County: No Easy Fix for Residents Stranded West of Mineral Wells Crossing

 

CHRISTOVAL, TX — Residents who live in the subdivision near Christoval with public access only via Mineral Wells Rd. are struggling getting into and out of their homes because the S. Concho River continues to flow with a higher volume over the low water crossing leading to those homes.

Pct. 4 Tom Green County Commissioner Bill Ford has been working on the situation since September when heavy rains caused the S. Concho to rise about 12 feet above normal making the low water crossing impassible.  Historically, residents had a handshake agreement with the owner of the XQZ ranch which allowed them to drive north, through the ranch — privately-owned land — to FM 2335.

According to testimony before the Commissioners Court Tuesday, the ranch sold in 2015 and the new owner allowed residents to access his private road in the fall when heavy rains caused the river to rise. The landowner changed his mind and prohibited the 50 to 60 residents from using his road after the gates on the road at the ranch were left open in October.  

Now, residents are forced to cross the Mineral Wells low water crossing with a large volume of water still flowing over the bridge.  There is no other way out of the subdivision.

Mineral Wells Rd. is a county owned and maintained road but no one is sure who owns the crossing infrastructure and there is no record of who built it.  Long time residents say the crossing was built in the early 1970s.

Residents requested the Commissioners' Court force the ranch owner to allow them to cross his private property.  County Judge Steve Floyd said that forcing a private landowner to do something was not going to happen. Federal and State laws side with the landowner even in emergency situations.  

Commissioner Ford said County road crews have twice attempted to remove debris from the crossing in an effort to lower the water level.  He said they would have to get a permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to build a new bridge and that is a years' long process.

Other options are for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide a temporary bridge until the water goes down and the bridge can be improved.  The County Judge is the primary emergency management director for the county.

Commissioner Ford said there is no quick fix for the bridge and the river will continue to flow because there has been so much rain that springs are running a large volume of water into the S. Concho River like never before.  

Commissioners took no action Tuesday on the Mineral Wells crossing.  

After the meeting, Commissioner Bill Ford described the challenges of the Mineral Wells Crossing. He said about 25 residences west of the crossing are affected. That equates to around 60 constituents, he said. Ford said commissioners will pursue all angles, to include working with the State of Texas that has a bridge fund and grant program.

"We need to first find a design that is workable," Ford said.

The crossing makes a slight turn in the middle of the low water area.

"There are choices, but because the road curves on the low water crossing, we need to find a way to engineer that. It's an awkward problem," Ford said.

The problem is not going to abate by itself any time soon, Ford estimates. The river is currently flowing at 105-110 cubic-feet-per-second (cps). "That's 10 times normal," Ford said. "The river hasn't lowered. It just stays up and there isn't a quick answer."

"Right now we're trying to make it safe, putting reflectors up there so you can see at night. I don't want anyone driving off into the river," Ford added.

In other business, Commissioners approved closing the request for bids to operate the Stephens Central Library Cafe because there were no responses.  The last vendor lost the lease because of unpaid rent.

Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily

The LIVE! Daily is the "newspaper to your email" for San Angelo. Each content-packed edition has weather, the popular Top of the Email opinion and rumor mill column, news around the state of Texas, news around west Texas, the latest news stories from San Angelo LIVE!, events, and the most recent obituaries. The bottom of the email contains the most recent rants and comments. The LIVE! daily is emailed 5 days per week. On Sundays, subscribers receive the West Texas Real Estate LIVE! email.

Required

Most Recent Videos

Comments

Wabo73, Thu, 12/20/2018 - 01:56

Well since bill ford is a moron and can only think of a bridge. In 1992 the water was at a level that was maintained higher than it is now. But you got to get a back hoe in the water and dig a few foot of years and years of rock build up And yes you can it was done on the irragation ditch and it was cleaned out and dug out but hell no that would be too easy and cheap yep build a 1,000,000 bridge use the money from the sale of the Pugh park that’s NEVER to be sold It was willed to christoval to do with what they want NOT SOME COUNTY MORONS taking the money and NOT using it in christoval. But you morons keep voting him back in so get ready for them taxes

We've seen, many times, where fatal accidents occur and we wonder, when will they put up a stop sign/traffic light to stop these wrecks. Here's a similar situation.

The article states there are 26 residences (about 60 residents) who's only access to their property is across that bridge. In a worst case scenario, the river floods and a resident has a medical need for an ambulance. I've been across this bridge as recently as last month, and the water is still running over the top of the bridge. It would be too easy for someone to accidentally drive off the edge, especially at night, and make it totally impassable. At the very least, some kind of curbing should be installed to prevent that from happening.

The County cannot ignore the needs of these residents, no matter how few people are involved. The issue must be studied, and the most cost effective solution must be done.

The poster above who suggested getting a backhoe to clear out built up debris is right, as a first resort. If that can relieve the water flow issue, the problem may be solved, but we must be prepared to spend some real money if needed. Those taxpayers out there are no less deserving of having their problem addressed as any of the rest of us.

If digging out on the front/river side of the dam will help. Which sounds like a pretty good idea.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
You maybe could build a temporary road from Bluff Rd to Finks Rd too.
The water is slowly eating away at the bridge that nobody knows who built.
Maybe it was Mr. Butler.
Gimmie a break.
Maybe it was soldiers from Fort Concho.
Call Reese Albert now.

Post a comment to this article here:

X Close