Florence Seidel and George Schwartz are not pleased with the plan to run a creek through a ditch alongside their front yard.

Seidel has lived in the 1600 block of Salmon River Road for about 40 years; Schwartz, her spouse, is also a longtime resident of the area.

On Saturday, April 22, they were two of the residents evacuated from a total of 10 Silver Creek homes when water let loose on the mountainside above, creating a mudslide that moved trees and boulders. The new stream of water jumped into the creek that, until then, had trickled through their next-door-neighbours害羞草研究所� property, the Knights.

害羞草研究所淣ow we害羞草研究所檝e heard they害羞草研究所檝e merged the water from the mountains with this creek,害羞草研究所� said Seidel Thursday. 害羞草研究所淚f that happens, we害羞草研究所檒l have a humongous creek. It should never be that close害羞草研究所� in a neighbourhood.害羞草研究所�

The former creek, named Anderson Creek on some maps, they know as Andrew Brook. It has flowed under Salmon River Road through a culvert by their neighbours害羞草研究所� fence for many years. That culvert filled with mud during the flooding, so the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) rerouted the greatly enlarged creek in order to get Salmon River Road open.

害羞草研究所淚 still think the simplest thing would be to put it along the forest road and down Haines Creek and get it out of the neighbourhood,害羞草研究所� says Schwartz, who害羞草研究所檚 86. 害羞草研究所淚f I had a Cat, I害羞草研究所檇 do it, I害羞草研究所檝e built lots of roads. They need to check it 害羞草研究所� if they have too much of a grade they害羞草研究所檇 have to go higher.害羞草研究所�

Otherwise, he says, some kind of flume should be put in their neighbours害羞草研究所� yard so the water doesn害羞草研究所檛 seep everywhere.

Adds Seidel: 害羞草研究所淲hy run it along the road for a long length of space and then flood somebody害羞草研究所檚 field first before they害羞草研究所檙e going to get to the river?害羞草研究所�

Seidel and Schwartz now have, instead of a driveway, a piece of plywood going over the new ditch, just as three other families on Salmon River Road do. The ministry will not respond to questions from the media about its plans or its approach to the flooding; the ministry害羞草研究所檚 communications staff say they are not allowed to comment on anything until after the provincial election.

However, Darcy Mooney, emergency operations centre director with the Shuswap Emergency Program, said last week he was told by MOTI that putting in culverts at the ends of driveways is the responsibility of the homeowner.

Seidel thinks they害羞草研究所檙e passing the buck.

害羞草研究所淲e pay our taxes too. I don害羞草研究所檛 know if they think it害羞草研究所檚 okay to have a board thing over the ditch 害羞草研究所� I don害羞草研究所檛 know what害羞草研究所檚 up with them.害羞草研究所�

Tom and Narcisse Welsh own a farm in the 1700 block of Salmon River Road, downhill from the flooding. Since April 22, their alfalfa field has been the recipient of the water rerouted down the ditch.

The water crossed the road via an existing culvert but, instead of heading for the Salmon River, it pooled in their field and began radiating toward their son Daniel害羞草研究所檚 barnyard and has been threatening their son害羞草研究所檚 home.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e very lackadaisical about doing anything about it,害羞草研究所� remarked Narcisse of MOTI. 害羞草研究所淲e could have accepted this as a quick fix, but it害羞草研究所檚 gone on now for over a week.害羞草研究所�

The couple said they won害羞草研究所檛 know how much damage has been done until the water dries up.

To try to stop the runoff, Tom and his son excavated a ditch along their north boundary on Sunday that terminates in the river. That meant highways would need to install a new culvert under the road and direct the water to their ditch.

Welsh called the Observer back Monday after an initial conversation earlier in the morning. He was pleasantly surprised that MOTI crews had arrived with a new culvert in hand.

Similar to Schwartz害羞草研究所檚 idea, Welsh said he had suggested the creek be diverted down Sellenback Road, north of where water came down in the 1600 block.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 downhill all the way to the river, but there害羞草研究所檚 an elevation difference there and they would have to go and divert the water uphill behind the Knight property. They apparently can害羞草研究所檛 do that because their jurisdiction is just concerning the right-of-way害羞草研究所� If they go off the right-of-way they have to get forestry involved.害羞草研究所�

Welsh said he was given a number to call the forest ministry, but no one got back to him. Then he decided it害羞草研究所檚 really not his problem; it害羞草研究所檚 MOTI who should be contacting them.

Welsh thinks the people with destroyed driveways deserve help.

害羞草研究所淚 asked them (MOTI) in return for us letting them get rid of the water through our property, they put culverts in for those people that they dug their driveway up. Whether anything will happen on that or not, who knows.害羞草研究所�