New Lawsuit faces Oldman

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Environmentalists have set up another potential roadblock to stop the Alberta government from building the Oldman River Dam.

In a new lawsuit, the Friends of the Oldman group alleges the Crowsnest River is being ruined by related efforts to improve fishing.

They claim the provincial Public Works Department is fouling the southern Alberta river with a fish enhancement program to offset losses expected when the Oldman Dam floods

three river valleys downstream.

Spokesman Martha Lostuch said the group will argue the province is putting silt into the river.

Man-made structures and boulders are being dug into the river to provide cover for trout and whitefish. At the same time, huge backhoes are working gouging out holes for this

purpose.

The province will spend $4 million to try to offset fishing losses from the Oldman dam.