The entrance is basically a hole straight down. There's really nowhere to divert the debris.
George On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 11:48 AM, C Tiderman <cti...@ymail.com> wrote: > Hi, > > i am trying to intrude on a local situation, but I was wondering if there > is a way to install a debris diverter that would be set at an angle to the > cave entrance to trap and channel material off to the side where it can be > removed after a heavy rain? > > Carol > > ------------------------------ > *From:* George D. Nincehelser <george.nincehel...@gmail.com> > *To:* Andy Gluesenkamp <andrew_gluesenk...@yahoo.com> > *Cc:* wesley s <mudmal...@hotmail.com>; "texascavers@texascavers.com" < > texascavers@texascavers.com> > *Sent:* Thursday, September 27, 2012 8:59 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] Beck Ranch Cave Update > > Washing out of park trails for a start. > > I'm not talking about damage to a gate. Any gate I've seen would just > plug up with debris, restricting water flow and bat access. > > Are you actually familiar with the situation? Have you been there when it > is raining heavily and flooding? Have you been on any of the clean-up > trips? > > If someone has a solution, I'd be happy to hear it. As a local resident, > member of the MUD, and member of the TCC I'd be happy to champion one. > > If there is one. I know just putting up the typical bat-friendly gate > over the opening isn't going to work. > > George > > > > On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 7:40 PM, Andy Gluesenkamp < > andrew_gluesenk...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > What damage? Isn't there a perimeter fence? What is going past the > fence that would damage a gate? Are you saying that debris/trash ( now > going in the ungated entrance) would be a greater problem if it didn't? > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Sep 27, 2012, at 7:34 PM, "George D. Nincehelser" < > george.nincehel...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Unfortuntely that's not a practical solution. Not unless the MUD is > willing to clean out the entrance and repair the flood damage after every > big storm. > > As a resident, I can tell you that's just not going to happen. As an > engineer I can tell you there is no easy fix. > > George > > > > On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 7:29 PM, Andy Gluesenkamp < > andrew_gluesenk...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > Any gate must be maintained. Any cave in a dense residential area is an > attractive nuisance. Gate the cave and keep the trash (literal and > figurative) out. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Sep 27, 2012, at 7:24 PM, "George D. Nincehelser" < > george.nincehel...@gmail.com> wrote: > > My house is less than a block away from the entrance, and I've thought > about this problem for years. > > Lots of water and debris flow through the entrance, and it is sometimes > completely submerged during heavy rains. It's a major drain for the area. > > What kind of bat-friendly grate would you recommend that wouldn't keep > plugging up with debris and cause flooding as well as blocking bat access? > > George > > > On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 3:23 PM, wesley s <mudmal...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > Wow Mike, > > Sure sounds like a decent bat friendly gate install would have saved you a > great deal of public and caver goodwill and protected the cave a hell of a > lot better. I hope other cave managers are taking note of the difficulties > you are having and learning from them. > > Wes~ > > ------------------------------ > From: mikewaus...@austin.rr.com > To: Texascavers@texascavers.com > Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:24:59 -0500 > > Subject: [Texascavers] Beck Ranch Cave Update > > Beck Ranch Cave Update > > > In 1999, the Texas Cave Conservancy entered into a cave management > agreement with the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District. This is one > of the few caves under TCC management that does not have a cave gate. The > cave entrance was not gated in order for the bats to be able to enter and > exit the cave. A high quality nine- foot tall iron fence was build to > attempt to control access. Local teenagers were using it for a party cave. > The fence allowed us to greatly reduce the party traffic so we could > protect the cave. > > Today, locals continue to trespass and go into the cave. > Texas cavers are going in without permission as well. Both the locals and > the cavers have been confronted by law enforcement and issued citations for > trespassing. In addition, the TCC has not been able to prevent the > authorized caver groups from creating problems such as changing cloths in > the parking lot of a public park. Cavers in their underwear, and less, > have made it difficult to keep cave open. > > *As a result, all authorized trips will be for cave > management activities such as cave clean up, the bi-annual monitoring, fire > ant control and inspection, etc. These trips will be set up by the Texas > Cave Conservancy. We will host an annual cave clean up and restoration > visit. The next clean up day will be Saturday -February 23, 2013. If you > are interested in assisting us in conducting the cave management > activities, send us your name in an e-mail to tcc-ca...@austin.rr.com We > will place you on the list and contact you prior to our work project. > * > * * > Further, the TCC would like to make it very clear to Texas > cavers that steps have been taken to alert law enforcement when > unauthorized visitation is taking place. The TCC now has to notify the > cave owner prior to each authorized visit. A Neighborhood Watch system is > in place to observe the cave. A house near the cave can easily observe > people entering the cave and call for law enforcement. In addition, > electronic monitoring should greatly increase the number of trespassers > arrested. We have been notified that all unauthorized visitors that are > detected will be arrested and charged with trespassing. This will include > cavers. > > We want to thank all of the cavers that worked with us to protect the > cave. Your work has made a difference. The TCC has done everything > possible, short of these new actions, to prevent problems. I will be at > the Texas Caver’s Reunion in October if you would like to ask questions. > Once again, Thank You for working with the Texas Cave Conservancy. > > > Mike Walsh President-Texas Cave Conservancy > > 512-249-2283 > > mikewaus...@austin.rr.com > > > > > > > >
