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含羞草研究社� property, the Knights.

含羞草研究社淣ow we含羞草研究社檝e heard they含羞草研究社檝e merged the water from the mountains with this creek,含羞草研究社� said Seidel Thursday. 含羞草研究社淚f that happens, we含羞草研究社檒l have a humongous creek. It should never be that close含羞草研究社� in a neighbourhood.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淚 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,含羞草研究社� says Schwartz, who含羞草研究社檚 86. 含羞草研究社淚f I had a Cat, I含羞草研究社檇 do it, I含羞草研究社檝e built lots of roads. They need to check it 含羞草研究社� if they have too much of a grade they含羞草研究社檇 have to go higher.含羞草研究社�

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

Adds Seidel: 含羞草研究社淲hy run it along the road for a long length of space and then flood somebody含羞草研究社檚 field first before they含羞草研究社檙e going to get to the river?含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檙e passing the buck.

含羞草研究社淲e pay our taxes too. I don含羞草研究社檛 know if they think it含羞草研究社檚 okay to have a board thing over the ditch 含羞草研究社� I don含羞草研究社檛 know what含羞草研究社檚 up with them.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 barnyard and has been threatening their son含羞草研究社檚 home.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e very lackadaisical about doing anything about it,含羞草研究社� remarked Narcisse of MOTI. 含羞草研究社淲e could have accepted this as a quick fix, but it含羞草研究社檚 gone on now for over a week.含羞草研究社�

The couple said they won含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 idea, Welsh said he had suggested the creek be diverted down Sellenback Road, north of where water came down in the 1600 block.

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

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

Welsh thinks the people with destroyed driveways deserve help.

含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�