denny’s Dam then became an environmental site that saw a fish ladder installed to enable fish to move upstream to spawn while a trap reduced the lamprey eels that were destroying the fish in the Great Lakes.
Today, the dam is undergoing a major renovation that is hoped to be completed by fall for the migration of salmon upriver to spawn.
On Saturday, August 18th (2018), Saugeen Shores Heritage Committee unveiled another in its series of interpretive plaques that explain the historical significance of various locations throughout the area. The Denny’s Dam plaque explains the history of the dam and the importance it played in the development of the immediate area along the Saugeen River.
