Old Man River
Dear Suzy,
I acquired some land in Liberty Hill which fronts the north San Gabriel
River and would like to erect a deck at the edge of the river or partially over
it.
The land itself (where eventually we want to build a cabin) is in the
hundred-year flood plain, so I guess the part right at the river is considered
the floodway. I have not seen the river flood, but let’s assume it really rages
where we want to put the deck. If wood is risky, what about a concrete
structure? We have also thought about erecting a deck as if it’s a raft with
Styrofoam on the bottom, and attaching it to a concrete “deadman”. I’m
interested in your thoughts on these different options.
Sincerely,
Joe Z.
Dear Joe,
My first thought is to not even answer your letter because I’m so jealous that
you – and not I! – own river land. But I went down and watched my creek trickle
by, buried my rage, and decided to be a professional about this.
I grew halfway up on Galveston Bay. When my dad, who we lovingly nicknamed
Doctor Overkill, decided to build a pier, he was determined that he wasn’t
going to lose his decking like all our neighbors did during every little squall
that hit our coast. He drove his pilings extra deep, secured the support beams
with 3/4-inch lag bolts, and screwed the decking down with six-inch
screws, about a hundred on every board. Then he sat back and waited for the
first storm.
It was a doozy. Knocked down trees. Threw fish against our windows. Howled all
night. In the morning, we woke up to find all our neighbors’ piers had been
stripped again. My dad’s decking had held fast. Unfortunately, it had held so
tightly that when something had to give, it was the beams and the pilings.
Large sections of our deck were stuffed in our yard and the remaining pilings
stuck up out of the now-placid surf at interesting angles. Our neighbors picked
up their planking from the shore and had rebuilt their piers within a few
weeks. Ours remained bare and askew for several years, then we moved inland.
So, don’t do it like that.
After talking with multiple engineer-types at LCRA, the Corp of Engineers, and
engineering firms, I also gathered the following tips: 1. Everyone thinks
you’ll probably need a permit. The COE at Lake Georgetown has a flowage
easement on the North San Gabriel that extends from the lake to near the Hwy183
overpass. If you’re within this area, give them a call at 512/863-3016 to find
out about restrictions and permits. (Yuk.) 2. Jim Richardson, supervisor of
marinas for the LCRA, thinks your “deadmen” and floating dock will be your best
option. Instead of Styrofoam, which can deteriorate and make a flaky mess, he
suggested an encapsulated floatation product that’s like the material truck bed
liners are made from. He says 55-gallon drums are a no-no: unstable, leaky, and
corroding, not to mention the considerations for what they once contained. He
said he’s looked through docks on Lake Travis and been able to see
skull-and-crossbones logos on the drums below. He also said that 55-gallon
drums were the majority of the trash that divers recovered during a recent
underwater cleanup around Starnes Island. (The most valuable thing they found –
and he said its worth could be questioned – was a Madonna CD.) 3. Marvin, an
engineer with Martinez and Wright, said concrete was a good material to use
because you can pour it in the water, a less complicated procedure than trying
to dig a post hole in the water. Plus concrete is less susceptible to scouring
from water running and eddying around it. 4. Invite me out to test the new
dock. – Suzy Banks
This article appears in September 8 • 1995 and September 8 • 1995 (Cover).