by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 24/98) - The environmental protection branch of the GNWT has ordered the city to take immediate action on the Tuaro property.

The move followed a Tuesday inspection prompted by a call from Dan Prima, who owns a property adjacent to the former dairy farm.

The inspection revealed a need to "eliminate some immediate runoff from the cattle pens that was finding its way into upper Fiddler's Lake," explained Emery Paquin, director of the NWT environmental protection branch.

Not to be confused with the Fiddler's Lake sewage lagoon, the lake that the Tuaro property slopes down to is the former site of Sammy's Beach, a popular summer spot before the establishment of Fred Henne Park.

Prima said the runoff came from a large pool of melted snow and manure that formed on the property last week.

"It was only flowing (into the lake) for four or five hours but it was going pretty good," said Prima. "It was probably flowing into the bush for a day before getting to the lake."

Paquin said one of the small dykes the city had built to contain manure runoff had been breached.

The dyke holding back the manure pond was plugged Wednesday with a few bales of hay, reported Prima. A pump truck was used to bring down the level of the pooled manure.

"We will be meeting with the city to work out a long term plan for the site," said Paquin. No date has been set for the meeting.

Earlier this week, city administration maintained there was no immediate need to attend to the property, which is owned by the city, because the manure was still frozen.

When the issue arose at a meeting of council, city staff assured aldermen the manure would be removed before it became a problem.

Paquin said the two main environmental concerns with the property centre on the threat the manure presents to the lake.

The largest danger, he said, is the introduction of phosphates and other nutrients from the manure to lake water. That would promote plant growth, effectively choking off the oxygen supply to the water there.

There is also a threat of the lake being contaminated by bacteria from the manure.