Is This True?

[DonAndersen]

There has been a catastrophic release of mud and silt into Hidden Creek. It is dark chocolate brown, during low-flow season when silt is most devastating. All other creeks in the area are running clear. The Oldman is discoloured from the Hidden Creek confluence all the way to the reservoir. This disaster was predicted by many of us when Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development set aside protection guidelines to allow new logging and roads on steep slopes adjacent the creek. Hidden Creek was habitat to threatened westslope cutthroat and critical spawning habitat for an estimated 75% of the surviving bull trout upstream from the reservoir. I and others warned them of impending disaster this spring when the reclaimed slopes began to bulge with groundwater. The response we got was condescension and some new monitoring (monitoring is always so good at fixing stuff after all). It appears no that, thanks to wilful negligence by the responsible management agency and irresponsible logging practises by Spray Lakes Sawmills, we can now kiss one of the last great streams in the upper Oldman country goodbye. Ask me how I really feel about this....

 

Kevin Van Tighem

[bcubed]

This was prior to the area receiving all that rain...

 

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/alberta/Disastrous+logging+effects+spark+fears+environmental+crisis/8517538/story.html

[JasonFlyAbboy]

Class action lawsuit, all stakeholders suing spray lakes sawmill, the minister Diana McQueen, and the governing body. Who's in

[Muffin]

God this is sad.

[northfork]

God this is sad.

X2 brother. This isn't one of these things that they think they can fix later, though they probably do think it.

[Fishscape]

Are there any pictures or data post-flood? Can the increased monitoring data be requested from ERSD? Has anyone been to the site lately?