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Vol.16 No. 28
Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
The
VOICE
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Proud to be
The Voice of Pelham
for 15 years
Celebrating our 15th anniversary in print
Muddy, silt-filled water flows in 12 Mile Creek BY SARAH MURRELL VOICE Staff The sound of water babbling down a creek, chipmunks running along tree branches, a frog hopping into the water and brook trout darting among the rocks. It seems like a peaceful, idyllic example of Pelham’s natural beauty but last week there was trouble in the water. A clear delineation between the clear, clean water of the 12 Mile Creek and the silt-filled muddy water downstream, shows the damage done by silt entering a tributary of the 12 Mile creek near Effingham Street and Sulphur Springs Drive. Lynncy Powell, whose family has lived just feet from where the 12 Mile Creek crosses Sulphur Springs Drive for four generations, says the “chocolate milk” coloured water became visible early last week after Rankin Construction began digging on a project to repair a culvert under Effingham Road in the area. Powell says the construction crew put up one silt fence, but added it wasn’t worth putting up because it wasn’t enough to stop the silt flow. When she and other neighbours started calling to complain, the crew put up a few more silt fences, she says, but the water continued to run brown through the tributary.
Neal Graham, project manager for Rankin, said as soon they began hearing complaints they stopped work and called the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to find out what they should do. The 12 Mile Creek is one of the only cold water fisheries left in Ontario and home to brook trout. It is also the major water source for all kinds of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, skunks, frogs, birds, squirrels and chipmunks. With emotion heavy in her voice, Powell says the silt is “devastating” and will suffocate fish in the waterway, who need clear, oxygen rich water to survive. Every rainfall the silt will get worse as more of the mud from the construction site gets washed into the waterway, says Powell. “I don’t think I can come out here when it rains,” she said on Friday morning, standing at the side of the tributary just steps from her front door, noting there is more than a foot of silt on the banks in some spots. By the time the rains came on Friday afternoon, however, the construction company had taken the advice of an MNR Conservation Officer on site and repaired the silt fences to ensure they work properly. Graham says even though Rankin stopped when concerns were raised he doesn’t believe the silt was as a result of Rankin’s operation.
He also noted the project is a Town of Pelham project and therefore it is the Town’s responsibility to advise Rankin of any treatments that need to be followed and to get any permits required. “It wasn’t our concern,” he said, noting he doesn’t know if the 12 Mile was mentioned in the Town’s contract. Mayor Dave Augustyn said those treatments were included in the contract, adding the scope of work was greater than first estimated and Rankin had to dig deeper than originally planned. He also mentioned the landscaping of a neighbouring property contributed to the amount of silt flowing into the 12 Mile, which was not accounted for in the initial contract. Augustyn said once the problem was identified, the right solution was found and his understanding is that no more silt is flowing into the 12 Mile Creek. “The short story is we had an issue and it is solved,” said Augustyn. As for ensuring the 12 Mile Creek and other environmentally important features aren’t contaminated to begin with, Augustyn said there “probably should” have been more done and in the future they “probably will” do more. “One tries and thinks of everything when putting work together,” said Augustyn, noting the town thought they had
taken care of everything until more excavation was needed. Powell, on Monday afternoon, was looking at the incident as an opportunity to remind property owners, residents, and business owners to ensure proper safeguards are put in place to protect the environment when any work is done and that clearing brush right down to the waterway can have negative impacts. She added if you don’t know how to erect a silt curtain or what needs to be done, call the MNR or conservation authority and find out. “I’m happy Rankin reacted so quickly,” she said. “The MNR did a great job.” “It’s an eye-opener,” said Powell of the incident, noting a few days last week showed how quickly silt can build up and how fast the environment can be affected.
THE 12 Mile Creek flows clean and clear upstream of Sulphur Springs Drive but turns muddy brown where silt enters the waterway through a small tributary (top). By Monday the tributary was flowing clear and a proper silt curtain had been erected, but the silt can still be seen on the bottom of the tributary. Sarah Murrell/Voice Photos