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Georgia DNR seeks county help on Brown Gilbert Road culvert to access Squirrel Bluff WMA
Summary
A Georgia DNR wildlife biologist reported the department purchased adjoining tracts at Squirrel Bluff Wildlife Management Area and asked the county to address a blown culvert on Brown Gilbert Road that blocks public access, citing safety and law-enforcement needs; county staff said ownership is still under review.
Nathan Klaus, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, asked the Meriwether County commissioners to fix a blown culvert on Brown Gilbert Road that prevents safe public access to recently acquired tracts of Squirrel Bluff Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
Klaus said the DNR bought two parcels about two years ago to add to the WMA and that access from the south is difficult because the county-maintained road has a blown culvert. “They're really it only touches public roads in 2 places,” Klaus said, pointing to the steep ridge and limited entry points. He described safety risks where users currently park on the narrow Cartwright Road and where two vehicles meeting on the single-track road could create a dangerous situation.
Klaus told commissioners the culvert that blew out lies on what a surveyor flagged as the county road. He asked the county to clarify ownership and to repair the culvert so the DNR can get rock into the access and make the road safe for law enforcement, fire response and public users. He also said improved access would let the agency develop an RV-friendly campground to encourage longer stays by recreationists.
Commissioners said staff has begun researching county records but has not yet confirmed legal ownership. County staff reported that the surveyor located a cement monument at the site and that public-works records suggest the county has historically maintained the road up to a certain point, but the deed and right-of-way documents needed to determine responsibility were not yet located.
Commissioners cautioned that county funds are limited and that priority must be weighed against other roads where citizens lack access to homes. “Cannot see spending money there when I got citizens that can't hardly get to their house,” one commissioner said; another urged staff to complete the title and record search and return with a cost estimate.
Klaus provided a rough cost estimate for repair — about $6,000–$8,000 — for pipe and fill to replace the culvert; he said that estimate could cover pipe replacement and a few loads of fill to restore the roadway. County staff said the DNR can repair roadway up to its property line but cannot lawfully spend state money on private property if the culvert turns out not to be on county right-of-way.
Action: Board directed staff to continue researching ownership and title records, obtain a definitive survey result, and return the issue to a future agenda with cost estimates and options for any county contribution or land transfer needed for access. No appropriation was made at the meeting.
Ending: The DNR will coordinate with county staff and the surveyor; commissioners asked staff to report back once the record search and a current cost estimate are complete.
