Singleton v. United States

6 Cl. Ct. 156, 1984 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1350
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedAugust 1, 1984
DocketNo. 13-83L
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 6 Cl. Ct. 156 (Singleton v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Singleton v. United States, 6 Cl. Ct. 156, 1984 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1350 (cc 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

LYDON, Judge:

This case comes before the court on defendant’s motion for summary judgment, which is supported by five affidavits and other pertinent documentation. Plaintiff opposes said motion on the ground that genuine and material issues of fact exist which serve to preclude allowance of defendant’s summary judgment motion. Plaintiff’s opposition is not supported by any affidavits.

Plaintiff’s complaint was filed in this court on January 14, 1983, amended on May 26, 1983, seeking just compensation for real and personal property damage suffered from a flood which occurred on or about October 31, 1981. Plaintiff also alleged that for a period of more than 2 years prior to October 31, 1981, her property was subject “to a multiple of trespasses and a multiple of infusions subsurface.” Plaintiff premised her right to recover [160]*160damages on theories of inverse condemnation, tort and implied contract.1

For reasons set forth below, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted.

I.

The following facts are deemed established by the pleadings and defendant’s affidavits and other documents which accompanied its motion for summary judgment.

The real property involved in this suit is located in a subdivision known as Shore-crest Acres, an addition to the town of Grapevine, Texas. The materials before the court do not show when this subdivision was developed. The real property in question is described on a map of Shore-crest Acres as “Lot 71” in Tarrant County, Texas. Lot 71 was adjacent to Grapevine Lake and was upstream from the Grapevine Dam. Plaintiff purchased Lot 71 on December 31, 1980. The materials before the court do not show the purchase price. Plaintiff sold Lot 71 on April 19, 1983, for $120,000.

Lot 71 was somewhat rectangular in shape. The side adjacent to Grapevine Lake was about 160 feet in length. The parcel comprised about 15,000 square feet. Two houses were located on Lot 71: a residential house and a rental house. The residential house was a split level structure with a garage located beneath the floor level of the house. The floor level of this house was at elevation 567.6 feet mean sea level (msl). The lowest elevation of the garage floor of this house was 560.91 feet msl.

Construction of Grapevine Dam, which was authorized by Congress under the River and Harbor Act of March 2,1945, Pub.L. No. 79-14, 59 Stat. 18, was completed in June 1952, and deliberate impounding of water began on July 3, 1952. One of the specific purposes for the construction of this Dam, referred to as the Grapevine Dam Project, was flood control, as was manifested in section 2 of Pub.L. No. 79-14, supra. The construction of this Dam created a reservoir or lake designed for a maximum water surface of 19,420 acres. Attendant to the construction of Grapevine Dam, flowage easements and other necessary land acquisitions were acquired by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District (Corps of Engineers), through condemnation proceedings or purchase between April 1948 and April 1962 for the Grapevine project. The Corps of Engineers was authorized to acquire land adjacent to the project in fee simple if said land lay below 560.0 feet msl and was authorized to acquire flowage easements on land which lay below 575.0 feet msl. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Grapevine Dam Project.

Grapevine Dam is located at river mile 11.7 on Denton Creek in the Trinity River Basin near Grapevine, Texas. It is about 20 miles northwest of Dallas, Texas. Grapevine Lake is located in both Tarrant and Denton Counties, Texas.

The top of the flood control pool of Grapevine Lake and the uncontrolled spillway crest level of the Grapevine Dam is 560.0 feet msl. The top of the conservation pool level of Grapevine Lake is 535.0 feet msl. Accordingly, the flood pool of Grapevine Lake is from 535.0 feet msl to 560.0 feet msl.

Since Grapevine Dam was constructed and became operational in 1952, floodwa-ters have flowed over the spillway, i.e., exceeded 560.0 feet msl, only twice: on June 6, 1957 (peak elevation 560.8 feet msl) [161]*161and on November 1, 1981 (peak elevation 563.50 feet msl).

The November 1,1981, flood is the occurrence which triggered this lawsuit.2 During October 1981, Grapevine Lake’s watershed received substantial rainfall, a total of 11.94 inches. On November 1, 1981, this watershed received another 2.98 inches of rainfall. As a result of this rainfall, Grapevine Lake peaked, on November 1, 1981, at a flood level of 563.50 feet msl.

The November 1, 1981, flood slightly exceeded the magnitude of a 100-year flood. A 100-year flood is one of such volume and magnitude that it is expected to occur an average of only once every 100 years. Put another way, such a flood has only a one percent chance of occurring in any particular year. The estimated frequency for a flood reaching 560.0 feel msl, which is the spillway crest level of the Grapevine Dam, is once in 66 years, with a 1.5 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any particular year. The above uncontested facts, based on hydrographic data recorded and compiled by the Corps of Engineers, are contained in the affidavit of the Chief, Hydrology Section, Engineering Division, Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. In the opinion of the Chief of Hydrology Section, as stated in his affidavit, the lowest level of the residency on Lot 71, i.e., 560.91 msl, would be subject to surface flooding from Grapevine Lake an average of once in 75 years. He based his opinion on a review of the Grapevine Lake Pool Elevation Frequency graph plotted from hydrographic data referred to above, which was attached as an exhibit to defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Because of his position, expertise in hydrology, responsibilities and familiarity with Grapevine Lake and the Grapevine Project, the affidavit of the Chief of Hydrology Section is most persuasive evidence. Said evidence stands uncontroverted.

The November 1, 1981, flood did reach the garage level of the main residency house on Lot 71. The flood level peaked at elevation 563.50 feet msl whereas the lowest elevation of the garage floor of said residency was 560.90 feet msl. However, there is no allegation, nor any evidence, that the November 1, 1981, flood reached or affected either the rental house on Lot 71 or the first floor level of said residency which was at elevation 567.6 feet msl.

The groundwater or subsurface water level in and about the main residency house on Lot 71 during the years 1958 until late October or early November 1981 did not reach or affect the lowest elevation of said house. The highest groundwater level for the 3 years prior to the late October, early November 1981 flooding was approximately 537 feet msl. This elevation is more than 23 feet below the lowest elevation of 560.91 of the main residency house. The above uncontested facts, based on hydro-graphic data recorded and compiled by the Corps of Engineers, are contained in the affidavit of a registered professional staff geologist in the Geology Section of the Geotechnical Branch, Engineering Division, Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.

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Bluebook (online)
6 Cl. Ct. 156, 1984 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1350, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/singleton-v-united-states-cc-1984.