ENFORCE22182

• Permit No: M1978052
• IBM Index Class Name: Enforcement
• Doc Date: 10/10/2001
• From: BARRY MARRS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III III'IIIIIIIIIIII • RECEIVED
~' ~-~ 999 OCT 1 0 2001
TO who it may concern: Division of Minerals and Geology
In reply to Tom Schreiner of The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, these are
my observations of the breach of the Platte riverbank from early October 2000 to the
present.
I have had no experience in this immediate azea of the breach prior to October 2000,
only down stream near the confluence of the Bull seep and the Platte river where we
occasionally cross the seep ditch on a 36 to 48 inch culvert to access the east side of the
Brantner Ditch diversion structure for repairs.
In early October, 2000, Mr. Ken Macintosh notified the Brantner Ditch that a breach
of the east bank of the South Platte River had occurred. Concerned with the integrity of
our diversion structure, board members Barry Marrs (myself) and Bill Wright visited
with Dave Macintosh and viewed the breach from the west bank on the Macintosh
property. It was determined that a closer inspection was necessary. A few days later the
Brantner ditch rider Donald Smith, and I inspected the east side. We first went to the
previously mentioned culvert crossing to inspect our structure and found the culverts
washed out. We followed the seep ditch up stream to where the breach had occurred. We
observed a wash in the east bank of the Platte approximately ]0 feet wide and 18 inches
deep, where floodwater had flowed into the Bull seep. Also noticed was the water
currently flowing in the seep ditch was swirling around a fallen tree in the seep ditch 50
to 60 feet north of the breach causing erosion in the off river side of the bank. Soil had
been washed away causing a sheer vertical face from 4 to 6 feet high and leaving the top
of the bank maximum of six feet wide, where otherwise it was I believe around 10 feet
wide on top with sloped banks. We were concerned about further erosion at this location.
Our next visit to the area was after the early May 2001 rain event. Inspection at this
time revealed major erosion at the old culvert site, continuing north to the Bull seep and
Platte river confluence. The culvert was gone. At the original breach site, the riverbank
had washed away down to the bottom of the seep ditch. The riverbank was gone, north
through the area with the erosion-narrowed bank, and significant erosion had taken place
in the Bull seep below the breach. The hole in the riverbank now was around 6 feet or
more deep and 60 to 80 feet long, with a significant percentage of the normal flows of the
Platte going through the seep ditch rather than down the Platte channel.
This fact greatly concerns the Board of D'vectors of the Brantner ditch. It was evident
to us that because of the significant grade change between the breach area and the
confluence of the seep ditch with the Platte, the river could very possibly change its
course. In doing so, our diversion structure would be bypassed and leave the entve ditch
system without any means of delivering water to its stockholders.
The riverbank has since been repaired, however our continuing concern is that with
the eroded seep ditch still in its present location, another overflow of the riverbank could
result in the same problem. We feel that if the surrounding area were restored to its
historic, flatter terrain, any overflow of the Platte would be more likely to spread out and
dissipate naturally rather than be channelized and cause more erosion, possibly even
changing the river channel.
~. ..
~+,OT~ ~ryR~3p~ct~ully Attest:
' : ~-o-o- Barr}€M$rrs, Director Donald Smith, 'tch Rider