With the water level at an all-time high, Nellie Lake homeowner Daryl Smith and a couple hundred of his neighbours are facing potential disaster.
He says the worries include the loss of their homes and their lake frontage, and the inundation of wells and septic systems causing lake pollution.
Smith says the level of the lake has risen by five feet or more over the last ten years and there is apparently water in the sandy soil underneath all the homes.
“I was concerned by a report from one of my neighbours that the soil, once inundated with water, loses its structural ability to support your home,” he remarks. “You can face structural failure, so I’ve got concerns here.”
Smith is optimistic, though, that the provincial government is moving towards a way to remediate the entire situation in and around the lake.
“We’ll wait and see what happens. I’m optimistic now that at least things will move forward. We’ll get the kind of expert analysis and evaluation that’s required here, and get our community help.”
The deck in front of Smith’s house was once over a beach. Now, it’s surrounded by water.