Burleigh co. Ditches debate

[ice head]

Yes, the erosion in my ditch from OHV traffic is annoying and pretty much makes the ditch not worth haying. But I'll take that over the trash that people throw out of their vehicles. I dream of the day I catch sight of a Dove ice cream bar wrapper flying out of someone's vehicle as they drive past my place.

I fill the back of my Ranger every spring picking up beer cans and garbage from my ditches, it's unreal that there's that many people that garbage right out the window.

 

[Rowdie]

While I am sure many of you've seen it, up northeast of Bismarck on north 80th, there's a guy who built a sucker rod fence right up to the county right-of-way in his ditch. I would have thought he'd be concerned about constructing a clear hazard to any car sliding off the road when icy, but the county said they can do basically nothing because it's built on his side of the county's right of way.

I only point this out to highlight that current Burleigh County rules allow someone to routinely trespass onto what can be private, posted land.

My driveway opens onto a road with a fair amount of ditch riders. Trees block the view of riders on my side of the right-of-way until they almost Wile E. Coyote into the side of my vehicle as they jump my approach.

Let's face it, the only reason ditch riding for entertainment became legal is because some people thought selling off-road vehicles to others who had no other place to ride them would spur economic development.

As it turns out, people are once again their own worst enemies.

This would be my biggest concern. Riders damaging approaches and entries into private property, and SAFTY!

 

[Tymurrey]

Yes, the erosion in my ditch from OHV traffic is annoying and pretty much makes the ditch not worth haying. But I'll take that over the trash that people throw out of their vehicles. I dream of the day I catch sight of a Dove ice cream bar wrapper flying out of someone's vehicle as they drive past my place.

The damn used diapers were the worst to hit with a sickle mower or any of the plastic bags. We hayed ditches along 83 and it was terrible the trash. i did find a nitrous oxide cosmic grape tank while riding the utv in the ditch.

 

[guywhofishes]

i did find a nitrous oxide cosmic grape tank while riding the utv in the ditch.

a wut?

 

[Allen]

I fill the back of my Ranger every spring picking up beer cans and garbage from my ditches, it's unreal that there's that many people that garbage right out the window.

Yeah, it's a mess. I picked up the garbage in my ditch last spring, then again late fall, and a couple weeks ago when it was just a nice warm afternoon. I picked up around 20 Dove wrappers last spring, another 20-some in the fall, and again another 10+ a couple weeks ago. I'm thinking of hanging a sheet of plywood out in the ditch while stapling the Dove wrappers to it. Maybe get creative and spell out "I WILL FIND YOU" with them.

And, of course, plenty of Busch Light cans, water bottles, etc, etc.

 

[Tymurrey]

a wut?

they are supposed to be for culinary whipped cream flavors and i'm sure thats all they are used for. It just looks like a smaller compressed air tank. Lots of random stuff ends up in the ditches, including a leica 1200 rangefinder a couple years ago that i forgot on the roof of my vehicle after target practice.

 

[NodakBob]

I find more Fireball bottles than anything when I walk my dogs…

 

[Jiffy]

That stuff is divorce juice!

 

[guywhofishes]

Becky: "Mom - that candle smells like Fireball!"

Mom: "Us non-alcoholics like to call that cinnamon, dear."

 

[Obi-Wan]

While I am sure many of you've seen it, up northeast of Bismarck on north 80th, there's a guy who built a sucker rod fence right up to the county right-of-way in his ditch. I would have thought he'd be concerned about constructing a clear hazard to any car sliding off the road when icy, but the county said they can do basically nothing because it's built on his side of the county's right of way.

I only point this out to highlight that current Burleigh County rules allow someone to routinely trespass onto what can be private, posted land.

My driveway opens onto a road with a fair amount of ditch riders. Trees block the view of riders on my side of the right-of-way until they almost Wile E. Coyote into the side of my vehicle as they jump my approach.

Let's face it, the only reason ditch riding for entertainment became legal is because some people thought selling off-road vehicles to others who had no other place to ride them would spur economic development.

As it turns out, people are once again their own worst enemies.

I find it hard to believe that there is only a 33' right away in that picture and not a 45'. the ditch when constructed is typically completely within the right away and the culverts are also in the right away. for an improved road. All my neighbors have a 45' right away while my property only has a 33' right away with the culverts is located in the bottom of the right away. there is a jog in the road around my place because the previous owner refused to give up the additional 12' and fought the county but the slope of the ditch and culvert clearly show the narrow right away compared to the neighbors.

 

[Rut2much]

. i did find a nitrous oxide cosmic grape tank while riding the utv in the ditch.

Aren't those them big tanks u can buy at that alien pot shop in forks?

 

[Allen]

I find it hard to believe that there is only a 33' right away in that picture and not a 45'. the ditch when constructed is typically completely within the right away and the culverts are also in the right away. for an improved road. All my neighbors have a 45' right away while my property only has a 33' right away with the culverts is located in the bottom of the right away. there is a jog in the road around my place because the previous owner refused to give up the additional 12' and fought the county but the slope of the ditch and culvert clearly show the narrow right away compared to the neighbors.

I received that information straight from a county commissioner. That was the answer I received when I brought up my concerns for the traveling public. Because, yes...it did catch their attention. He also mentioned that since it was on private property, any unfortunate driver who encounters it will most likely have to pay for any damage to the fence. Of course, that's if they survive the crash.

 

[Achucker]

Ditches aren't designed for the amount of traffic some of these areas see.

 

[Obi-Wan]

I received that information straight from a county commissioner. That was the answer I received when I brought up my concerns for the traveling public. Because, yes...it did catch their attention. He also mentioned that since it was on private property, any unfortunate driver who encounters it will most likely have to pay for any damage to the fence. Of course, that's if they survive the crash.

Did they actually look it up or just assume the 33’ section line right Away. I am willing to bet the county never would have improved the road with the ditch width as it presently sits unless they had obtained the proper rights to that right away. Look at the locations of fence lines before and after that fence and across the road His ditch is consistent with all the others. The county would not have shaped that ditch the way it is if it was on private property. I will have to look at how my abstract is recorded as it was signed in protest by the county engineer. The ditch in front of my place is completely in the 33’ right away while The namers ditches take up the whole 45’ and I’m on a gravel road not blacktop.

 

[Davy Crockett]

Did they actually look it up or just assume the 33’ section line right Away. I am willing to bet the county never would have improved the road with the ditch width as it presently sits unless they had obtained the proper rights to that right away. Look at the locations of fence lines before and after that fence and across the road His ditch is consistent with all the others. The county would not have shaped that ditch the way it is if it was on private property. I will have to look at how my abstract is recorded as it was signed in protest by the county engineer. The ditch in front of my place is completely in the 33’ right away while The namers ditches take up the whole 45’ and I’m on a gravel road not blacktop.

I don't know about that , The county has always been doing thier best of improving old roads making them safer for many years so someone must have gotten free landscaping from the county because the road was improved before the fence. Some people are just ornery that way .