Clearwater County officials are reminding residents that moving snow from your property onto a Clearwater County Right of Way, whether it is paved or a gravel road, creates a safety hazard and violates a bylaw.

A Right of Way is described as fence line to fence line, or tree line to tree line along any county roadway including ditches.

Clearwater officials outline below, the safety concerns and hazards associated with moving snow onto a Clearwater County Right of Way:

• Creates a traffic hazard when left on road shoulders and/or driving lanes.

• Difficult for the grader to remove, as moved snow freezes up faster than undisturbed snow, especially after some freeze/thaw cycles. Removing this snow creates more work and extra time for a grader, which in turns costs all rate payers.

• Can cause damage to the road surface, such as removal of gravel.

• Piled snow can create a drift/sight hazard.

• Snow being moved/piled into ditches, can cause a culvert to be “plugged” and create serious spring runoff issues, such as melt water running over approaches or down the shoulder edge of the roadway.

• If the County needs a grader to go back to a location to remove or fix a hazard, this is extra cost to all rate payers.

• Hard snowbanks can damage graders and plow trucks; repair costs for this equipment costs all rate payers.

Bylaw No. 1018/16, section 19 states:

No person shall permit any structure, object or thing on or forming part of the property that they own or occupy to:

• Cause a drifting or accumulation of snow on a highway.

• Damage a highway.

• Obstruct the vision of pedestrians or drivers of vehicles on a highway or

• Create a hazard or obstruction to vehicular or pedestrian traffic on the highway.

Schedule “B” of Bylaw 1018/16; outlines the fines associated with the above noted section 19.

Officials add, any resident that leaves a hazard on a Clearwater County roadway would be personally liable if there is an accident or incident caused by the hazard.

Officials remind residents if they move snow onto a Clearwater County Right of Way, they will be notified in writing for a first offence, any offence after the first will be subject to a fine for each occurrence.

For more information on Clearwater County Bylaws, click here.