Plan B Highway realignment causing West River runoff problems

Runoff from the Plan B Highway realignment has been causing some problems in the West River. When it rains, dirt runs down a hill in Bonshaw through a culvert under the new Plan B Highway and down a steep hill toward the West River.

When this occurs, the water picks up speed and more sediment, which harms fish in the river.

P.E.I.s transportation department created little ponds for the dirt to settle, but they overflowed.

Last week, the West RiverWatershed group tried to fix the problem. It added more rock dams, laid down brush, and planted ferns and other greenery to trap the fine clay particles before they reach the river.

The transportation department helped with the work, but the minister says the area had problems with silt runoff long before it built the new highway.

You're gonna have water running red anywhere in our province and this is a location where they had issues before the highway was built. We are always trying to partner with watershed groups and this area is no different.. We went out and hopefully that will work, said Robert Vessey.

The watershed group says it could be more than a year before the water at the bottom of the hill is no longer affected by the highway construction and the West River runs clear at that spot.