OPENING THE GRAVE CREEK ROAD
We learned of the damage and closure of the road from
one of our new members in early April. We did not actually get to
see the road until snowmelt in May. The road was actually washed
out in two places and water was running down the road in a third.
The washouts were above the junction with the Lewis Cr. Road that heads
over to the North Fork of the Flathead. The third location, below
that junction and the first road damage you come to driving up from the
highway, was in danger of being washed out as well.
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This picture and the one on the left show where the
creek is tearing away at the road bed
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The washed out culvert and road at Drip Creek on
the way to Therriault. Another washout further up >>
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Realizing that if the road at the lower location, shown above on
the left, tore the road bed out completely repairs would be more costly and
take longer, NLCC volunteered to armor that road bed and dry out the roadway
below. We met on site with Ranger Betty Holder and other FS officials
as well as state and federal biologists to develop a plan to protect this
part of the road.
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While one crew filled and placed sandbags
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Jarbidge Shovel
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another anchored filtercloth on the roadbed
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We accomplished our objective and this portion of the road was repaired and
opened in June of 2007. NLCC continued to work with Ranger Holder and the
Kootenai Forest Supervisor to open the road all the way to Therriault
Lakes. We made sure they understood how important this road is to
the public and we made additional offers to help. Reconstruction of
the Drip Creek and upper washouts began in September and by mid-Oct one
lane was open to the public with construction delays. We believe
that without NLCC's aggressive persuasion and willingness to work this
road would not have been opened in 2007
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