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Vandalism to Chipman Creek after reclamation and restoration work completed 

Aug 23, 2017 | 5:45 PM

MD PINCHER CREEK – An area around a portion of Chipman Creek was badly vandalized last weekend (Aug. 19), just hours after volunteers worked all day trying to restore a portion of it as a fish and wildlife habitat. 

Members of the Oldman River Chapter, Oldman Watershed Council, MD of Pincher Creek, and Trout Unlimited Canada were all part of an effort to try and restore the Chipman Creek bed and surrounding areas, after years of neglect and over use.

Elliot Lindsay, Project Biologist with Trout Unlimited Canada, was part of the effort to restore the creek. He says the project was part of a larger, multiple- year initiative called the “Chipman Creek Restoration Initiative.” 

“We got some funding through the Environmental Damages Fund which is through the Federal Government and that was to do some restoration work in the watershed and to engage the local land owners and volunteers.”

He says the project was undertaken after local land owners became concerned about the creek’s health. Trout Unlimited then partnered with the local Municipal District and Old Man Watershed Council to restore and reclaim it.

Lindsay says more than 200 trees, shrubs and grasses were planted in the area, branches were used to help rebuild the stream banks, and several 2,000 lb. blocks of concrete were placed and secured on the old dirt road leading to the creek.

“The road itself is a road allowance and it’s an unimproved road. It’s pretty rutted up and parts of it have become a little bit dangerous to drive on. When you weigh the benefits of discontinuing vehicle traffic on that stream crossing to the drawbacks of not being able to drive through the creek anymore, the decision was made, that we would decommission that part of the road.”

He does note that the road, which belongs to the MD of Pincher Creek, is accessible from the other side at other points, and there are also areas accessible for local land owners and businesses.

Hours after the volunteers left on Saturday, Lindsay says the area was vandalized.

“It was probably the same night, somebody pulled one of the blocks out and drove down to the creek, and by hand, ripped out most of the trees and shrubs and most of the little grasses and flung them into the bushes and into the creek.”

He adds that stakes were pulled out, and a vehicle was driven into the creek, destroying some of the bank that had been built up. It also appears as though the vehicle became stuck and then drove back out of the creek the same way it had come in.

“It’s disappointing for sure, and it’s not a big construction project,” he says. “But it does take a lot of time behind the scenes to plan something like that.

“People sacrificed their weekend to come and do this, the volunteers.”

Lindsay says when the damage was discovered the following day, the groups started over, and were able to re-plant most of what was damaged, and replaced the concrete block.

He wants people to know that if anyone wants to go to that area to fish or hike, it’s open for that. But that they are also trying to protect the creek for the future.

“I’ve never seen people do this kind of damage before.”