HomeMy WebLinkAbout20120622 L.G. EVERIST, INC.
Iso ROCK SOLID SINCY: 1876 7321 E.88m AVENUE, Score 200
HENDERSON, COLnIMD 1 80640
Pine 303-287-9606 • FAx 303-289-1348
February 27,2012
Dean and Linda Sandstead
11586 WCR 18
Fort Lupton, CO 80621
Reference: Recap of our conversation on Monday,February 20, 2012
Dean and Linda:
The purpose of this letter is twofold: a)to inform you that L.G. Everist, Inc. ("LGE") has
a goal and commitment to help diagnose and solve the problem of saturated soils in your
hay fields; and b) to recap our conversation on Monday, February 20, 2012. LGE does
not intend to prove or disprove fault for the cause of the saturated soils that you have
experienced on your property.
Following are a few key points that you and Linda expressed during our conversation:
• First, you have lived in this house and fanned this ground for twenty-five (25) years.
This past year was the first time you have had this much trouble with saturated soils.
With LGE installing slurry walls on property just east of your property, you and
Linda believe this is the most obvious change that sets it apart from all other years in
which you have not had problems getting your tractor in and out of your fields.
• Second, you expressed a concern that if the soils remain saturated, it will be
impossible to grow and harvest your hay crop as you have done in previous years.
This hay crop is an important revenue source to your family.
• Third, you expressed a lack of trust in any corporation, including LGE, in solving a
problem and doing what is right.
WE has experienced similar problems of saturated soils that you describe on your
property; saturated soils were found on all of the properties that border Little Dry Creek
as far south as WCR 14.5, all the way to WCR 18. In mid-summer, Little Dry Creek
overflowed its banks and flooded the basement of a house on the old Parker property.
Regardless of the cause, I am confident that all parties concerned will remain open-
minded and stay on track with getting to a diagnosis and solution of the problems we've
both experienced.
Matt Noteboom and Jim Sittner will work closely with Deere & Ault to diagnose the
problem and present possible solutions. Matt Noteboom will be the lead person to report
back to you and Brad Hagen (please let us know if you do not want us to report to Brad).
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2012-0622
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Letter to Dean and Linda Sandstead
February 27,2012
Page 2 of 3
Dean, you said that a report every two weeks was unnecessary, so Matt will report to you
on an as-needed basis or as-requested basis. At a minimum, I recommend that Matt
provide you with a status update report on a monthly basis unless you instruct us
otherwise.
We are looking at this situation with an eye to short-term and long-term solutions. We
understand that time is of the essence. Our goal is to make sure that no hay crop is lost
this season. Matt will proceed on the following basis:
• We currently have 13 active monitoring wells positioned around the surrounding
property. The wells are recorded monthly and have been in place since May of 2004.
The summer and fall of 2011 registered higher than average levels from what was
recorded in the previous 8-year monitoring history, regardless of monitoring well
position in relation to the slurry walls that were installed.
• Proceeding to the spring of 2012, once the fields have thawed enough for vehicle
access, we will begin drilling new monitoring wells. We will incorporate a series of
monitoring wells on LGE's property along the south and eastern boundaries of your
property. These wells will record the groundwater levels on a monthly basis (at
minimum). This monitoring will provide insight as to the effect the groundwater may
have on the surface and the potential mounding effects of the installed slurry walls, as
well as to help identify the source of the water that saturated the land.
• We will have Deere& Ault Consultants begin a cursory review of mitigation methods
if it is found that the saturated soils have not subsided and the fields are too wet to
cultivate.
• Deere & Ault Consultants may have other recommendations once we meet in the
field.
Short term-solutions that are being considered:
In addition to the above stated items, LGE will move forward to obtain permission to
remove debris and clean up Little Dry Creek this spring and summer. The overgrown
willows and decayed matter have reduced the flow over the years; we believe efficient
flow is critical to keeping the surrounding groundwater table depressed. Also, LGE will
eliminate all irrigation on the Vincent property this coming season. Last year was the
first year that the Vincent property was plowed and flood irrigated; with this property up-
gradient to the Sandstead property, we are confident there will be a reduction in surface
water. And as we discussed, we have trapped and relocated a beaver that was very busy
this summer on Little Dry Creek directly east of your house. I realize that you have
encountered beavers before with no problems, but we believe Little Dry Creek was
forced to handle a lot more csf of water this year than in years past.
Letter to Dean and Linda Sandstead
February 27,2012
Page 3 of 3
The proposed diagnostic process may not provide an immediate resolution to the soil
saturation problems; it may take months of monitoring to identify the causes and
potential mitigation methods. As we discussed, diagnosing the problem is 90% of the
solution. Implementing the proper physical measures is the other 10%.
As in all of life there are no guarantees; for LGE to give a guarantee that the problem will
be solved, especially where Mother Nature is involved, would be a reckless statement for
any corporation or individual to make. What I can guarantee is that LGE will continue to
do the right thing and will remain fully committed to help identify and resolve the
problem of saturated soils. In return for our commitment, LGE needs you to support the
diagnostic process and remain committed to solving the main problem, which is, as I
understood you to say, "the ground is so saturated that we are not able to farm our land
and grow our hay just like we have in the past."
Please keep in mind that although the problem this past year was saturated soils, the
problem next year may be completely different. Throughout our conversation I received
the impression that you want to control all the water on your property through your
headgates. The reason I mention this is that future slurry walls may be a possible solution
to saturated soils. Let's discuss this further to confirm.
In the event that a Deere & Ault consultant needs to enter your property, please let us
know how you want us to proceed.
We appreciate you and Linda taking time to sit down with Matt and me. We believe that
honest communication is a good start to solving the problem.
We look forward to a mutually agreed-upon resolution.
Sincerely,
•
Dennis L. Fields
Vice President,Mountain Division
cc via Email: Don Deere
Kim Ogle
Rob Everist
Matt Noteboom
Jim Sittner
Eric Scott
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