The Speed River is not really a free-flowing river. Its flow from the Guelph Lake dam through the City of Guelph is, for the most part, controlled by the Grand River Conservation Authority.
How much water is released from the Guelph Lake reservoir depends upon water level requirements in the lake and flood control measures downstream.
It's not unusual to see the river relatively high and swift one day, and a couple of days later see it dramatically lowered. That was the case this week, when the flow slowed and the mucky banks and some river debris were exposed.
