The state put in this huge 6 foot diameter pipe under the road where a creek runs through my property. They didn't install any erosion control and it has pretty much become a hurricane water drainage canal. The result is an ever-growing hole about 40ft wide and 10ft deep. It has become a safety issue and it's encroaching on my beautiful mature Sweetgum trees.

1. Shouldn't they have gone and bought up easements if they were going to be directing storm-water into this creek?

2. How do I at least get them to install some rip-rap and bring in some dirt to replace what has washed away.

3. Can I make them pipe the entire thing and buy an easement?

Anybody have experience with this kind of thing?

NAGGERS: YES, this is the same property I posted for sale. It's a big place, this erosion thing is just a small part of it in the very corner of the property.

7/27/2012 1:34:57 PM

7/27/2012 1:37:09 PM

You said you are rich. Just pay someone to fix it.

7/27/2012 1:57:03 PM

I assume this is Raleigh: http://www.raleighnc.gov/arts/content/PWksStormwater/Articles/SedimentationandErosio.html

DENR requires municipalities to address and mitigate erosion from stormwater, so i would start with the City

7/27/2012 1:59:57 PM

Spray paint something on the side of your house about the town.

7/27/2012 2:26:26 PM

I'm cheap too.

7/27/2012 2:36:15 PM

This sounds like a job for wattles!



If you do end up having to take things into your own hands, look into various geotextiles blankets, mats and wattles. They are not difficult to install and will help keep the soil in place long enough to establish vegetation.
It may be difficult to purchase it in small quantities but I have worked with professors who have had to buy it so I am assuming it is possible. Doing it yourself might end up being a lot cheaper than hiring someone to do it.
The city should take responsibility to fix it but if you're like me, I get frustrated waiting a long for other people to do something I could fix right away. I have to wait for my home owner's association to hire people fix drainage issues all the time and then sometimes its still not fixed.

7/27/2012 7:38:56 PM

Yeah, you need rip-rap. Erosion control at its finest.

Not really, but it works.

7/27/2012 8:11:43 PM

pic? I love geomorphology challenges!

7/27/2012 8:41:52 PM

rip-rap is actually a lot cheaper than i expected. at least it was several years ago when my aunt and uncle lined a huge ditch beside their house.

7/27/2012 9:44:56 PM

Lespedeza works well at my parent's house for similar issues.

Grows great in NC.

7/27/2012 10:06:46 PM

I would love to post pics for you guys but I live in Shanghai, China and my property is in Wilmington, NC. I think maybe the first NCDOT Gmen that went out there to take a look might have snapped a few pics. I will ask them to email them to me and then I will post.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

7/27/2012 10:11:06 PM

I have a lot of experience in erosion control of logging roads and stuff like that.

My advice; just call the division of water quality (within DENR) and report the dept of transportation's shitty work.
Yup, it's as easy as that. DWQ will get them to fix it or they'll fine them big bucks.

[Edited on July 28, 2012 at 11:16 PM. Reason : Btw, did you even bother to call DOT?]

7/28/2012 11:14:58 PM

^sounds like solid advice.

7/29/2012 12:12:27 AM

Check your PM box!

7/29/2012 1:45:37 AM

great advice guys! I'm getting up in the middle of the night every night and sending emails and making calls to get this thing fixed.

once it fixed, I'm going to have a little bridge and a road put in so potential buyers can see that land.

once it's sold, I'm gonna do a solar powered laundromat!

soooo.... you're helping me save the world!!!

7/29/2012 3:26:00 AM

Get them to extend the pipe, fill in the washed out area, and put rip rap at the end of the new pipe. Since it's already bowled out, it will be extremely difficult to correct without extending the pipe.

7/30/2012 9:32:12 AM

So at some point in dealing with New Hanover County I said:

"Ok so if I were to alter the flow of that canal and cause a huge 40ft wide 8 foot deep pit in the right of way, don't you think I would be made to fix it?"

wat u think TWW? sick burn or bitch ass whiny property owner?

8/1/2012 4:15:35 PM

sounds more like the latter to me

what was their response

8/1/2012 4:22:23 PM

no reply yet. This Jerry May guy down in Wilmington is just trying to get me to think the government has not responsibility to fix it.

8/1/2012 4:30:15 PM

Can somebody get the email of Jim Gregson at NC Division of Water Quality Wilmington office pl0x?

http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/home/ro/wiro

just call 910-796-7215

I can't I is on teh other side of the planet.

8/1/2012 4:44:29 PM

does google not work on your side of the world?

8/1/2012 4:51:17 PM

james.gregson@ncdenr.gov

8/1/2012 4:54:16 PM

http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/contacts

Gregson

Jim

Surface Water Protection Supervisor

Water Quality
Surface Water Protection Section


jim.gregson@ncdenr.gov

Wilmington Regional Office

910-796-7386

8/1/2012 4:55:57 PM

troll

8/1/2012 4:58:35 PM

actually no, it doesn't. Well sort of, I have to use google/HK but it sucks because it forces you to use the strict filter that catches all sorts of stuff that isn't even porn.


also, there is no email posted for anybody at NCDENR, that i could find anyway


AND one shiny GOLD internet for BigHitSunday and a silver for s4m. Thank-you guys.

8/1/2012 4:59:36 PM

it was the first google hit for me... on the DENR website. surely you can access that.

[Edited on August 1, 2012 at 5:02 PM. Reason : .]

8/1/2012 5:01:43 PM

lol

8/1/2012 5:03:20 PM

And THEN I said:

Quote :

"I already hired a Engineer, Jerry. You're it. I'm a tax payer and you work for my county. So tell me, Jerry. What is causing my erosion? Water is causing it, Jerry. A lot of fast moving turbulent water during storms. Why is there so much more and faster moving water now than before? Because the government has been turning my creek into a drainage canal for the past 20 years with improvements upstream including a large 6ft pipe installed on my property with no erosion control. And what about the safety issue?"

BAM!!!!

what do you think, TWW? Am I being a dick?

8/3/2012 1:43:05 PM

sounds like a good start

let that motherfucker know who pays for his gay sexcapades

8/3/2012 1:46:00 PM

good luck.

8/3/2012 2:49:04 PM

So I know he's like "oh they're build lots of stuff upstream, it's not our fault" So Imma be like "yea but you get more tax money rrom the improvements upstream" Then I say that tax money supposed to be for filling in this ditch!!! WAT u think TWW?

8/7/2012 8:00:20 AM

It sounds good, but I only have one question. What is the guy's name that you are dealing with?

Is it.... Jerry?

8/7/2012 10:37:51 AM

So now I have emailed the water quality people and also the risk management people. not getting any action. I guess I will sue NCDOT? what else can I try first?

8/13/2012 5:33:17 AM

If you're serious, call somebody. I have never really had any luck with emailing and expecting a response. Calling and speaking to someone yields much better results, for me.

8/13/2012 9:48:00 PM

I'm too cheap to make phone calls from China.

8/14/2012 2:14:05 AM

If you're too cheap to make a phone call then quit your bitching.

8/15/2012 1:34:18 AM

8/15/2012 7:47:40 PM

^ First thing I thought of.

8/15/2012 8:18:16 PM

buy a magic jack to make phone calls?

8/15/2012 8:44:41 PM

Ha! I got fined for the erosion. I think this is a good thing though because it shows that there is a genuine legal responsibility to fix this.

Now I can ask NCDOT to fix it or sue them.

8/25/2012 2:54:07 AM

Quote :

"Jerry, Can you email me a copy of that letter? I was told it says you want me to clean up the canal? Let me get this straight, you want me to make the erosion problem WORSE by killing the plants whose roots are stabilizing the soil?"

8/25/2012 11:27:15 PM

Quote :

"If you're too cheap to make a phone call then quit your bitching."

8/26/2012 9:03:37 PM

Hay jcgolden, are Bing and Baidu even worse than Google HK?

[Edited on August 26, 2012 at 10:42 PM. Reason : 天安门导致法轮功

8/26/2012 10:23:08 PM

I've never messed with Bing even here and Baidu is only good for Chinese stuff

8/27/2012 7:19:51 AM

Baidu isn't a very responsible search engine. It has a lot of ads and also a lot of fake results.

google HK gives the same results as google, just in a different order.

8/27/2012 7:41:06 AM