Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Southpoint Sun - 3
Hillman Marsh breach poses risk to properties
Shoreline residents growing concerned as spring approaches By Sheila McBrayne and Mark Ribble ter of if, but when, a breach will happen LEAMINGTON - Cotterie Park resi- and we fear this will happen in the next dent and Leamington Shoreline Asso- few months with the high water levels ciation representative, Wayne King is and spring northeast winds,” he added. nervous after watching neighbouring King believes the problem stems from shoreline residents in Erieau be evacu- allowing the Hillman Marsh to remain ated from their homes recently. natural. King believes that a breakwall needs The Essex Region Conservation Auto be built to protect Hillman Marsh, thority oversees Hillman Marsh Conwhich has eroded into the lake. servation Area. “We began developing this story afThe Municipality of Leamington has ter taking drone video of the been working with a consultHillman Marsh breach on ing company on a Flood Plain If nothing is Mapping study that will be reFebruary 12. The shocking photos and video showed the done, it’s not leased on March 30, 2020. 150-metre breach had more A series of meetings have a matter of if, been than doubled in size even held, with the March 30 but when...” meeting now being postponed though we have not had significant northeast wind Wayne King due to the Coronavirus scare. events that typically affect King and municipal repreour shoreline,” he said. sentatives met with Ontario The Municipality of Chatham-Kent Premier Doug Ford and provincial reprecently declared a State of Emergency resentatives on the issue late last year, ordering the residents of Erie Beach however there are no programs or fund(near Erieau) to evacuate the area by ing available for mitigation. Any proMarch 9 to accommodate berm repairs. vincial or federal programs are reactive “ Our hearts go out to those affected,” to disasters, not designed to be proacstated King. tive or preventative. King explained that the Point Pelee/ The municipality could initiate reLeamington Peninsula issue is similar pairs under the Municipal Drainage to the Erie Beach situation, but perhaps Act, but the repairs would cost millions not as critical at this point because this and would be apportioned to the proparea has not been faced with northeast erty owners in the drainage scheme. winds, whereas the Erieau area has been The Leamington Shoreline Associabattered almost repeatedly by strong tion represents 500 property owners in west-southwest winds this winter. the Municipality of Leamington. Lo“For us, April normally brings pow- cated on a 10km stretch of shoreline erful northeast storms and when that from Wheatley Harbour to Point Pelee happens, we will be in the same, if not National Park, including 7,000 acres worse, position. A Road 1 clay berm of farmland and 850 acres of Hillman breach will flood 1,200 acres of farm- Marsh Conservation Area wetlands. land, 33 homes and put many lives in The Association was formed by residanger in the East Marsh Drainage dents after devastating storms in April Scheme,” stated King. 2018 battered the shorelines resulting in “If nothing is done, it is not a mat- $2.5 million property damage.
This drone photo (above) taken on February 12, 2020, shows the breach along the eastern shoreline of Hillman Marsh, with homes visible in bottom left corner. The Google Maps photo below, shows the breach as much smaller in recent years. (Drone Photo Submitted)
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