By Bryan Eneas

East Trout Lake cabin owners winning the fight against lake erosion

Jul 6, 2017 | 12:00 PM

There are over 100,000 lakes in Saskatchewan and they’re gradually eating away at shorelines; sometimes this can impact cabins on the water’s edge.

According to Patrick Boyle with the Water Security Agency, lake erosion is created through a variety of conditions and affects many lakes in the province. In severe cases, there are methods to combat the power of water.

“It’s costly [to prevent it] depending on how and where it is, but they do things like shoreline improvements, or rip rap, or rock that goes along there to stabilize the bank,” Boyle said. “[Erosion] is a common occurrence that happens naturally in Saskatchewan.”

In central Saskatchewan, one group of cabin owners felt threatened by lake erosion. Over the last 40 years, Harold Schultz has spent time at the log cabin he built on East Trout Lake.

During his time living on the lake he said the shoreline has receded over 30 feet. Through rain and wind along with the steady ebb of the lake, he said he watched as portions of the banks collapsed like icebergs.

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Schultz is a past president of the cabin owners association in East Trout Lake. He along with his late wife and 29 other property owners in the area banded together over 10 years ago to try and find a solution.

After spending two years of applying and acquiring numerous community and environment based grants, the owners were able to come up with the required funds for their plan.

“In terms of the process, the rewarding thing was the relationships that were built with the funding partners, that was really remarkable,” Schultz said. “That was rewarding, to establish those kind of relationships.”

Schultz explained the eastern shores of the lake once resembled a vertical cliff. Now the sand has been shaped into a gradual slope, with a short barricade like structure at the bottom.

A material designed to prevent water from pulling more sand away was laid on top of the berm, and moderately sized rocks have been piled on top of the structure.

“In terms of the design, it was really satisfying to see how effective it was,” Schultz said. “Especially in 2011 when we had a dramatic amount of flooding… the structure that had been designed was able to stand up to the forces of nature.”

The way the barrier has been set up has changed access to the beach, and drew the ire from a small group of East Trout Lake cabin owners according to Brian Dueck, a 15-year resident and former president.

Walking along the beach two access points exist, where rocks have been shaped into a miniature boat launch. At least one of the entries was constructed as part of the project; Schultz couldn’t confirm whether the second opening was intended or if it was constructed by a resident.

Dueck said he’s been amazed by the difference the structure has made.

He said the engineer the owners worked with pegged the average erosion at between eight and 12 inches per year; since the construction of the blockade, it was estimated only five inches of shoreline has been lost.

“We’ve had really heavy rains since the slope was done,” he said. “It’s been amazing how little erosion there has been from the rain. I was surprised, I expected a little more, but there wasn’t.”

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas