Callaway County Commission, community discuss water crossing concerns

Commissioners to explore low water bridge for County Road 419 to cross Stinson Creek

Randall Kleindienst, Eastern District Commissioner in Callaway County, fields questions at an early morning meeting Friday, March 25, 2022, at Hams Prairie Store. (Michael Shine/News Tribune photo)
Randall Kleindienst, Eastern District Commissioner in Callaway County, fields questions at an early morning meeting Friday, March 25, 2022, at Hams Prairie Store. (Michael Shine/News Tribune photo)

The Callaway County Commission is looking into a low water passing over Stinson Creek on County Road 419 near Hams Prairie after a meeting with local residents Friday.

The commission's hope is to have something in place by the end of the year, Eastern District Commissioner Randall Kleindienst said, but project is still in the early stages.

"There's reports and there's surveys and everything else, acquisition of property," he said. "We're trying to get it done this year. I don't event know if the land owners are going to let us buy land or donate land or anything. We're just starting."

Kleindienst and Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann attended a meeting Friday morning at Hams Prairie Store to discuss potential options for the project.

Coby Klick, one of the residents who attended the meeting, said the current gravel crossing just isn't enough for many vehicles to confidently cross the creek.

Rain storms, like the one this past week, tends to wash out the current water crossing, and there's multiple large rocks along it that are sometimes covered by water.

"My wife will not cross it right now," Klick said. "I've tried to get her. It's even been like really low to where it's not a big deal. She just doesn't feel comfortable going across that creek. So, I think they put something in there that's going to make more people feel more comfortable."

Klick said his uncle, along with other members of the community, have been approached the county commission about doing something to improve the crossing for more than two years.

"Do something," he said. "Don't call this meeting together and talk and no action."

Kleindienst said there's really three options for the project:

• A slab base to replace the current gravel, but would not raise the crossing very much from where it's current location.

• A low water bridge that would raise the crossing up some so it wouldn't flood as often. The bridge would have walls along the sides with large holes for the water to flow through when it did cross the bridge.

• A full bridge that would be raised above the creek more.

His two main questions for those gathered Friday morning were which option would address the community's need the best and how much tax payer money should go into the project.

Kleindienst said the commission is looking into requesting money through the recently passed federal infrastructure plan or other infrastructure money available due to increased funding.

A low water bridge wold cost about $500,000 and a full bridge would be closer to $1 million.

The general agreement from those in the room was for the low water bridge.

"The actual like, what they call a slab across there, that is the same depth as the creek," Klick said. "So, if you get a decent rain, you're probably still not going to be able to crossing it. Now granted, you won't have the big boulders. I would take that over doing nothing, don't get me wrong.

"But if you get this other deal where ... the engineer said you could get a 10-year storm, maybe even up to 20-year storm ... and you'd be able to still probably get across it," he added. "Well, that's going to open it up a lot."

The next steps are for the commission to explore funding options, open discussions about land acquisition on either side of the creek for the bridge to rest on and begin survey work.

"With the infrastructure plan, there's some more money there," Klick said. "It isn't like a general year where there's general revenue for county roads. There's actually some more money available. Now is the time to do it."

  photo  Michael Shine/Fulton Sun photo: With two days of consistent rain this week, water flows free Friday, March 25, 2022, over the gravel path where County Road 419 crosses Stinson Creek. The County Commission is considering options of how to improve the crossing.