Water Drainage/Sask Water Security Board

[jd3007]

I dug my first ditch in the fall on 2012.I had to do something as my yard was turning in to a swamp. I did my homework, watched which way the water ran and put the water in to a road ditch that drains into a creek that drains in to a lake. Spring of 2013 the water drained and never flooded anyone just as I had planned. I did receive a complaint though from a next door neighbor because he thought he may be effected by my water. Sask water came out, did their investigation and determined the water was not hurting this neighbor and was in fact draining water out of him. I did however have to but in ditch blocks as my ditchs were deemed illegal. I didn't get a chance to do this as it was too wet in 2014. So now my neighbor registers a formal complaint because he doesn't agree with their decision. Now Sask Water registers a lien on my property until the complaint is resolved, which can take up to 18 months. I went and talked to Sask Water and they say they have to follow procedure even if an adjacent landowner isn't impacted by your water, an adjacent landowner has the right to complain. Anyone else have any experience here? I know guys just down the road who have miles of ditch's and have never had any trouble. I asked Sask Water about this and all they said was "no one complained in those areas" How much power does Sask Water actually have and when does a person start to have to take their own legal action to protect themselves?

[JDGreen]

You have the right to protect and defend yourself.. I have no idea on sask waters power but inwouldmleave this with a good lawyer.. Stand up for your rights and don't back down..

[sumdumguy]

What is the wording on the lien? I wouldn't worry about a lien on my property unless I was ready to sell.

An alternative : Depending on how far you have to go to get to the lake you may want to think about running drainage tile. It is really inexpensive and then your neighbour can't complain.

[SASKFARMER3]

Unless your selling your property the lien doesn't matter. But I would burry weeping tile and F$%k the Asshole neighbour he is jealous of you and that's all it is. A shit disturber that wants to stir up trouble in the neighbourhood.

[oneoff]

Unless things have changed....18 months is optimistic.

You'll find the situation is never closed; ad there will be little acceptance of any decision; even after it it goes to the Water Appeal Board

[oneoff]

Such matters will sour any appreciation you may have had for tolerance and your forme "neighbos".

Not that it will do much good; but carefully look at the complainants record; the works they are responsible for; have purchased or condone from any persons they are are related to or currently friends with. There's much more going on that some water flow.
Take note of the complainants supporters and take into account that the majority of the rest realize that whilst the focus is upon your situations......there is no zero room for anyone to look at the bigger picture. In fact its an opportunity for everyone else.......

Keep things in perspective. Dams and pipes and drains don't seem as obvious to those with agendas based on the real isssues the complainants and supporters have with your operation.

You know like maybe "No Hunting" signs you just put up; or you bought a quarter (or even "all" the land that came available) or you didn't sell the soething at the price they wanted to pay, or even a grievance stemming from some relatively minor dispute after co-existing with those same "neighbors" for generations. It could even be as simple as they are too cheap to try to move dirt or make "improvvements that would be seen a "improvements " in any other part of the world

Look at the bigger picture....the only thing that may satisfy the complainants is if you had never done anything
You can use that as an actual quote

[bgmb]

Sask3 hit nail on the head. You have a progress stopper as a neighbour, we all have a few of them they need to be put in their place.

[oneoff]

After you have closed the drains; or mitigated any potential damage; or received "vindication" from the appropriate authorities



Rationalize it as you finally found out who your true friends and supporter ever were. and those who enjoyed their "moments" of visited stress and trouble upon yourself have chosen to first protect their business interests; their personal interests and taken the easiest ways to appear to support the leaders and cheerleaders of a totally unknown sized group who claim to have been damaged and offended.

[oneoff]

JDGreen...the matter is in the proper "court" already.

Adding a lawyer to the mix is not going to help anyone at this stage.

A lot like the "Line Fence Act". The laws are drafted to keep courts being flooded by such matters and so; unless the "arbitrators" and "boards" and umpires and mediation errs in matters of laws or overstep or exceed their mandated powers granted in those Acts; you can rest assured that its the equivalent of a "Supreme Court" ruling after the final decision of the Water Appeal Board (etc.) has come down.

[jd3007]

I have put up a new house put up some new hopper bins over the last 5 years. The neighbor farms with late 1970s equipment, summer fallows, doesn't believe in fertilizing. My land base has grown in the last few years. I know this is why he placed the complaint. Funny thing is one of his tenants has ditches also beside his land and he didn't complain about them. When I asked him if they could cause damage to him he wouldn't answer the question. I am now doing some water line installation as ours cracked and being there is a backhoe in the yard he is driving by 3 times a day, slowly creeping past our yard to see what we are doing. And he can because he owns the half section across the road. I was wanting to develop a proper bin site on this property but it looks like my chances of developing anything on this property and 0 as long as this prick is around

[DogPatch]

well the neighbor
is in his rights too to protect his property too.

[BreadWinner]

I think your description of yourself"new house and bins" and your description of your neighbour"older 70 equip" tells me allot about you. Most people with any level of maturity don't worry about what others own or how they farm. People need to learn what it is like to be a neighbour. That's why things like this get out of hand. People have lost the ability to take other peoples concerns into concideration. Step down from your temple and go see your neighbour and work it out maybe save yourself a bit of stress and legal headaches.

[jd3007]

Breadwinner I also farm with a full line of 1970s equipment along with some early 2000 stuff.There is no brand new iron here just a modest new home and some a handful of 1505 and 1805 bins. I didn't do it on Dads money it was all my own.I have got off my "temple" as you say and have talked to him. I told him that the water is flooding my yard and and all he keeps going back to is the fact that ditching is illegal and that the ditches need to be closed even though no water goes in to him. My point is it seems that Saskwater and the complainant seem to have way more rights than an individual trying to protect their yard. When small towns were flooding this last July emergency ditches were dyking were common place when there are town people involved. Yet it seems when the individual landowner does it you are at fault. Seems little a pretty shitty system to me.

[oneoff]

Dogdung...just as long as eveyone is cosistant of what they do and demand of absolutely everyone else.

But it just doesn't often work out that way. You see water diversions and pumping off the properties of the very people who would never take a public staance of support or others whoo have sometimes majoe even had less effects off theiir lands.

Such is the myopic viewing of the bigger pictures.

[jd3007]

Breadwinner I also farm with a full line of 1970s equipment along with some early 2000 stuff.There is no brand new iron here just a modest new home and some a handful of 1505 and 1805 bins. I didn't do it on Dads money it was all my own.I have got off my "temple" as you say and have talked to him. I told him that the water is flooding my yard and and all he keeps going back to is the fact that ditching is illegal and that the ditches need to be closed even though no water goes in to him. My point is it seems that Saskwater and the complainant seem to have way more rights than an individual trying to protect their yard. When small towns were flooding this last July emergency ditches were dyking were common place when there are town people involved. Yet it seems when the individual landowner does it you are at fault. Seems little a pretty shitty system to me.