[AT] Farm flooding update California - new info

Dave rotigel at me.com
Sat Feb 4 14:51:13 PST 2017


I can understand what you describe, Mike and agree that IF the government was responsible for Grant’s situation then they should be held accountable. But in Grant’s case it sounded like an act of God and I was wondering if I had missed something. Thanks!
	Dave

> On Feb 4, 2017, at 3:40 PM, Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
> 
> Probably not in Grants situation Dave, but local governments can 
> definitely cause flooding problems through lack of proper planning and 
> poorly engineered drainage systems. Approving a Walmart with a giant 
> impermeable asphalt parking lot on what used to be farm land is an 
> example. Where the water flows and how it's routed is the job of 
> engineers with the county drain commission.  If that water runs into the 
> drains, and because of a poorly designed system, floods my house, that 
> is the counties fault.  When I was about 15 a had a friend who's dad 
> built a new house on a lot they owned. Behind our house and theirs was 
> an old gravel pit and woods. A developer bought the land and added on to 
> our subdivision. Obviously the plan had to be approved by the local 
> government and it was, and the road was built and completed along with 
> drains. They didn't change the grade of the land at all, just cleared 
> the trees, smoothed the gravel and installed the road. During the first 
> heavy rain we received after the road was installed the new road created 
> a giant river. The drains couldn't catch the water fast enough, and a 
> river of water filled my friends basement with about 3' of sand. The 
> county had to pick up the tab for cleanup, repair and had to install 
> additional drains so that wouldn't happen again. Engineering failure, 
> human error, it happens.
> 
> Mike M
> 
> 
> 
> On 2/4/2017 2:43 PM, Dave wrote:
>> I'm a bit confused here. Can someone please explain how the flood happened “because of neglect on the part of the state.” Thanks!
>> 	Dave
>> 
>>> On Feb 4, 2017, at 2:22 PM, Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> That's a good idea Steve, wonder if there is a way for Grant to "find"
>>> his dirt and put it back.  Many times talking to the crews doing the
>>> work is much more effective than asking city hall.
>>> 
>>> Mike M
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 2/4/2017 2:08 PM, Steve W. wrote:
>>>> Grant Brians wrote:
>>>>> Well, here is the updated info on our flooding here. I don't usually
>>>>> post when I am sad, but this morning I am. Yesterday I was able to
>>>>> finally look at just how bad the flood damage was to our farm from the
>>>>> Pacheco Creek flooding. We have a 6 foot deep gully that is up to 30
>>>>> feet wide through two of our most productive fields! In addition the
>>>>> remainder of one of those two is covered with a layer of rocks from the
>>>>> flood. I am just trying to figure out whether there is some way to fix
>>>>> this economically. We shall see. Over 40 acres of land damaged there in
>>>>> those two fields. I was taking video last night and can't post that, but
>>>>> I am attaching a picture that shows where they are on the edge of the
>>>>> open water where one creek heads into the lake. Every part of this
>>>>> picture with water except for the creek beds is normally fields,
>>>>> pastures and homes....
>>>>>                Grant Brians - Hollister,California farmer of vegetables
>>>>> (and floods?)
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> 
>>>> Sounds like the damage that happened to the neighbors field when it
>>>> flooded because of neglect on the part of the state. You may want to
>>>> talk to any of the crews that are doing repairs to things like roads,
>>>> bridges and such. The farm up the road had his fields all restored as
>>>> part of the repair process. They even added some "extra" land when they
>>>> moved the creek back into the original channel from the 60's.
>>>> 
>>>> Didn't cost him directly at the time out of pocket as the repairs came
>>>> out of the state funding. So he got a lot of his own money back.
>>>> 
>>>> 
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