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Vol. 16, No. 8, Wednesday, January 20, 2021 www.LamontLeader.com
Elk Island Park ponds flooding lands outside park boundaries BY JOHN MATHER A couple of residents who live adjacent to Elk Island National Park are concerned water build up in beaver ponds in the park could let loose in the spring causing catastrophic flooding not only to their properties but also to Range Road 195, all which are adjacent on the east side of the park. Wayne Soprovick, who lives on Township Road 550, showed the Leader a frozen stream that has already jumped a large 24 inch diameter culvert on his property and is threatening an older house where he has his workshop. “My tree stands are full of ice, and in front of the old house is full,” he said. “It’s overwhelmed a culvert and is coming down the hill from the park. Come spring it’s going to be a real mess.” “I’m probably about a mile from those ponds,” he said. “But if everything was to thaw at once in the spring it would have serious consequences for my land.” Soprovick’s property is downhill, east of the Park. Soprovick states you can see the area along the park’s eastern fence line where park staff or contractors have been trying to move the water. “In the summertime the water will run through the culverts and there wouldn’t be a problem, but we’re talking millions of gallons here.” Soprovick said he didn’t see any breached beaver dams, but he said you can see spots where park workers had moved water from several ponds to get it out of the park. “They dammed up some spots they had previously trenched,” he said. “There’s nothing the County can do.” In a statement Elk Island National Park officials released Jan. 18, they said, “Alberta is experiencing unseasonably warm winter temperatures that are causing snow melt and drainage issues in many areas, including Lamont County and Elk Island National Park. Parks Canada and Lamont County are working together to prevent water from pooling and freezing on road-
A frozen pond can be seen backing up across a field driveway on Kevin Schultz’s pasture along Range Road 195 on Jan. 8. Schultz and neighbour Wayne Soprovick are concerned that the water coming out of Elk Island National Park will kill the tree stands down from the field and could cause serious flooding once warm spring weather comes around. ways to ensure public safety and to lessen any potential damage on public lands. “However, it is not possible to stop the natural flow of water during these unseasonably warm winter temperatures. Elk Island National Park is actively working with local landowners to help mitigate impact on their property as a result of natural water flow.” Soprovick said on his land he had a 30 foot long, two-foot diameter culvert and estimated it would take two days to steam it out to get water flowing back through it in the spring. His neighbour Kevin Schultz has farmed his land across Range Road 195 from Elk Island National Park and said he has never seen the flooding potential this bad in 35 years of farming his land. “I’ve got one driveway that has about four feet of ice on top of it and then it spread across another low lying area of my land covering another entrance to a field before it goes onto Wayne’s land.” He said with the warm weather recently the water has been running steadily. In the warm weather that the area has been experiencing, ponds of open water are slowly moving across the ice
and shows just how damaging a spring runoff may be. Soprovick adds he had met with Park officials who said they are monitoring the problem, but he says while they brought in a small trackhoe to try and divert water during the past month, “how can you really divert any water in the middle of winter?” “I think that may be making a bad problem potentially worse.” The water appears to come from three ponds on the Elk Island Park land adjacent to Range Road 195. Soprovick indicates there is one culvert towards the top of a hill on RR195 where water could move into a wooded area away from his and Schultz’s property. “That culvert is frozen solid and down several feet,” he said. “Another culvert closer to our property is also frozen and both men are concerned a spring thaw could see the road washed away since the culverts would be the last thing to thaw. “Even if the county can steam the culverts the water will race across our lands,” he said. “If it’s four feet deep in place now, what will be the damage come a few warm days in April?” Schultz pointed out several low lying areas that he said usually fill with water and help control runoff in the
spring. “But right now they’re full and frozen solid.” He's concerned the area won’t be thawed until mid-May because it is so thick in places. The response issued by Elk Island National Park continued, “We understand this is a stressful situation for the affected landowners. Parks Canada will continue to work with Lamont County to monitor drainage and take the necessary actions to help ensure public safety and minimize impact on any infrastructure and surrounding lands.” Soprovick has contacted Division 2 Councillor Wayne Woldanski about the problem along with MLA Jackie Armstrong Homeniuk and Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs. Stubbs’ office emailed the Leader to state they have been made aware of the issue and “have brought the issue forward to our parks representatives that oversee Elk Island. We don’t have an update back but we are looking into it.” Schultz is at a loss to what can be done right now to alleviate the issues. You can't dig a ditch because it will freeze right back up,” he said. “It’s a double edged sword. It’s in the trees and the water could kill off the trees and if they fall then it will back the water up more.” Soprovick doesn’t know if any environmental assessment was done prior to the water being diverted or if any of his neighbours were alerted. “When you’re a steward of the land, I hope you know you have a responsibility to those lands outside your boundaries as well as inside.” In their statement Elk Island National Park officials stated, “Parks Canada is committed to protecting ecological integrity within national parks while providing high-quality and meaningful experiences to visitors. “As we strive to protect natural and cultural heritage in Canada, the safety of communities, infrastructure and neighbouring lands remains a top priority.”