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<br />.
<br />
<br />,-\150, it is a~1m;ttc:d tnat the spillway of
<br />the resl:n'oir w~'-" rIot IJuilt according k
<br />Sf.H..:-::ificatic-rls. The plans as dr~-n\ll pru-
<br />vidcd for a ::.pillway di:;cl1arge flow of
<br />33,01.10 ch, hut, as built, the sjJill\\'ay \\ oll~d
<br />discharge only -\.500 cfs.
<br />
<br />Although the pn:.....iou:; kno\\n high {lO\\
<br />of \\":It('r in Clay Creek wa;; 27,500 cf~,
<br />the tri~d court did not b.:tSt' defclld;tnt's ]i,\.-
<br />bility on this defect. Instc<<.d, it fOlllld.
<br />
<br />"Th2.t tr'.e ddei'.(tmt wa? lle:f';lig\'llt In
<br />dc~ipling and constructing a dam \,ith
<br />a spi~lway cap~u:-it.Y which (E.'i~har;('d ;1
<br />flCHV o~ water of OTi!Y ..t;OO ("ubi.: h't.'t
<br />per 5CCO:-ld. 1 f(iwe\'cr, that was 110t tllL'
<br />proximate Cause ot.1,laintiffs' ua!11.1':':(
<br />hCCiHEC no!\\-ith:-Lwcl!:lg- such n('glig(':'~-::
<br />t11(\sC (!-~rna.gcj \\"otlld luve resulted f[,';'~
<br />
<br />;'n\'; of 1 ~S.f)l)d '::t1~,!C ft:d per sc\:oClc1
<br />.. . (1 ( k B . ..
<br />f,: ;\" of \\-,J.tCf Hi a.y fee. a5<;;~.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />II.
<br />
<br />;\ fil~ding that ddcnd;,llt':,; {'ngi~
<br />
<br />c..,".". k'lCW or sho\:;ct han' kno\\n
<br />C(,~~ 0 l,~ .
<br />of :1(: n~:,:x:imllm prDL,a~}je flood iIJr tl1;5
<br />
<br />~"o!'I)n hut f.:ded to de5:gn the c1dm ar!d
<br />
<br />'''W:I\" to handie such a flood cor:ditioll
<br />1('" '. ." _.
<br />.c..~rd support jud;:;-mcnt: tur pl,unu t fs.
<br />
<br />.\:.t;ojlig-h tilt: trial C'Jurt made I,-i) explicit
<br />
<br />kd,!;~ on this point. it:; resolutlOn or tnis
<br />
<br />1\'W i~ imrlicit ill it" iurther fact'Jal i!l1cl-
<br />
<br />if.;':'
<br />
<br />Ti' ~ iS5\;C \\'a" rcsoln:d D) tht:- trial
<br />c,,';rt'~ f:lH;in~ that dt iendant hy thc lIS~
<br />(': r~>,(L:-ll nlctl'orological techtJ;(jUt:3 could
<br />b \: i(}rt.::'I'~C;t thi:; ,,~c!rrn a;~d the rL:;.',llt?nt
<br />i;" "1::-,;.;, FIOlT1 this ttn,-:!r_g, tho;: co',:~t COl:-
<br />(:u,:"'! tk,t tLc deicEe or ar:t of G()d \\"(1:-;
<br />~:r" i,:'~)~;":al!:e to th:~ ca5~..
<br />
<br />.";;t;ce thi::. fncl",g i::> s~:;';jor:(;(: t,.:- the
<br />c, ,k"l".', \\~ <.gr~'~ t'hi1c tht,: dcfL'-.~e oi act
<br />I,:' I J{Ji! i~ inarllh.:at';l; here.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />c.r(S.1963, 14S-5-~, p:-o\'ides:
<br />
<br />"Liu[1/1itJ of O<:l"1!<'r.; for dI1I1lJ.'j,t'.-,The
<br />ow:-.trs of the rcsen'o:rs shall t\e lia.)le
<br />for all d2,m,q;c5 aris:r'.g irom In',.;-d.ge Of
<br />on:rflo\o,- of the 'waters theretro!'"n or 0)
<br />floods caused by bred~:~!~g of the er",~j?"k-
<br />mtTlb ot suc'n f~3-(:f\-o:r::..'.
<br />
<br />Th:~ 5:d~ute on al''5011:te lia'li1ity was C0:1-
<br />slrU(;Ll in Ryan Gll~ch Restn:o!; CO. Y.
<br />;-l,\-artl, II Cola, 60, 23--+ p, IlJ5';'. wh.n
<br />the detcnse ot a(t ot God \1..",,> rd15cd.
<br />The Cf-,urt sta:td:
<br />
<br />An act or God
<br />:~ a g00d defense i:: a...< ",.:t:o:'
<br />this s('ction, ('\"o:::a tnc'cgh the
<br />!nJpo~ed tb::re~)y 15 fL,ed toy
<br />\\-it)10ut regarJ to nt.2:;'gc~o.:e of
<br />fen.dant5."
<br />
<br />1:.::;:':cr
<br />1: a ';:1 ~t\"
<br />
<br />5 ~" t l:: ('.
<br />
<br />!:it ~(-
<br />
<br />In BrWtTI Y. COUi:ty of Seotts BL1fi, 172
<br />.\"e\ 22~, 109 X.\\-.2d 2';J~, the Ci)~:r: d,;-
<br />il1:t,J an act of God as iCillc,w5:
<br />
<br />"I" order for C1. fl,)o,j to) crj;n.," '.,::th-
<br />in the term act of God, it ICt'< ha\'C
<br />beell su U:Hl-:'l!;ll a~-,(l (::.;:tr~".J:-d>~,,-r'. a
<br />
<br />nl~,nif..:-s~,,_tic'~". of n<\~Llr;~ ,:~ c'::":I>l :-J-,: u:..
<br />
<br />cler Honnal condition::; h<l':c bcen re?SQ!1-
<br />allly antio:ipated or f'''peeted.
<br />...fll act vi God dOCS'lIl)! n~'ccssarily J!leaH
<br />011 Df.'ration of 1l(llu/"(l! for(cs so <'io-
<br />!ell! alld II1h'xpt-ded tllll! 11.) )l,'flnan fur<'-
<br />sigl;t or skill cOldd possibly ha-z t' prc-
<br />,.t.'It!,'d its clfet!, It is cnou:;h th2r.t tht:
<br />flooding should J.e sllch as human fore-
<br />sight could not be rt'ilsOllal\ly c."pected
<br />to anticip;ltc and whethef it COIneS with-
<br />in this dcs.crivtion is ordilj;\r'dy a ques-
<br />tion of fact." (Empru",is ad~kd)
<br />
<br />Thtl~, if thr:: i!O\\- of water \\hich Ol'~
<br />curred ill tLe Clay Cr('c:'; T~asin W,IS rc~-
<br />SOtidU.\ fort's(,cilhic hy d'...ft::l1lbr'-t'" engi~
<br />n\':crs, then It tl,;\)" 11'_,t 'uc tlt'.~igll;ttc,J as
<br />an act of C.,:,d.
<br />
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