CAUTION Before Building Bridge's on a Small Stream on Your Property


You need to know that all streams in the U.S. are governedby the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Dept. of Natural Resources &State & County Dept. of Natural Resource Offices & State Fish &Game Dept.’s. It is not legal to build a bridge or disturb creek banks oradjacent areas, even on your own property, without a series of permits from allof these agencies. You will need to have professional design plans approved byall of these agencies. This process will take months. Even some pretty small streamson your own property fall under these regulations, including some of those thatare intermittent & do not maintain a year-round flow.
With the invention of inexpensive small portable sawmillsyou may be able to find someone near you that would saw some logs for you. Rough-cutlumber, not planed, is much less expensive than buying wood from a lumber yard. For long supports use round logs. Wesimply shaved the top of them with a chainsaw in order to make the deck levellaterally. The bridge in these pics spans 25 feet across the creek. Creeks ofany size can flood so you want to talk with someone with experience aboutbuilding abutments strong enough to handle a 100 year flood event.
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  • D spencer D spencer on Mar 09, 2018

    I have my property eroding when it rains, I live in Alabama and this happens a lot. I live on a mountain. But I want to control the water by a dry creek this may take a small bridge to cross it. I'm hoping this is not what you are talking about.

  • D spencer D spencer on Mar 09, 2018

    I have my property eroding when it rains, I live in Alabama and this happens a lot. I live on a mountain. But I want to control the water by a dry creek this may take a small bridge to cross it. I'm hoping this is not what you are talking about.

    • sorry I haven't been following this old post for some time. If it's a dry creek bed & not a constant flowing stream I think you can do what you want without a permit. If you are worried about it talk to your county.

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