Logjam removed after cleanup pause
Written by jrood
A 500-yard-long logjam on the San Antonio River at the Victoria-Refugio county line in Texas has been removed, and water is now flowing downstream, Raquel Espinoza-Williams, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific, said, according to the Victoria Advocate. Union Pacific, which owns the bridge where the logjam occurred, had started cleanup earlier this month, when the problem arose because of heavy rainfall.
Union Pacific, which
contracted Bylar Maintenance for the logjam removal, stopped the process after
the San Antonio River Authority expressed concerns about the company’s approach
to the cleanup. The San Antonio River Authority manages the river, which spans
240 miles and flows through five Texas counties, including Goliad and Refugio.
Union Pacific had
originally planned to break up the debris to allow for stream flow. The SARA
suggested removal of the debris would be the most responsible approach so as
not to cause problems to downstream bridges. Union Pacific started its cleanup
work on Oct. 10, and the debris was removed by Oct. 13, Espinoza-Williams said.
The organization has also
opened a channel to prevent future logjams. It also plans to install bridge
deflectors at each pier. The deflectors will allow debris to flow past the
piers.
"At this point, we
have removed the debris that was against the bridge," Espinoza-Williams
said. "The water is flowing, and we’re taking precautions to help prevent
this in the future."
