Washed out road a concern for Twin Butte area landowner

Toni Lucas

Tony Bruder of Twin Butte Simmentals appeared before MD Council on Tuesday, August 26 to talk about the bridge washouts on Township road 29-2, and landslides below MD Township Road 29-2A by Yarrow Creek. He additionally brought before council concerns about the condition of MD Township Road 4-1A and MD Range Road 29-3, all south of Highway 505. His first comments were about the road washed out by the bridge. "This is a very heavily used road, and it has been out since the 28th of June flood. We are wondering when that repair will begin." Next Bruder discussed the washouts on 29-2A. "Obviously, if the bridge is out to the north of us, and washouts to the road to the south of us, we are very concerned how we are going to be able to get in and out of our place."

One of his concerns was about school busing. He said that Township Road 4-1 was poorly constructed for transit to the Gulf Plant in the area in the 1950s, which was demolished in 2006 after ceasing operations in the early 1980s. "It is an extreme drift hazard, as well as too narrow for MD standards," Bruder said.

Dead end bridge on Township Road 29-2

Dead end bridge on Township Road 29-2

"The first question, is that bridge going to be repaired for school?" Bruder asked.  He said he understood that Council could not respond with answers without more investigation. "My next concern is we have talked with MD about that bridge since the MD bought that road from Gulf in 1984." He said he loses access to the road for a minimum of two weeks a year because of flooding. During that time children have to be driven four miles to a different school bus route. "If that bridge isn't put in this fall, then First Student Canada has to come in from the south. And as I have said, that road to the south is not a very passable road in the winter."

"It is my belief that next year if when we have high water, those slides are going to eat into the road. He showed a photo where he had parked his truck at the shoulder of the road that showed the washout underneath. He said there were more than one area that this was occurring along the roadway. "That doesn't address the issue of Roadway 4-1A, how badly it drifts in."

After looking at photos of the area, Councillor Fred Schoening asked about changes in the creek. Bruder said that in 1995 "The flood waters actually washed the road out on both sides of the bridge, and left the bridge. The water was actually going on the north side of the bridge. This year, the flood washed out the abutment on the south side of the bridge."  He said that even though the road has stayed in place, it isn't usable for two weeks to a month each year. "This is the first year since '95 that the road washed out again." He said that there are times in the year that no water flows under the bridge at all.

"When I was 14, I could ride a horse under that bridge, and not duck. Now, there is 14 inches clearance."

Councillor Schoening asked if  the bed could be dug out when it was a dry stream bed to correct the situation. Bruder responded by saying "Upstream from the bridge approximately 200 yards, the whole stream has shifted to the south. So to get that directed under the bridge again, it will be about 200 yards of actual trenching to get that water so it's aimed at the bridge." Bruder explained that it has altered downstream of the bridge as well. "It's going to take quite a bit of work if there is any intention of putting that creek under that bridge like it was in the '80s." In  answer to a question about how much flow goes through the area Bruder responded, "This is the Drywood and Yarrow Creeks, combined."

Bruder indicated that the road that leads north is a higher priority for him. "We use the road to the north, that crosess this bridge, 99% of the time. Most of our cropland is actually on the north side of the creek." He indicated that this is usually the safer, more reliable route and is shorter for going to Pincher Creek.

"That bridge is only 9' 2" wide, and the sides of the bridge are four feet tall." Bruder explained that this means it is difficult cross with modern agricultural equipment, forcing him to go through the creek sometimes. With the silt deposits from the flooding this year, an area that he has used in the past to ford the creek has become dangerous to cross. Councillor Schoening asked about areas to ford the creek. Tony responded that that is not a workable solution, either. "The DFO (Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans) employee stopped me, and threatened me with a $10,000 fine, if he caught me crossing the creek again."

Schoening asked for clarification on where Bruder can cross the creek. Bruder explained that with construction across Yarrow and Drywood Bridges in other areas he is very limited. "You can't get farm equipment across either of those bridges. This wasn't just our use, a lot of local farmers are taking equipment across here, because they can't get across on the #6 Highway." Bruder said that this limits crossing to the Shell Waterton plant or to Hillspring.

Bruder brought up one more issue, before leaving. The property and the bridge is south of Twin Butte Energy, located where the old Gulf plant existed. "It's a very sour gas field. We are in the center of that high sour gas field. So there is also possible emergency reasons to have that road to us, and our neighbours, full time."