YOUNGS Siding farmers are angry the Environmental Protection Agency has totally misunderstood the reason behind the opening of the Wilson Inlet bar which it stopped last week.
The landowners claim the flooding is only causing environmental damage and potential loss of income.
The City of Albany has also put the EPA on notice it might have to provide compensation for any damaged caused to infrastructure in the area.
Roads built up above basic water levels are now flooded and being damaged by local traffic.
City Works and Services executive director Les Hewer said the EPA hadn’t bothered to reply to his correspondence opposing its late decision.
“The City is very disappointed in the way this has been managed, particularly the eleventh-hour stoppage,” Mr Hewer said.
Mosquito populations have increased, possibly leading to future health problems for the region.
City of Albany roads are also being damaged.
“It’s not just potato farmers being affected, it’s other property owners and the City,” Youngs siding farmer Alan Francis said.
He claims the EPA has not taken any notice of the farmers’ problems since it stopped the annual opening of the bar at Ocean Beach.
After a return to normal winter rainfall, farmers, the City and Water Corporation expected the bar to be opened to solve the annual flooding in the area.
But Mr Francis said the EPA had only listened to green groups in Denmark.
“False information has been given to the EPA and they are not listening to the other side of the story,” he said.
He said the EPA refused to consider vandalism that occurred last year resulting in salt water polluting fresh water lakes.
A gate separating the inlet from the Nenamup Inlet was deliberately vandalised last year allowing salt water to flow upstream.
This reached Lake Sadie which is totally fed with fresh water permeating from the nearby coastal hills.
“The gates were propped open with rocks,” he said.
“These people are putting farmers’ future at risk.”
Mr Francis refused to put the blame on anyone, but fish fingerlings were found in the lake which would not normally be seen in the fresh water.
He took water samplings showing a marked increase in salt in a once-pristine lake.
Mr Francis said the drains that had been built over the years for farmers, but the water had nowhere to go.
The Water Corporation has installed three submersible pumps and a generator at the gate at Eden Road which automatically allows water to flow from Nenamup Inlet.
Water is being pumped from one side to the other as a trial until a solution over its standoff with the the EPA can be found.
Mr Francis said he had contacted EPA chairman Barry Carbon who hung up on him and then refused to take further calls.
Seed potato farmer Trevor Barker said the sudden decision not to open the inlet could have been made earlier.
He said this would have given the Water Corporation time to plan for the year.
As it was, he now had three pumps working 24-hours a day trying to clear water from his properties in time for planting at the end of the month.
“There has not been any consultation with us at all,” Mr Barker said.
“At this rate, I will have to keep my pumps going until December.”
The only trouble was the water he was removing was only flooding neighbouring properties as the drains were full and had nowhere to deposit their water.
Mr Barker produces between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes of seed potatoes for use throughout WA and for export.
His $500,000 business is backed by a disease-free status because of the annual freshwater flooding of his land.