Where is master water retention plan?

As a lifelong resident of Bonner County, I am down on the owners of Schweitzer ski resort and Bonner County officials and the following is the reason why. 

My father, George Gregory, came to Bonner County in 1908 from Austria, I was born and raised here and have been a lifelong resident of Bonner County, except for five years in the Army of which included a year in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division. It is sad that I am getting treated like dirt in my request for a master water retention plan at the resort.

My parents bought the property at the base of Schweitzer mountain in the early 1960s of which I inherited a portion of it. Schweitzer Creek goes through a portion of it. Prior to ski resort being there it was a mountain forest, now the forest has been denuded with ski runs, buildings, parking lots and you name it. So, without a forest, there is very little natural water retention. So, the results have been, when we have a spring or winter chinook in the weather, water overflows from the creek. Initially it took out a wooden bridge over North Boyer Road, then three times later it took out the culvert and again took out the road. Last time, it even took out a good portion of the railroad embankment. The results were that the overflow went all over the place stripping the topsoil off my property and took out the county road in several places. In fact, now there is about only one building site in about 9 acres of my property north of the creek, the rest is in a flood zone.

Just think of what you would think, if it were your property and this happens. In checking, I find out from Bonner County Planning and Zoning, that the initial building of the basin, did not have water retention plans and to this day, there is not a master water retention plan. I wrote to the owners, Alterra Mountain Company of Denver, Colo., three times. I did not receive the courtesy of a reply. Finally, I got a letter from Lake City Law, saying that I was miles away and they don’t have any responsibility. But common sense denies that as the creek jumped a 4-foot bank and ran all over the place. I contacted the manager of the Resort about it, he said that they were working on it. In follow up, I got the same reply, now nothing. I have written again just recently. I have contacted Bonner County P & Z and the county commissioners, but sadly they don’t do anything about it. It seems that they don’t have they the nerve to take on Schweitzer Basin. It is the money and big corporations that rule over the little people like you and me.

I could sue, but they have a battery of lawyers, and it would cost me thousands of dollars and they know it. So, my only recourse is Bonner County P &Z the commissioners and I am not getting help from them. I have just been thrown to the wolves, and no one seems to care. 

ROGER GREGORY

Priest River