Miner found guilty of diverting creek

PALMER — The state Department of Law announced Monday it had won a conviction against a Trapper Creek placer miner guilty of diverting a salmon stream.

According to a press release from the Department of Law, a jury convicted Samuel C. Turner, 59, of Trapper Creek, Thursday on two Fish and Game violations. He received a $5,000 fine and a year of probation.

Prosecutors alleged at trial that Turner had diverted Cache Creek, which the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has deemed important for king, silver and humpy salmon. The stream diversion came to light during an October 2011 aerial survey of mining in the area.

“They estimated that he diverted more than 550 feet of Cache Creek downstream of his main mining operation,” the release says. “Turner did not obtain a habitat permit from the Dept. of Fish and Game before he undertook this project.”

Placer mining refers to mining for minerals in ancient or modern streambeds.

According to a February 2011 press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Turner settled a complaint of discharging water into another creek in the area that year.

During a 2010 aerial survey of placer mining, inspectors noticed that wastewater coming out of his wash plant had been allowed to contaminate Spruce Creek.

“Mr. Turner is covered under the Alaska General Permit for Mechanical Placer Miners for discharge into Cache Creek, not Spruce Creek, so this discharge violated Mr. Turner’s permit,” according to that press release.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.