Opinion ID: 513964
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Violations of the Easement

Text: 24 Judge Devitt found violations with respect to six ditches and four basins, and ordered Jerome to restore them, expressing the hope that the parties could proceed toward that end in a mutually agreeable manner. He also enjoined further draining and filling in violation of the easement. 25 In general, the government's evidence consisted of aerial photographs at different dates, testimony interpreting them, and testimony of visual observations. 26 Jerome argues that the findings of violation are clearly erroneous. We will discuss the violations in several groups.
27 Judge Devitt found that these ditches have been leveled and some have debris in them. 28 As we read the easement the filling or leveling of a drainage ditch is not a violation unless this activity increases the capacity of the ditch to drain surface water including lakes ... etc. Jerome testified that he had cut down the steep sides of some of the ditches, veed them, in order to get farm machinery across them more easily. Where that is all that occurred, and the operation did not increase the drainage capacity of a ditch which was not already a violation of the easement, we agree with him that no violation has been shown. 29 Ditch 6 runs from one small basin to another in the central part of the farm. It existed in 1966. We have found no evidence in the record that cleaning or other work has been done on it. Accordingly, we modify the judgment so as not to require restoration of Ditch 6. 30 The other ditches in this group will be dealt with later.
31 Basins A and B are in the east central portion of the farm. Ditch 1 runs from B to A and Ditch 5 from A into another Basin. Water flows from B to A. 32 Judge Devitt found that excavations and alterations of Ditches 1 and 5 have affected Basins A and B. 33 Exhibit E (1966) showed that Basins A and B contained water. In May, 1976 the woods surrounding the basins had been cleared. In May, 1978 Basin A contained a large pile of debris and had a poorly-defined ditch (5) running from it. Basin B was filled with water at the time and had no ditch flowing from it. By November, 1978 both basins were poorly defined and worked up. Basin A had soil in it. In May, 1979 debris around Basin A included acquatic vegetation. In June of that year, McLaury requested restoration of Basin B, particularly that soil be removed to the basin's original depth. By May, 1980, McLaury no longer considered Basins A and B to be wetlands. In 1981, 18 inches of fill were found in A and both A and B were in standing crop in August of that year, although water was standing in other nearby wetland areas. 34 The 1966 photo did not show Ditch 1, but by November, 1978 the ditch was constructed. In May, 1979 exposed clay indicated that soil had been removed from the ditch. Jerome admitted that he veed out the ditch to allow farm machinery to pass. In May, 1978 Ditch 5, leading from Basin A, was poorly defined. A November, 1978 photo showed excavation in the ditch, and a May, 1979 photo showed exposed clay. Jerome admitted that he removed trees in the area and sloped out the ditch. 35 The finding of violation is not clearly erroneous and supports the order that defendant restore these ditches and basins. There was also evidence that there had been some filling of the basins, although there was a dispute over the extent. Judge Devitt made no specific finding on this point. If in the process of restoration, the parties are unable to agree on the amount and types of material to be removed from Basins A and B, it will be necessary for the court to make additional findings, hearing additional evidence, if necessary.
36 Basin C appears to be a swale crossing the southeast corner of the main portion of the farm. Ditch 2 lies within and along it, and appears to drain northeasterly onto adjoining land. Judge Devitt found that Ditch 2 had been leveled and also evidenced exposed clay and wheel tracks from leveling activities. 37 Basin C did not clearly show a ditch within it in the 1966 photograph. In May, 1976, a photo showed the woods had been cleared, but the basin remained intact. By November, 1979, Ditch 2 had been excavated and previously-deposited material had been smoothed out within the basin. In May, 1980, brush and vegetation had been removed from the basin. A year later Ditch 2 had been further excavated and by August was cut starkly in Basin C. Jerome admitted he removed trees from Basin C (not in itself a violation), but claimed Ditch 2 was a natural waterway and he had only veed it out. 38 The finding is not clearly erroneous. The type of work found to have been done in Ditch 2, running as it does through a swale, must necessarily have increased drainage of the swale, and thus have violated the easement.
39 Basin D is in the central portion of 80 acres which adjoin the main portion of the farm at the southwest. Ditch 3 runs east from Basin D. 40 Judge Devitt found that the government produced evidence that Ditch 3 had been constructed. 41 There was evidence that Basin D was filled with water in May, 1979, and a ditch was constructed heading east from D through woods to a downhill gradient. In May, 1980, Basin D was cultivated and not well defined. By August, 1981, Basin D could hardly be seen under standing crop. 42 The finding is not clearly erroneous. Although restoration, presumably filling, of Ditch 3, is not referred to in the judgment, restoration of Basin D is ordered, and necessarily includes prevention of drainage through Ditch 3.
43 Ditch 7 is the westerly portion of the 80 acres above referred to. A township road is the north boundary of the 80 acres at that point, and Ditch 7 runs south from the culvert. It has not been shown that Ditch 7 drains any wetland except a pond or slough on neighboring property, which drains through the culvert. A portion of that pond, at another location, lies on Schoenborn land. 44 Judge Devitt found that Ditch 7 has been cleaned out exposing the clay. A photograph clearly supports this proposition. 45 Jerome, however, makes the point that the culvert limits the drainage from the pond north of the road, and therefore any cleaning or deepening of Ditch 7 could not increase the drainage from the pond. The only answer by the government was the suggestion by a witness that the town had reconstructed the culvert and Ditch 7 had been worked on at the same time. Under these circumstances, including the involvement of the town, we conclude that the finding does not support the order to restore Ditch 7, and we modify the order accordingly.
46 Ditch 8 runs southerly, beginning a short distance from the southerly end of Ditch 7. Its upper portion lies within a basin. 47 Judge Devitt found that it had been leveled (presumably cleaned out). On the 1966 photograph (Exhibit E), it appeared as a poorly defined and vegetated ditch or natural waterway. In 1976, it was well-defined and cleaned out and had soil piled at each end. In August, 1978, it had two years' growth of vegetation in it. Jerome admitted sloping it out. 48 Like Ditch 2, Ditch 7 drains the basin within which it runs, and cleaning it out would necessarily increase that drainage. We conclude that the finding was not clearly erroneous and supports an order for restoration.