Residents in Mount Lorne, Yukon, grapple with rising water on some properties

Ross Smith says a berm he built himself is what's keeping his Mount Lorne, Yukon, property dry. If he looks out over the edge, he can see water that would be on his land if he hadn't done something.

Smith's berm runs along the west side of his property, in the direction of nearby McConnell Lake. To the south, he dug trenches. Water is moving slowly along those.

So far, his makeshift solution has kept the water at bay.

"For '22, that saved me," he said. "But it was within inches of coming over."

A recent problem for some

There's still questions about why water is flowing onto a handful of properties in the Annie Lake Road area, south of Whitehorse, but Smith suspects increased snowpack in recent years could be a factor. He says in 30 years on the property, he didn't have water problems until 2021. 

At least 15 of his 20 acres were submerged that spring — so much so that he and his wife, Cindy, had to take a boat around the property. He was shocked when the water started coming one day.

"[We] never had water anywhere you couldn't walk through with spring boots on," Smith said. 

"But it was running in, and it was determined, after much panic and a measuring stick in the ground, that it was coming in at 500 litres a minute. And it ran for probably 48 hours and then started to run out of the yard."

Just down the road, Neil and Meagan Gillis are currently grappling with flooding. Right now, their property is all but surrounded by water, and they say it's often that way.

"Since we lived there, it's been constant flooding that has been occurring year-round," Neil Gillis said. 

The couple moved to the area in December 2020. Gillis says their problems began the following spring. 

He estimates about five acres of their property are now completely submerged. A culvert has been installed under the driveway to allow water to pass through.

Gillis says he and his wife were aware there had been some water on the property when they bought it, but hadn't understood the extent of the issue.

"Speaking with [Yukon's Emergency Measure Organization] as well as with the government, they've relayed when we're speaking with them that they are aware of the property and have been there before in years past," he said. 

That came as a surprise, he added. 

Solution unclear for now

For now, Gillis said, it's hard to know how to deal with the property.

"There's nothing really as a homeowner at this point you can do, other than bring in fill and try to manoeuver the water around," he said. "But with that volume, it's nothing really you can attempt to do without having repercussions for your neighbours."

Smith expressed similar hesitation. He said he's been cautious about protecting his property without unwittingly harming anyone else's.

The affected residents have taken their concerns to the Yukon government. Last week, Ministers John Streicker and Richard Mostyn hosted a community meeting to discuss the problem.

At that meeting, residents were briefed by Tetra Tech, an engineering firm contracted to do an assessment of the area.

A recent report from the firm looks at the hydrological conditions in the area. It ultimately recommends further study.

Julia Duchesne, a spokesperson for the Department of Community Services, said in an email to CBC News that research would be necessary before any mitigation measures can be suggested. She said the department is monitoring the situation, and it appears the problem is the result of "groundwater and surface water interactions."

Smith said the recent meeting was a good step, but he feels a solution is still a long way away. 

"Once you start looking at ways to mitigate it, it becomes a nightmare of 'where's it gonna go? Who's it going to affect?'" he said.

For now, Smith says he'll make more adjustments to his berm before ice on McConnell Lake melts.

"I'll bring in a heavy piece of equipment and push this up like the beavers do," he said.