Building my tractor bridge across the creek

[deezler]

Yep, thanks. I did a little semi-impulsive upgrading a couple days ago. Made a full story post in the Kioti buying section.

 

[bdhsfz6]

A very well thought out project. Great planning and execution!

I would dearly love to do something similar with my creek. Even though it's my land, the busy body landowner nearby calls the DEP every time I come near the creek with the tractor.

A DEP permit requires a design by a professional engineer, a stream flow study and a stream encroachment assessment. The permits will cost literally 5 times what the construction cost will be.

You're lucky to be in an area where these regulations aren't a problem.

 

[Bearsixty7]

A very well thought out project. Great planning and execution!

I would dearly love to do something similar with my creek. Even though it's my land, the busy body landowner nearby calls the DEP every time I come near the creek with the tractor.

A DEP permit requires a design by a professional engineer, a stream flow study and a stream encroachment assessment. The permits will cost literally 5 times what the construction cost will be.

You're lucky to be in an area where these regulations aren't a problem.

Any idea what the fine would be if you just built it and they found out? Not the preffered method but big brother is just way too involved in many matters they shouldn't be and charge WAY TOO MUCH for their "work".

Sometimes better to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission!

 

[deezler]

A very well thought out project. Great planning and execution!

You're lucky to be in an area where these regulations aren't a problem.

Thank you. My bridge is hidden in the woods in the middle of my own property, thankfully. And my neighbors keep to themselves. I can't see why anyone should care anyway, if you build it A) way up out of the water or highest flood level, B) nice and permanent to avoid risk of downstream damage from failure, and C) zero pollutants or sedimentation occurs in the water as a result of your construction. It's YOUR property, and you have a right to use it by accessing the other side of a small water feature - in my opinion.

Who knows how I should have permitted this one; I decided not to care and assume that since this little drainage ditch was not "navigable", that no permits were then required. Better to do it, claim ignorance and beg forgiveness later, than to by stymied up front with a web of unachievable permits.

 

[EddieWalker]

Any idea what the fine would be if you just built it and they found out? Not the preffered method but big brother is just way too involved in many matters they shouldn't be and charge WAY TOO MUCH for their "work".

Sometimes better to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission!

A friend of mine back in CA worked for the City of Oakland and he really enjoyed fighting city hall. When he retired, he started working on projects on his land that he had been putting off. One of those things was to dig a pond. He didn't get any permits, even though they where required. CA wants a permit for everything!!!! After it was done, they came after him for not having a permit. His reply was that it was already there and he had just cleaned it up. He did the same thing when adding a culvert to a creek crossing and drilled his own well. Apparently, they had to prove that none of those things where already there, and he was just restoring them and making them safer.

I'm not advocating that anybody violate the law, or do something without a permit when it's required. But if you are just fixing something, or making it safer, then you really shouldn't need a permit.

 

[yanmars]

There are aerial photos and dates of almost everything today. I am surprised they could not show a before and after. On my farm different photos even show where I have mowed some paths.

 

[deezler]

There are aerial photos and dates of almost everything today. I am surprised they could not show a before and after. On my farm different photos even show where I have mowed some paths.

Thats why you never ever clearcut, and only select cut hardwoods. Full shade all day long, on my bridge.

 

[Clintock]

I went with an old trailer. 22’ long to cover my little branch. Was gonna use 12x12 bridge timber’s and deck it. Glad I went with the metal trailer. You can see why in second pic. The timber’s kept floating down the branch.

 

[powdercreek]

Hey Deezler, I'm new here. Been reading about the bridge you built over your creek. Wanting to do the same but need to know how you dragged those utility poles across the creek. Thanks

 

[deezler]

Got your PM and answered there. But in case it helps anyone else too:

Yeah, I wish I had stopped to take a picture of how I did that step - I was too flustered after getting my tractor unstuck from the creek bottom. Here's a crude doodle of it below:

I dragged the poles into a staging position one at a time, as close as I could to the bridge footers on my near side of the creek. Drove up and set my loader down atop the near end of the pole. Chained it up super tight to the loader bucket (pallet forks might probably be better? I didn't have ssqa on my old tractor) - basically like making a boom pole setup on your loader. I couldn't lift the whole pole up in the air, but I could shove it (lifting as much as my little tractor could, to help). So I shoved it up on top of my near-side bridge footer, and then kept going to basically guide it across the creek and finally just above the footer on the far side of the creek, then just set my loader down and unchained it. It worked amazingly well! Any questions, let me know.

I think the same principle will work well with your MX6000 since you have much more loader capacity than I did. But also twice the span. Good luck! Take pics and make a thread here on the forum if you want to get a lot of good advice (and also some bad advice too lol).