A Pinko Road resident is calling on authorities to take longer-term action after spending a day trapped on his property because of high water.
As of Friday, Vern Johnson was able to drive his car over the section but only after a backhoe was brought in the day before by Yellowhead Road and Bridge to do some work around the culverts.
"I guess that improved the flow overnight and it's gone down a bit," said Johnson.
But Johnson, who has lived on the property with his wife for 38 years, said the driveway now needs gravel.
"It happens every single year but it's worse than usual this year," he said.
He maintained the root of the problem is that Swede Creek is overflowing on the east side of Pinko Road, where he lives, because the creek bed on the west side of the road is not accepting any water.
"They've spent quite a bit of money [years ago] improving that creek, dredging it out and straightening it and putting in a big culvert and so forth but the water that comes down to Pinko Road can't get underneath Pinko Road and get through," Johnson said.
"And when it does get underneath the road it doesn't get into the old creek bed where it has to go to join up with Tabor Creek because it's all obstructed on the other side, it's never been dredged out.
"It's all obstructed with deadfall and all sorts of stuff."
Johnson, who was a Fraser-Fort George Regional District (FFGRD) director for many years, said the FFGRD continues to give him the "run around" and simply refer it to other branches of government.
"They keep on passing the buck down the line and they say they're powerless to act unless our neighbour to the west gives permission to have it dredged out," Johnson said. "Well, I said she already has, she's agreeable to it, why don't you just ask her."
Nicola Redpath, the property owner in question, confirmed Johnson's story.
"Yeah, you bet," she said when asked if she's willing to allow authorities onto her property to clear the creek bed.
Redpath, who operates Prince George Equine Rescue on her Bendixon Road property, said the water has taken over a good portion of pasture she was going to use for grazing.
FFGRD spokeswoman Renee McCloskey said the matter is out of the regional district's jurisdiction and referred requests for comment to the provincial government's Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Officials at that the ministry were unable to provide comment as of press time Friday.
