RE:  Salmon River Floodplain Assessment Phase 2

Your letter of April 20, 2005 outlining the drainage options that you propose Associated Engineering investigate contains many items that we oppose for the Salmon River .  We are opposed to any lowering of pump start and stop elevations, dredging of any sort in the channel and new drainage channels that might interfere with fish migration and rearing. 

The more important concern, however, is that the floodplain task force was put together to develop a management plan for the floodplain.  The Township is failing to live up to this promise made to us at the start of the process.   

Clearly developing a management plan should involve looking at all the relevant data and all the options for the floodplain, not just looking at a few drainage options.  It is important to note that there are existing agreements that should govern management of the floodplain (i.e. the agreements made in the negotiations of the early 1990’s culminating with the works on the pumphouse and Davidson Ditch).     

In order for this process to continue in a fair and equitable manner it is necessary that:

1)      The terms of the 1990’s agreements should be honoured.  This would include operating the pumps in a manner consistent with the intent of the 1990’s agreements.  Promises from Township staff to deal with this issue nave not been honoured.  In addition, Belmont is pursuing flood relief on its property illegally. 

2)      A review should be presented at the next meeting of the environmental compromises made (for instance dropping the water level in the river) and corresponding promises to the environmental side in the 1990’s agreements.  We have heard ad infinitum from the farmers as to what they claim that they were promised in the 1990’s but the Township seems to be ignoring promises made to the environmental side many of which have not been honoured.  (For example the way the pumps are operated, a riparian strip along Davidson Ditch/Creek etc..). 

3)      Before money is spent to look at the drainage options we should reconvene the group to look at the other options in the floodplain such as buying land that does not meet ARDSA standards. 

4)      The group should be given the needed data to determine what is really going on in the floodplain.  The township has flow data from the 72^nd Street monitoring station.  Why has this not been brought forward for the meeting to discuss?  This would be important data to determine whether there is actually more flooding that before or whether the 1990’s increased pumping has kept up with flows. 

Given that this task force was put together to develop a management plan for the Floodplain it is clear that the above issues need to be addressed (and the meetings need to be run in a better manner as addressed in our letter after the last meeting) for the task force to retain the credibility it needs to deal with this issue.     

Doug McFee

Salmon River Enhancement Society