Geological problems continued to dog the project, and the site of the dam was altered on the advice of William Mackenzie in 1837. As a stopgap, waters from the Todd Brook were diverted around the reservoir site and into the canal, and this solution proved so effective that consideration was even given to abandoning the reservoir project.
Challenges related to geology continued to hinder the project, prompting a revision of the dam's location in 1837, as suggested by William Mackenzie. To provide a temporary fix, water from Todd Brook was redirected around the reservoir site into the canal, and this solution proved so effective that it even led to discussions about scrapping the reservoir project altogether.