'Steady stream of garbage' left at Cultus Lake after long weekend

Residents of Cultus Lake ,B.C., are angry after the areawas left covered in trash following Victoria Day weekend celebrations.

One social media postof the lake, located just south of Chilliwack, B.C., showed empty bottles, garbage bags and junk food bags littered along the docks.

"You see a steady stream of garbagedown the stream toward the Fraser River," said Russ Lemp, a resident of Cultus Lake. "It is a lot."

Every weekend in the summer, Lemp sees garbage left behind, which, he says, is often kicked off the docks and into the creek below. He says he and his neighbours are usually forced to clean up the trash that ends up in their own backyards.

"You pick up everything from apple cores to beer bottles to condoms," said Lemp

Lemp is frustrated at the increase in the amount of garbage he has seen in the 12 years he has been at the lake.

"I'm ashamed for the way people treat nature," he said.

Underfunded parks

Chilliwack Coun. Sam Waddington told CBC's B.C. Almanac that he has seen garbage left behind across the whole Chilliwack Valley.Volunteer residents end up having to clear the mess themselves, which, he says, has reached astounding numbers.

"In the last 10years, volunteer groupshave pulled225 metric tons of garbage out of those areas in one small 40 kilometre valley," Waddington said. "That can't continue to fall on the backs of volunteers."

Waddington saidit isup to volunteers, because the underfunded parks can't afford to pay for more conservation officers. Officers must keep the parks cleanbut are also busy responding to bear and cougar sightings, patrolling the parks and going to community meetings.

Waddington said that there are only two to three officers for the entire Chilliwack district, which covers over 260 square kilometres.

Following the 'pack in, pack out rule'

Rick Curry, who lives in the Campbell River area, is a frequent camper who has seenpopular local campsites left covered in trash.

"We clean out four bags of diapers, cans, you name it, everything," Currysaid.

He feels there needs to be more education about the "pack in, pack out" rule, where campers should leave no trace of the area they have been to.

"Some people grow up in a city.They don't have a clue there's not a garbage man to clean up," hesaid, adding that as a young child he learned this rule:"You go there, you pack in and outand leave only footprints behind."

With files from CBC's BC Almanac