Protect the Marina/Lake - Bio Filter Destroyed

March 23, 2008 - Town of Sylvan Lake Cleans Up

Town of Sylvan Lake begins the cleanup of the cattails removed by the Summer Village of Norglenwold.

Town of Sylvan Lake Clean Up

Silt entering the marina from Golf Course Creek and the silting of the channel to the lake remains a major issue.

January 16, 2008 - Summer Village of Norglenwold Destroys Bio-Filter

Prior to January 16, 2008 Marina Bay has had another set back in regards to the silt issue into Golf Course Creek by the removal of a strip 253 meters long of bio filter (cattails and other vegetation) along the north side of Highway 11A by a contractor hired by the Summer Village of Norglenwold. This bio swale was constructed to remove storm water from the sub divisions to the SW of Marina Bay and ditch runoff along highway 11A that emptied into Marina Bay by way of Golf Course Creek. Toby Lampard, Mayor of the Summer Village of Norglenwold said they were concerned about the water in the ditch coming over the top of the berm and flooding residences on the north side of the berm.

Photographs and measurements were taken on January 16, 2008 and there was no apparent cause for alarm with the ice and or water breaching the berm. Tom Watson the Town foreman for the Town of Sylvan Lake was aware of the issue beforehand but had not gone to investigate until questioned about the bio filter removal.

Here are the photographs of the removal of the bio filter. For more information you can read the letter to the editor (PDF 23kb) in the Sylvan Lake News.

So is the Summer Village of Norglenwold going to implement any remedial action to mitigate the silt and chemicals that now have a free flow status in to the bay? Do these people not realize the impact of silt and chemicals, not only to the bay, but to the lake that they also reside alongside?

If this fear of ice and water breaching the berm and affecting residences in the SV Norglenwold is not curtailed will the bio filter be removed again each year? Possibly an engineer from the Town of Sylvan Lake should have the solution implemented to the berm breaching issue before the bio filter is removed again?