Monday, DECEMBER 22, 2025 |
Photo – County Road 603 showing slide area – Courtesy Carbon County Road & Bridge Department
County officials have a plan to address flooding on County Road 603.
In October, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz announced the closure of County Road 603, located south of Baggs near the Colorado border. Fritz reported that underground water combined with heavy rainfall caused a portion of the road to slide down the adjacent hillside. The road has remained closed ever since.
During the December 3rd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz explained that the Wyoming Department of Transportation is using federal Bridge Investment Program funds to replace a bridge over the Little Snake River at no cost to the county. Fritz said if the road isn’t fixed by next spring, the project may be cancelled.
Fritz said that if the state’s contractor is unable to reach the project location, the county must repay WYDOT for all encumbered engineering costs, totaling roughly $600,000, money the road and bridge superintendent said would be better spent fixing the road.
The Board of Commissioners approved a $65,000 contract with Engineering Associates to design water mitigation efforts for County Road 603. The Board asked for representatives from WYDOT and Engineering Associates to attend the next meeting to ensure any proposed plans meet the state’s requirements.
During the December 16th County Commissioners meeting, Superintendent Fritz reported that she had been working closely with Engineering Associates Saratoga Office Manager Craig Kopasz and a representative from WYDOT. Fritz said the plan they’ve created has been approved by the state agency.
Commissioner John Johnson asked Kopasz to explain how he plans to remediate the flooded area. The engineer said he will use a low‑density aggregate to rebuild the area of the road washed out by the runoff. Kopasz added that a long‑term solution will require a larger financial investment from the county.
Kopasz described his design as a large French drain, essentially a gravel‑filled trench with a perforated pipe at the bottom that carries water away from the problem area. The engineer said a more detailed analysis is necessary to develop a permanent remedy.
Commissioner Johnson said he is concerned that irrigation runoff may worsen the landslide issue and asked Kopasz how he plans to mitigate the impact. The engineer responded that newly installed culverts will divert the majority of the water away from the site.
Commissioner Johnson asked if a ditch could be dug to move surface water away from the slide‑prone area. Kopasz said he could consider that option but noted that he was hired specifically to reduce the impact of groundwater on the road surface itself.
Next, Commissioner John Johnson asked Kopasz if, in his professional opinion, focusing on the road surface will alleviate the water‑saturation problem. Kopasz replied that the area was being managed by an existing French drain and culverts. However, those mitigation measures eventually failed. The engineer said replacing those systems should prevent further landslides, adding that completely eliminating the groundwater issue will require a larger financial commitment from the county.
Kopasz said he expects to have a finalized plan ready for WYDOT approval by the end of the month, with the goal of soliciting contractor bids in January.
The WYDOT representative expressed support for the proposed plan and acknowledged that Carbon County is making a good‑faith effort to ensure the road can be used for the future bridge‑replacement project.
