ODN Publisher
First of a series of stories on high water, health issues in Willowbrook, flooding, and creek/culvert maintenance
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Gold Tau road is once again impassable.
This is an Argo (ministry) maintained road that was scheduled to be upgraded to prevent the failure by flooding that occurred last year. Once again a residence has been isolated from fire and ambulance protection. Some time ago a letter was sent out to residents outlining the work to be done. The road elevation was to be raised and the old culverts that are now too low were to be removed and replaced with a box culvert. This was to be done to not only provide proper access to the resident but also to aid in the outflow of water that caused so much flood damage inside the Willowbrook subdivision and was thought to contribute to the contamination of the water supply.
It has also been noted that the rock and silt catch basins on either side of the culverts inside the Willowbrook subdivision that as a maintenance item should be cleaned out annually have never been done. Upon inspection yesterday it was also noted that the culverts all have some degree of blockage and have not been properly cleaned out in some time.
Such is the state of all the preparations we are being told were done in advance of this flooding season and from what I have been told the lower portions of road 6, 9 and 10 are in the same condition.
Economical solutions were offered for these problem areas last year but if they were ever considered or were even advanced is unknown. It is likely that they were never looked at as the ministries involved viewed the flooding as a singular event and would not reoccur.
Actions will have to be initiated immediately to have any chance of success this year but I forever lose faith in our bureaucracies that are supposed to serve us. The pursuit of excellence has long since abandoned our society in favor of the pursuit of mediocracy. Too often we are told what cannot be done not what can be done.
Editor’s note – MOTI has made the road passable with several loads of gravel and dirt allowing Donna Cooke to access her property. The water you see in the picture above is at the joining of two creeks Park Rill from Twin Lake and Kearne’s Creek with headwaters near Kitley Lake. They both fuel a marsh at Meyer’s Flats south of Willowbrook. Ultimately a creek forms at the south-end and heads to the river below as Park Rill.