By Nigel Maxwell

Flooding issues concern local RM

Nov 12, 2014 | 8:31 AM

The Rural Municipality (RM) of Lakeland has seen its fair share of spring flooding the past few years.

The RM has 11 subdivisions and there are water issues in all of them. One of those problem areas is near Bell’s Beach and the method the RM is taking to control the water is not going over well some cabin owners.

The RM plans to install a 360 foot (109.7 metre) culvert across Jacobson Drive, then running a swale till – which is similar to a narrow trench — down between two properties into Christopher Lake.

“Well there’s a couple of issues there. Being so close to my neighbour’s cabin, that could be a danger, and it’s going right next to my septic tank which could fill up my septic tank and make a real mess of my yard,” said John Bosker, who owns one of the affected properties.

Bosker said even worse than the plan, is that there has been no communication from the RM.

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“They haven’t come back to us with any sort of engineer’s report, which they said they would give us. They haven’t come back and said we’ll meet as a group and have a meeting,” he said.

One of the alternative proposals discussed was to install the culvert along Jacobson Drive.

“For starters, this would be quite expensive, we have the gas lines that we have to deal with. The bigger issue is it is likely going to freeze in the winter because frost regularly goes down eight to 10 feet,” said Ernie Locke, the RM’s manager of public works.

Locke added that when the pipes freeze, the water will run between the lots regardless.

He dismissed any notion that the RM has not done its due diligence. He explained that both the consulting firm and the Water Security Agency have looked at the plans thoroughly.

“All agree that the simplest, easiest, most effective way is to build a proper water drainage system between the two lots and all our issues will disappear,” said Locke.

The Bosker family said they are considering obtaining legal counsel.

‘The water is going to run where it wants to run and it wants to run between Lots 6 and 7. All we’d like to do is help it run more efficiently and prevent erosion,” said Locke.

There is no definite timeline in place yet for the work.  Locke said he was hoping to get it done before the ground freezes.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell