07-09-2017 Forest Board Emergency Meeting
Fairlee Forest Board Meeting
July 9, 2017 4:00 PM
PRESENT:
- David Matthews -Chair of Fairlee Forest Board
- Peter Lange – Fairlee Forest Board
- Mitch Phelps- Fairlee Forest Board
- Jim O’Donnell- Fairlee Forest Board
Also in attendance : Mike Wright
Meeting called on Sunday to assess damage due to severe storm runoff and prepare report for the next day Selectboard meeting.
Report to the Selectboard on Knox Rd. damage from the Forest Board.
The above photo shows the damage to the lower section of the Knox Road that washed out a large section of material and completely exposed the old four-foot culvert that was constructed out of two old gas storage tanks.
The Town Forest Board met with Mike Wright yesterday to assess the damage. Mike roughly estimated the cost to repair this damage would be in the 5 to 6 thousand-dollar range. He recommends that a lower and wider squash pipe be installed that is angled diagonally, in line with the direction of the river. The old pipe would be removed. A new longer 30’ section of squash pipe would be set in line with the water flow and fill would be brought in to put the roadway back. Mike estimates that he can get to the job in about three weeks.
This would greatly improve the effectiveness of the culvert:
- The water would flow directly into the pipe length instead of making the current 90-degree turn that encourages blockages.
- The flat bottom of the pipe will allow for more water volume and would sit lower, avoiding the outcropping of ledge that prevents the use of a larger round pipe.
- It will be stronger, to allow the heavy log truck traffic without having to blast the ledge or bring in a tremendous amount of fill that a round plastic culvert would require to get to the same load weight.
- The welded steel gas tank culvert currently exposed is too rusted to be reused
- The wider squash bottom pipe would result in better erosion control because it is harder for the water to get around and under the pipe.
This culvert is well before the Fairlee Forest land, but the road is used as an access. The Forest Board would like to use money from the Lange Forest Fund and split the costs of this repair with the Select Board.