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<br />
<br />Barr v. Colo. Game Fish and Parks Commission, 497 P.2d 340 (1972),
<br />Colorado Court of Appeals.
<br />
<br />[In.acti~n by property owners against state (pursuant to special
<br />leglsl~tlon) for. flooding, erosion, and silt deposition, defendant
<br />held llable for lnadequate design of dam to accommodate reasonably
<br />foreseeable discharge.]
<br />
<br />Coyte, Judge
<br />
<br />* * *
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />DdcHuaT,t co:tstructed a clam Oll Clay
<br />Cft'ek in l'ro\Vcrs Connty about four miles
<br />al)oH' tne cOtlfluClCt" of Clay Creek with
<br />the :\rkansas RiYer. This d.l'll was ap-
<br />proximCitcly 2..J.OO feet in leag-th. Tht" north
<br />side of the restr\'oir created Ly toe dam
<br />was a natural riJge scparatlng' the Clay
<br />(rc-c-k Valk)' from the Arkansas River
<br />Valley. The dam was designed and con-
<br />structed to a cre~t ele\'ation of 36/0 feet.
<br />The low point of a saddie in the ridge
<br />separating Clay Creck fro:-n the Arkansas
<br />\'all(;,)" had an ele\"at:on of 3666 feet, or
<br />four feet lower th<l1\ the top of the dam.
<br />\VhCll the dam w<,.s nearly comp~ekd a
<br />he(l.'"Y rainstorm nit the area and all
<br />streams fan full. At the peak of the flow
<br />ill Clay Cr<:ck at the dam ~itc, ther..:: was
<br />a flow of ?_pproximatt.'l} 1~8,OOO cubic fcet
<br />of \\atl;r per se..:or:d of time (d.,,)_ '
<br />
<br />:\ comLinatiorl of d,\tH height Cl.liU liIT'.- !
<br />itcu spillw::.} ca~I:;('d w<:t\'r to overflow the
<br />ric1g:e separating Cl?'y Crt'::.:-k and the :\rkan-
<br />sa:- Rinr Valk'}'. It wa~ ('~timatecl that
<br />during the: flor)(1 from 73,0(;0 to 100,000
<br />ds p3.:.5cd over the rid~:('. :\11 plaint! ff~ '
<br />hccill suffered tLtnld~:n frum flc'udi;lg-,
<br />ilHdi.'1,ltion, ero:>iun, and silt dcp(,:,itioll by
<br />the '\",ltU::i of Clay Crt'ek \\h1ch flowed
<br />a':rl)~5 the saddle intn th'.' Arkallsas Riv('r
<br />\~allc) aft:a.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />Spccidl lcb;~lat;"jn '\"a~ p;\:;;'.cd \\hldl 2.1-
<br />10\\--.;0:1 llbin~iffs tc> file sl:it (q;.:aiJ~st ddellll-
<br />ant fUI damage;; sufinvl lJ) titem llc":(lu;:-c
<br />of the flofJclillg aid fl':-lliti!~K thmage.
<br />Colo S{:o,:;.Law:-, 1967, ell. I-V.!, p. lW). .-\s
<br />a n..:,>u]t t]'ercof, ntl~p('roi.JS s'_lits wele flkd,
<br />by pCb'Jn:; c1a:1iCLg('d by tne flood result-
<br />ing fro:il tb; overflow of the saddle area. '
<br />
<br />_____.1..
<br />
<br />At tne pre-tried co!:f.;:rcncc, all 5uit~
<br />clainJ~ng damage from tht' alleged o\"cr-:
<br />flow of water wh.::re cOi;solic1atcd. The par- '
<br />ties stit.IUl::\ted a::; to th.,:: an1CHwt of d;:'rJ1-
<br />ages. Trial W<l:> to the c('~li"t, \\hich found I
<br />fur the p1;,:rltiffs, a~d jUrlgJlJClit \ns 0,- :
<br />tlTtd f,,-..r th{; a1110l11,t of the stipldatcd U2.rn-
<br />agb and cost::;.
<br />
<br />.-\S grounds for error the defendant c(}~_
<br />tel'lb: (1) that there was no negligtLcr
<br />all the part of the d'..:ft'ndant which C',-
<br />trihuted to or caused the floouing; 4;_:'
<br />(2 J that in any event, it is 1I0t lia'ble u.'
<br />dn the strict liability statute, in that t~'~
<br />flooding- occurred because of an act f,;
<br />Gorl.
<br />
<br />Defend<l.nt contends that it can con~ttur:
<br />its dam, without liability. to itsc1 f, by ((n.
<br />strl\l.:ting the same so as to handle the
<br />volume of water that had f100deti Cl.n
<br />Creek on prior oceasio:15; amI that tl:~
<br />trial court aLolished the ddcTlse of act r,:
<br />God by holding that d(lm(~gl's occa:-'lunr:<
<br />by this f100d~llg wer~ not an act of (;r...l
<br />\-\'e disagree.
<br />
<br />DcfcJ1dallt further contends that tllC a'J.
<br />thority gra.nteJ by the kgisbture to !'>lie
<br />defendant mu~t be strtctly c(JtJ~trll~J ar:'~
<br />that, C\ fl1 if plaintiffs pre,",,\i!, th~y ar(:
<br />not elltitkJ to co~t:" a~ costs were not ;11.
<br />loweu by the lcgisld.ture.
<br />
<br />I.
<br />
<br />By uS(' of a topographi..: scale modI.'! o(
<br />the dZ\nl area pit'l'_trl'd for ucfcd~ll1t b)
<br />Color:\do St.:.tte. ('ni, crs:ty, it w"s dellr
<br />mined th",t no water \\(Juld ha\.l..' f10\',':',~
<br />through tr.e s?ddle if the dam h,HJ Ill!!
<br />be<:ll COllstrllctlU.
<br />
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