Flooding Culvert Clog - neighbor faux pas?

[DrRod]

I have a huge tree blocking the creek on my property and lots of logs of all shapes and sizes float down and hang up there. We just wrap a chain around each one and pull them up over the bank with the ATV or tractor [if really big]. Our bank is nearly vertical but the logs generally skip up and over. Then we use them for firewood. So I guess I'm asking if you could just pull them to the shore and not create a problem down stream while acquiring some useful by-products.

 

[civilian]

Are these culverts across the driveways? Dad's culvert at the end of the drive onto the road was blocking during heavy rains. He called the road comission and they cleaned the culvert out. And dug the accumulated muck on either side of the culvert. But if these culverts are inside the property, then a discussion may be the best way to go. Jon

 

[big e]

Thank you for all the comments and sage advise.
A couple answers to a couple comments...

-The only easement type requirement that I'm aware of is that my culvert not back up water to my neighbors property, which is not really possible since it is about a half mile up steam.
And fwiw, my culvert is about 1/4 mile from any county road. Not sure many people or my neighbors even know/care it exists.

-I hear you about the pro/con about the lawyer talk. That is a big reason I posted the question before talking to my neighbor. Nice to know ramifications (socially and legally) before broaching the subject.

-As for "less than 54 inch lengths"... good thought, and I'll do that, but in the next deluge there will be more stuff than what I cut and clear headed downstream so I'd doubt that it would clear their culvert. The stream is a foot deep and gentle normally so stuff will lay in my culvert till next storm. It drains 3-4 square miles of farm land that is tiled. So when it gets up it gets up it gets up fast and angry enough for my eight foot culvert not to be able to handle. Ha. And I thought I overbuilt for a 50-100 year storm. Not. It overtopped twice in past 2 years.

-The material came from upstream. The stream runs through standing timber. We had quite a rain, so a couple years worth of fallen/dead trees floated downstream.

-I could try hauling the trees up and out of the culvert ditch with my... oh yeah I forgot to have sons a couple decades ago.


-Yes culvert is across my driveway. Not a road commission thing... and the less officials know of it's existence the better.


I took a couple pictures today... I'll try to post.

 

[big e]

 

[Snobdds]

View attachment 515774View attachment 515775View attachment 515776View attachment 515777

Get a hook, the type with the 3 Barb's like a fishing lures, attached to a cable and tractor. Just throw into the mess and pull out. I have cleared miles of ditch like this.

 

[bcp]

Get a hook, the type with the 3 Barb's like a fishing lures, attached to a cable and tractor. Just throw into the mess and pull out. I have cleared miles of ditch like this.

Probably one of these designs would work:

Grappling hooks

Bruce

 

[Wagtail]

Howdy, have not posted in a long time but thought this would be the perfect place to toss this questions out...
Big rains + emerald ash borer = my 8 foot culvert is jammed with tree trunks and branches galore. If I cut and clear it and float the material through my culvert I would send all the wood downstream (eventually) to my neighbor who has a pair 54 inch culverts. I have no practical way of lifting the logs 15 feet up to where I could deal with the debris with my tractor at my culvert. My neighbor is well to do and has equipment galore and a hired caretaker etc.
So here is the question... as a good neighbor should I let them know that if I cut this material, it is (eventually) coming their way? Should I offer them the chance to remove the crap from my culvert thus helping us both? Am I ethically in the wrong to send a jam down to my neighbor? (Before I put in my culvert all of that would have ended up at theirs anyway)
Other info:
Their culvert is maybe 1/4 mile from mine. I don't think they own a grapple so something would need rented.

Honestly, what kind of a question are you asking? "As a good neighbor should I let them know..."? Of course you should let them know, otherwise you might as well strike 'good neighbour' off of your resume. And, yes, you would be ethically wrong to send a jam of debris down stream to become your neighbour's problem. Crikey! To say "Before I put in my culvert all of that would have ended up at theirs anyway" is a redundant thing to say; you did put your culvert in, therefore it is your problem.

"My neighbor is well to do..." What the heck has that got to do with the situation.

Walk down to you neighbour and talk to him/them about your problem upstream and the ramifications that fixing it will have on him.

Like any good neighbour would do.

 

[TheMan419]

Absolutely start with talking to them. Plenty of time to lawyer up later if things go south. At least for this particular jam the solution seems to be to cut to lengths that will clear both your culvert and theirs. As a good neighbor they should offer to help with the work since it will help both of you.

Then you can also talk about long term what to do when the jam is such that cutting into 54" length to clear both is not practicable for you.

The most underused legal tool is a cup of coffee. Talk to people and try to work it out civilly first..... always. Well unless there is imminent danger of loss of life.

 

[oosik]

Talk to your neighbor, explain what you are about to do, see if he can help. I like Snobdds idea of using a grappling hook. Get the hook and get going. You certainly do not want to be caught in your current state - should there be another storm. You could easily loose the culvert AND the driveway.

 

[crreed67]

Honestly, what kind of a question are you asking? "As a good neighbor should I let them know..."? Of course you should let them know, otherwise you might as well strike 'good neighbour' off of your resume. And, yes, you would be ethically wrong to send a jam of debris down stream to become your neighbour's problem. Crikey! To say "Before I put in my culvert all of that would have ended up at theirs anyway" is a redundant thing to say; you did put your culvert in, therefore it is your problem.

"My neighbor is well to do..." What the heck has that got to do with the situation.

Walk down to you neighbour and talk to him/them about your problem upstream and the ramifications that fixing it will have on him.

Like any good neighbour would do.

Crikey!