Erosion From Resort Muddies Water Problem With Schweitzer Creek Was Spotted Back In 1991
For 60 years, William Ed Finney has sipped the pure water flowing down Schweitzer Creek without hesitation. He even set up his own private water system to supply five other homes with the fresh, cool water.
But now, construction of homes, condominiums and a parking lot at Schweitzer Mountain Resort has muddied the creek so badly that Finney and other homeowners can’t use the water.
The dirt clogs taps and washing machines. Finney was finally forced to hook into a nearby well to get clean water for himself and other homeowners.
“You can’t believe how filthy it is,” Finney said Thursday. “Anytime we get a rain, Schweitzer Creek and Sand Creek are running mud.”
It’s been no secret that Schweitzer’s push to expand the resort has caused most of the ongoing erosion problems. Finney and environmental officials spotted trouble with the creek in 1991. Finney still has a jar of his tap water from that year. It has a quarter inch of sediment at the bottom. Nearly two months ago, the Division of Environmental Quality said construction at the resort was still sending a slough of sediment into the creek.
June Berquist, a water quality officer for DEQ, asked the resort to voluntarily fix the problems by Oct. 15.
The resort installed sediment ponds, silt fences and mulch on acres of open ground.
But three weeks ago residents again complained about muddy water, prompting Berquist and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to check up on the resort.
The Corps is reviewing the situation to see if resort officials obtained proper permits or if they are illegally working in and along the creek or other tributaries.
Corps staffer Greg Raynor said the last permit issued for Schweitzer was in 1991.
Resort officials said they are doing the best they can to control problems and hired an engineer to oversee all the work.
“We have a lot of area opened up and we have contributed to problems in the creek, no doubt,” said Schweitzer’s project manager Mac Macdonald. “There is no excuse, but what a lot of people don’t realize is some of the problem areas are owned by private individuals, not Schweitzer.”
Macdonald also said the resort didn’t expect the nearly 2-1/2 inches of rain that fell so far this month, which added to erosion problems.
Berquist said some private projects at the resort are being reviewed but the majority of erosion is coming from work being done by Schweitzer.
“They bit off too big a chunk and didn’t have time to close off and wrap up the construction sites,” she said. “It is a case of being overambitious.”
The resort hopes to have problems fixed by next week, but that’s little consolation for Finney.
“I’m not at all happy with what’s going on or with the government agencies,” Finney said. “I’m astounded why people tolerate this. These agencies will go shut down a logger and fine him, but they won’t do it to Schweitzer.”
Finney had to hook into his brother’s two water wells. The wells were drilled after Sand Creek began flowing with mud from Schweitzer Creek.
Finney, 69, now has to pay his brother for the water he uses for his own home and that supplied to the five other families on his system.
“I’ve lived here and drank from Schweitzer Creek for nearly 60 years. It’s been a blessing, but now it’s getting ruined,” Finney said.
“I don’t want to fight with Schweitzer or hold back progress. I would just like them to play by the rules.”
Environmental officials said they prefer to give water quality violators a chance to fix problems before fining them, but are annoyed with the ongoing problems at Schweitzer.
While revamping ski slopes in 1991 the resort sent dirt into the creek. Last year, a problem with the septic system sent some sewage down the mountain.
“After the erosion problems in 1991, DEQ is disappointed that these problems are again occurring,” Berquist wrote to resort officials months ago.
Schweitzer was fined $3,500 for the 1991 problems. The resort was not fined for the sewage spill, which was later fixed.
, DataTimes