Douglas Lake Road residents not allowed to install rip rap to protect his property from raging Salmon River – Vernon News

Photo: Sterett Mercer

Rip rap was placed near Salmon River to shore up Douglas Lake Road.

Sterett Mercer has watched truckloads of rip rap shore up the bank of the Salmon River, but he can’t do the same on his property.

Earlier this week, Mercer’s Westwold property was clobbered by a deluge of water from the river. He was forced to remove a bridge on his property as well as a pole barn that was being undercut by the raging water.

The river also damaged sections of Douglas Lake Road, which is where the rip rap is being dumped.

He said truckloads of rip rap have been dumped at the site, and it appears some of the large rocks have gone into the river itself.

“It was almost exactly at the 14 km marker of the road, right up stream from me,” Mercer said, adding the work stopped at his property line.

He has reached out to the Thompson Nicola Regional District about the matter, however, Colton Davies, with the TNRD, said the river is the responsibility of the province.

“I agree that Douglas Lake Road is more important than my property, but I don’t understand why rip rap can’t be placed just a short distance downstream on my property that is in a state of emergency, there was no declared emergency for the road, as far as I know. There is approved rip rap staged close by that is not being used,” Mercer said.

“Where is my rip rap or whatever I need to stop what is happening? Tell me how to fix this, and get started to fix the river that you own, British Columbia.”

Castanet has reached out to the province for comment.

Mercer, a UBC professor, purchased the property a year ago. He and his wife were searching for a place to house and possibly breed horses.

But the serene farmland has turned into a draining ordeal that is bringing back difficult memories.

Originally from Kentucky, Mercer lived in New Orleans in 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina struck.

Dealing with the flooding at his property is triggering his PTSD from the Hurricane Katrina flooding, making a difficult situation even more challenging.

Mercer said the storm had a tremendous impact on his life.

He said the “great, vibrant, small community was totally wiped out. That really messed me up. I have PTSD and it took me a long time to get over it. This has activated that trauma.”

Mercer said he has no regrets purchasing the property and is in it for the long haul.

“I need to be out there,” Mercer said, adding his neighbours have been helpful and supportive through the ordeal.