Three Peace Region landowners say they are determined to stop the removal of a decades-old dike near Rolla, arguing the structure continues to protect farmland and downstream properties from flooding.
The dike is located about two miles southwest of Rolla on Sweetwater Road and was constructed in the early 1980s after severe flooding altered the course of Rolla Creek and damaged several properties in the area.
According to landowner Rick Pavlis, sediment and debris caused the creek to overflow its banks nearly 50 years ago, creating a new channel that eroded portions of seven surrounding properties.
Landowners successfully lobbied the provincial government to construct the dike, which was designed to keep water within the Rolla watershed and reduce the risk of future flooding.
Issue of maintaining the dike
For decades, the affected property owners paid additional taxes to maintain the structure and fund inspections.
However, according to the landowners, that arrangement changed several years ago when the Peace River Regional District asked whether they wanted to continue paying for upkeep.
The landowners declined, claiming there had been no maintenance work required and nothing that needed inspection.
Today, three landowners own all of the properties protected by the dike. They allege the regional district prevented them from carrying out maintenance work, while the district maintained that a qualified professional would be required to inspect the structure.
The dispute escalated in February 2024 when the PRRD decided to move forward with plans to decommission the dike.
The landowners sought and obtained an injunction preventing the work from proceeding while the matter is resolved.
Pavlis said the dike has performed exactly as intended and continues to protect properties downstream. He argues removing it would revive erosion issues that existed before it was built.
Pavlis said he personally had to repair roughly 1,200 metres of erosion on his farm after the dike was constructed and fears similar damage would return if the structure is removed.
He also pointed to a government study from the 1980s that concluded the dike was necessary.
Protecting the land
Pavlis also argues the dispute raises broader concerns about the protection of agricultural land in British Columbia.
He said the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) has been used across the province for decades to safeguard farmland from development and other threats.
However, he accused the provincial government of turning a blind eye to the same concerns in the Rolla Creek area.
“Around the rest of the province, the Agricultural Land Reserve protects agricultural land,” Pavlis said. “In this case, the government seems willing to ignore those same protections.”
Pavlis maintains removing the dike would increase the risk of erosion and flooding, potentially affecting productive farmland and undoing decades of protection efforts by local landowners.
Concerns about taxpayer money
The landowners estimate they have spent about $200,000 fighting the decommissioning effort in court.
They also question how much public money has been spent on the dispute, claiming the regional district has incurred similar costs.
“The dike was put there for a reason,” Pavlis said, arguing it should simply be left in place. The landowners are seeking a long-term agreement or covenant that would prevent the structure from ever being removed.
PRRD Vice Chair Leonard Hiebert said the regional district will not be commenting on the substance of the matter as it’s currently before the courts.
“Suffice it to say that the PRRD’s position is that it has acted in the public interest, and with the knowledge and support of its residents who are responsible for the maintenance and repair of the dike, throughout. The PRRD is confident that the courts will view the matter in the same way,” added Hiebert.
The group has also reached out to Larry Neufeld, MLA for Peace River South and is asking him to bring their concerns to the provincial government.
The dispute over the future of the Rolla-area dike remains before the courts, with landowners maintaining the structure continues to provide valuable flood protection and the regional district pursuing its decommissioning plans.