Culvert culprit sought

Photo: Contributed

Dale Lake

Somebody was messing around with a culvert near Enderby and officials want to know who.

Okanagan Shuswap District Natural Resource officers are asking for the public's help in finding whoever was responsible for tampering with culverts at Dale Lake, causing a debris flood on Cooke Creek east of Enderby in May 2014.

The natural resource officers want to speak to anyone who may know those responsible for the tampering, or anyone who observed suspicious people or vehicles in the Dale Lake area leading up to May 2, 2014.

Anyone with any information can submit a report by contacting the Natural Resource Violation reporting line at 1 844 NRO-TIPS (1-844-676-8477), or online.

Reports can be anonymous.

Residents and business owners are reminded it is unlawful to tamper with culverts on Crown land.

Tampering with culverts can create public safety hazards, pose health risks to people, cause environmental damage and destroy fish and wildlife habitat.

Anyone found guilty of causing environmental damage as a result of tampering with culverts on Crown land may be subject to prosecution under the Forest and Range Practices Act, under which people can be ticketed $575 or fined up to $100,000 and/or one year in jail.