Lacombe County farmers who were issued Water Act enforcement orders by the province earlier this summer for unauthorized alterations to a watercourse on farm lands east of Blackfalds have appealed the orders.
On May 31, Criagievar Farms Ltd. and Glenn Sharp, sole shareholder and director of the company, were ordered to restore the natural functioning of an unnamed tributary of Haynes River.
Unauthorized ditches resulted in drainage onto neighbouring lands.
An order was also issued for property owned by Donna Duffy and farmed by her brother Ron Duffy for similar tributary realignment.
Remedial work was ordered to be done on both properties by Sept. 15.
The Duffys appealed the order against them, and both the Duffys and Criagievar Farms appealed the order against Criagievar Farms as the Duffys purchased the Criagievar land.
The Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development board denied both stay requests in July.
A mediation meeting was held on Aug. 30 and mediation continues. A status report is due to the board by Sept. 28.