Landowners want bridges

By Justin Post - 08/17/2008

Landowners are proposing two private bridges across the Big Hole River, one just west of Wise River and another near the Mill Creek Highway junction with Highway 43.

Planning officials in Butte-Silver Bow, Beaverhead and Anaconda-Deer Lodge counties are reviewing the proposals, which are in preliminary stages.

The river serves as the county line with Beaverhead County to the south. To the north, Butte-Silver Bow has jurisdiction over that section of the proposed project nearer Wise River.

“We’re carefully reviewing their application and we’ll get back to them,” said Butte-Silver Bow Planning Director Jon Sesso.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, meanwhile, also is collaborating with Beaverhead County on KL and Jane Spear’s bridge proposals near the Mill Creek Highway junction.

They are requesting permission to build a 220-foot single lane bridge over the Big Hole near LaMarche Creek, and a second 25-foot bridge on their property in a marshy area located in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, but not crossing the river.

“One of the things we are concerned about is ice jams on the river and the impacts they might have, and the (visual) impact you see on a pretty pristine river,” said Anaconda-Deer Lodge Planning Director Connie Daniels. “It’s under review and there have been some site tours.” Biologists with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks also are looking into the proposals.

The bridge near Wise River is proposed by property owner Pete Kamperschroer. Butte-Silver Bow planning officials denied his first application for a private bridge in February 2002, in part because the structure included support pillars into the river that may have been dangerous to floaters, said Lori Casey, senior planner.

Kamperschroer’s newest application is for a free-standing bridge intended to access a cattle grazing area, according to his proposal.

In September 2002, Butte-Silver Bow County approved a private, free-spanning bridge across the Big Hole River for the Meriwether Ranch subdivision complex, just north of Melrose.

In 2005, Butte-Silver Bow codified a new policy outlining minimum development standards for private bridges over the publicly owned river.

Butte-Silver Bow planners are reviewing Kamperschroer’s proposal to determine whether it meets those minimum standards.

If it does, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the project while officials consider whether to issue flood plain permits from Butte-Silver Bow and Beaverhead counties, Casey said.

Reporter Justin Post may be reached at justin.post@lee.net.