District Three Supervisor and Board Chairman Carl McGee identified a potentially costly mistake at the latest Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting.
An application had been submitted to and approved by the Riverside Drain Commission for a low water crossing.
However, County Engineer Lorenzo Anderson mistakenly thought culverts were needed for the crossing and included them in a letter to the drainage commission describing the project.
Based on Anderson’s letter, the drainage commission approved three 10-foot culverts for the upcoming bridge replacement project near Huntington Pointe.
After calling Anderson to explain the situation and getting no response, McGee called Mark Johnson, the county road manager, to clarify exactly what a low water crossing was.
“We need a low-water passage for the machines to be able to cross,” Johnson said. “Once we put the 10-foot culverts in that channel, we won’t be able to get them out of there.”
McGee agreed with Johnson, saying that installing the sewers would be impractical because of the high silt content in the water.
“What we need is gravel,” McGee said.
Johnson agreed and gave a quick explanation of the lowwater crossing he intended for the Huntington Pointe project.
Anderson said they were going to create a dam, not a crossing, and that a culvert would be needed for drainage.
A Google search shows that a low water crossing is a type of road or trail that is designed to cross a stream or river at the level of the riverbed.
Unlike bridges, which raise the road above the water, low water crossings allow water to flow over the road during periods of high water.
McGee agreed with Johnson and told Anderson that the drainage commission knew exactly what they wanted.
But District Four Supervisor Mala Brooks asked if they were talking about building a dam.
“No,” McGee said, “we’re talking about building a platform from which the dragline can work.”
A dragline, as it relates to bridge replacement, is a type of heavy-duty crane used for a variety of excavation and construction tasks.
Anderson insisted that the drainage ditch, which already has water, would become a problem if gravel were placed in the canal.
“There’s a house there,” Brooks said. “What if water collects in the yard?”
“I’m very familiar with this project because it’s in my district and I know the family that lives in the house,” McGee said. “It’s not going to be a problem.”
District One Supervisor and board vice president Lee Gordon said he would approve the item as long as the drainage commission understood what was really needed.
All but Brooks agreed and the agenda item was approved with Brooks abstaining.
