Opinion ID: 1653014
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: The Central District's second assignment of error alleges that the evidence was insufficient to support a finding that the operation of Kingsley Dam by the Central District caused the damage to the trees and vegetation on plaintiff's 251 acres of accretion land. The Central District contends that it is not liable for the damage the plaintiff claims because the large quantities of water released from Lake McConaughy and Kingsley Dam in 1971 and 1973 were waters that would have flowed past the plaintiff's land in any event because of the large snowmelt and precipitation which occurred above Lake McConaughy during those years. Frank Dragoun, the general manager of the Central District, testified that Kingsley Dam was built primarily to store water for irrigation purposes and not for flood control. According to Dragoun, the only reservoir on the North Platte River designed for flood control is the Glendo Reservoir in Wyoming. He noted that during certain periods Glendo Reservoir is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers but that generally it is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. The significance of this fact is that the waterflow into Lake McConaughy is controlled by federal agencies. Therefore, the flow of water in the North Platte River past the plaintiff's accretion land is controlled in part by the federal agencies operating Glendo Reservoir. In essence, the operators of Lake McConaughy must handle the waters as they are released from the upstream reservoirs. The basis of the plaintiff's claim is that because of the dam, the water passing the plaintiff's land was clean water which picked up large amounts of silt and sand and caused the degradation of the bed of the river. In reviewing a judgment in a civil case, this court considers the evidence most favorably to the successful party and resolves evidential conflicts in favor of such party, which is entitled to every reasonable inference deducible from the evidence. Capps v. Manhart, 236 Neb. 16, 458 N.W.2d 742 (1990); Crewdson v. Burlington Northern RR. Co., 234 Neb. 631, 452 N.W.2d 270 (1990). Taking the view of the evidence most favorable to the plaintiff, we find that the record shows that prior to the damage allegedly caused by the defendant Central District, the accretion land provided an ideal place to winter cattle. Eugene Feltz, the president of Keystone Ranch Company, testified, along with several of his neighbors, that the abundance of grass, trees, and undergrowth on the accretion land provided the cattle with feed and protection from the winter conditions. In its petition, the plaintiff contends that the defendants' actions caused the death of the trees and vegetation on the accretion land and that, as a result, the value of the land was diminished in value by $900 per acre. Edward Soucek, a civil engineer who specializes in hydraulic structures, testified in support of the plaintiff's theory that the operation of Kingsley Dam by the Central District caused the damage to the plaintiff's accretion land. He testified that the release of large volumes of water in 1971 and 1973 from Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy caused the deepening of the riverbed and that the deepening of the riverbed in turn caused the lowering of the water table under the plaintiff's accretion land. Soucek testified that to a considerable extent, Kingsley Dam controls the volume of water flowing in the natural channel of the North Platte River as it courses along the area of the plaintiff's 251 acres of accretion land. Photographs made in 1939 and in 1965 which were received in evidence show the progressive constriction of the river's channel. From these photographs, Soucek testified that in 1939 the North Platte River opposite the Keystone Ranch property was flowing as a braided channel, that is, there were a large number of small channels which joined and separated and rejoined. By 1965, however, the river was confined to a single channel about 100 feet wide. According to Soucek, the progressive constriction of the river to a single channel was in part due to the presence of Kingsley Dam. Soucek also testified that Kingsley Dam altered the silt-carrying capacity of the North Platte River. The North Platte River is a sediment-carrying river, in that its waters carry a substantial amount of sand as the waters move within the river's banks. However, like all such rivers, when its waters are impounded behind a dam, the North Platte River loses the capacity to transport sediment due to the reduced current. As a result, the water released from Kingsley Dam is clear water; that is, it contains no sediment. Soucek testified that when clear water is released into the river it has a natural tendency to pick up sediment from the riverbed. Soucek testified further that when water picks up sediment from the riverbed, the bed is lowered by a process called degradation. According to Soucek, the process of degradation is directly influenced by the volume and velocity at which water is flowing. In other words, when the volume and velocity of the water increase, so too does the rate at which degradation of the riverbed occurs, causing the lowering of the riverbed. Soucek testified that the bed of the North Platte River has been lowered approximately 10 feet since the construction of Kingsley Dam. According to Soucek, the 10-foot lowering of the North Platte River bed was substantially caused by the large increase in water releases from Kingsley Dam during 1971 and 1973. He stated that the increase in the amount, and duration of the increase, of released water in 1971 and 1973 caused an increase in the process of degradation. The increased degradation, according to Soucek, caused an increase in the lowering of the riverbed. Soucek concluded by stating that the lowering of the North Platte River bed substantially caused the lowering of the water table under the plaintiff's accretion land. Soucek made an investigative trip to the Keystone Ranch properties along the North Platte River to see firsthand what effect Kingsley Dam had had on the plaintiff's accretion land. Through a series of profilesgraphs showing the elevation of the surface of the ground at various points along a lineSoucek determined that the river level on August 7, 1984, was approximately 10 feet lower than the area in which the braided channel flowed in 1939. Soucek also made observations as to the location of the bed of the river in 1984 compared to what it would have been in 1939. He estimated that the difference in height between the level of the bed in 1984 and that in 1939 was approximately 10 feet. Soucek introduced hydrographic charts to show that in 1971 and 1973, large amounts of water were released from Kingsley Dam. Exhibit 146 shows that between May 11 and June 30, 1971, the daily discharge of water reached over 7,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) for 18 days. Exhibit 147 shows that between May 6 and June 25, 1973, the daily discharge of water reached over 6,000 cfs for 18 days. Prior to 1971 and 1973 and subsequent thereto, the peak discharge of water rarely reached 4,000 cfs. According to Soucek, these figures are instructive as to the erosive power of the river, i.e., the ability of the river to cause degradation. In sum, Soucek testified that the dramatic increase in water released from Kingsley Dam during 1971 and 1973 increased the degradation process in the river. The increased degradation caused a lowering of the riverbed, and the lowering of the riverbed caused the lowering of the water table under the plaintiff's accretion land. Soucek testified that based upon his experience as an engineer, his field examination of Keystone Ranch, and his examination of aerial photos, hydraulic records, and the bed of the North Platte River adjacent to the Keystone Ranch properties, he believed that the water table under the plaintiff's accretion land was lowered as a result of the process of degradation which occurred in 1971 and 1973. Philip Marvin, a plant pathologist who testified on behalf of the plaintiff, stated that the lowering of the water table under the plaintiff's accretion land caused the trees thereon to die. During his inspection of the Keystone Ranch properties, Marvin observed that the root system of the dead trees was very shallow. He noted that there was once a sufficient amount of moisture near the surface of the ground, which eliminated the necessity for a deep root system. Consequently, when the water table beneath the accretion land was lowered, the trees were left without a water supply, and they subsequently died. James Harris, a real estate appraiser, provided testimony as to how the death of the trees, grass, and other vegetation affected the market value of the plaintiff's accretion land. Harris stated that there was an $87,000 diminution in the value of the accretion land as a result of the loss of trees, grass, and other vegetation. As we view the record, the plaintiff's evidence presented questions for the jury as to whether the plaintiff's land had been damaged, whether the defendant Central District had caused the damage, and the amount of the damages.