Power lines! new ones on my 630 acres!
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
I bought my paradise of 630 acres! This week I get a letter from Entergy power company they are wanting to put huge tower/transmission lines across it. Looks like 6 total! I bought this place to get away and not see people. They are building a new substation. Don't get me wrong I could use a inflow of cash but not at the expense of my sanity. Any advise or thoughts? Edited to add> I got my own Cat D3 dozer and I've already got as many food plots and roads as I need.
From: Bowfreak
17-Jun-18
It will create lots of edge and their right of ways will be maintained. Can make some very nice food plots.
From: drycreek
17-Jun-18
If they can't condemn, don't sell. If they can, wrangle the best price and concessions that you possibly can. If all else fails, grow food plots on the easements. That's all I have, except sometimes life sucks !
From: Ken
17-Jun-18
Since they have eminent domain you cannot stop them. Negotiate the best deal you can(get help from an attorney that specializes in this if you need to) and enjoy your new long, skinny food plot.
From: stick n string
17-Jun-18
Bowfreak X100. When life gives you lemons....
From: Topgun 30-06
17-Jun-18
I could easily live with one line, but 6?
From: ben h
17-Jun-18
John, I don't have a significant amount of land and I do not have any Transmission lines on them, but I am a Transmission line engineer and have gone through this process with hundreds of landowners and in only a handful of cases it went to condemnation and the lines were built without landowner consent. For the construction of new lines the public service commission will weigh in and the power companies need to propose several different routes and demonstrate why it's in the public's best interest to select the preferred route. You may be on one of the alternate routes and if that's the case you probably won't be affected one way or the other. I'd find out what voltage and how many circuits. A lot of times when power companies say tower, that can also mean structure and not necessarily lattice towers. If you want single pole structures which have a small footprint, you can request that as part of the easement. If your property is square'ish that will put the spans at less than 900' which can easily be done with single poles. If it's 345 kV, the right-of-way (ROW) they'll request will be around 150'. The power company and inspectors visit the ROW as little as possible, so unless there's something unusual, you'll see very few people, but you will have a power line and some sort of clearing for the line.
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
ben h, thanks for the replies. It's a 500kV substation. I'll post a pic of what they sent me. edited to add, it appears to me they are trying to go thru the big landowners since it would affect less people with this route but it just so happens I'm in the route.
From: trail hound
17-Jun-18
My best clover plot is in the clear cut of a high voltage line. I'm guessing you will have to put up with some intrusion for a bit, but a couple years down the road you've got opportunity for some great food plots.
From: WV Mountaineer
17-Jun-18
As ben h said, you need to see where you are at as afar as main choice, 2nd, or 3rd preference etc...... If they are going to traverse your land, get what you can monetarily but, don't be stupid either. Also, now would be a great time for that pond or boundary road you may have been wanting but didn't have the equipment to do, etc.....
When you have agreed on terms, get it in writing if they promise anything extra as part of your deal. Good luck and God Bless
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
From: HDE
17-Jun-18
They will have to get a right of way from you, which means they will also pay you for it in the form of surface use for access to it during construction and use.
The utility lines are quiet and will not disturb the four legged critters you hunt. Way better than an oil and gas operation.
Eminent domain happens when there is no other alternative...
From: Owl
17-Jun-18
Honestly, getting such interest is the second best thing that could happen to you from a habitat standpoint. I'd do it in a nano second but I'd have a good relationship with my POC with the power company. They will be seriously devaluing the market value of your land so you should get quite a bit out of them.
From: osage
17-Jun-18
Back when I was a Land Surveyor, one had to be very careful dragging a 300' steel tape under those transmission lines. A good way of learning Faraday's Law without taking Physics. Electric fences was another attention getter. Had a classmate whose house was nearly under some high KV lines. He was a bit goofy, so not sure if it was the magnetic pulse that did or just born that way.
From: CAS_HNTR
17-Jun-18
Negotiate as much as you can....try and get them to make you some roads, plots, et.
I have hunted many properties with them and if anything they have helped the hunting
From: sticksender
17-Jun-18
On my property is a 69,000 volt transmission line right-of-way and a 22-inch crude oil pipeline right-of way. Both are a nuisance on occasion, especially when maintenance, inspection, or upgrade work corresponds with hunting seasons. If I could eliminate them in some way, I most definitely would. No one wants uncontrolled, unpredictable access happening on your land, ever. If I want food plots, I don't need to add right-of-ways to do that, I can clear any part of my property on my own at the time and place of my choosing. But anyway in the grand scheme of lifetime hunting opportunities on my property, these right-of-ways don't really have that much effect. They'll probably mow or spray the right of way once a year, and that should be about all you'll ever see of them.
From: LKH
17-Jun-18
We all want the things that go with our modern world, just NOT IN MY BACK YARD.
From: HDE
17-Jun-18
If not your own, then someone else's or on public ground which makes others upset as well. Never a perfect scenario...
From: GLP
17-Jun-18
Absolutely get everything in writing! Do not trust the right of way agents! I work for a gas transmission company and I have seen the shenanigans they have pulled. And I would get a attorney to see what can be done. One landowner drew up a development plan to show the worth of the property, and this payed out big time. You will be hard to stop them. But you can get paid for it.
From: Franklin
17-Jun-18
That does suck having your own piece of heaven and then have this happen. Was this easement on the piece when you bought it.
From: MNpurple
17-Jun-18
In addition to what others have said, whether a food plot or not, make sure you take care of brush control under that line. If you leave it up to them, often it's a cocktail of herbicide that gets sprayed that kills everything and does nothing but encourage the growth of invasives (thistle, buckthorn, canary grass, etc). Also, I don't know if you plan on prescribed burns or not, but you don't want to burn anywhere a powerline as carbon in the smoke can arc and zap ya!
From: HDE
17-Jun-18
One thing is for sure, when industry uses private surface for operations they cannot just run amok.
As a landowner, you have the right to call the shots on surface use, you just can't impede normal operations. Don't be afraid to put language in an agreement to make them install 25 gates on the road if they have to access something if they "misbehave"...
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
Oh no! I’ve burned 55 acres last year and another 137 acres this year in a spring controlled burn. It will be a disaster if I can’t burn because of the new power lines. I’ve had the land 2.5 years and I just now found out about this power line proposal
From: MNpurple
17-Jun-18
I don't know how heavy the smoke/carbon load needs to be to cause the arc, or how close a person would need to be to be in danger, but its definitely something to think about when looking at wind conditions, location of your burn breaks etc. From a KSU document, " Smoke consists of carbon particles, which can conduct electricity. If the concentration of carbon is high enough, an electrical discharge from the line to the ground, similar to lightning, can occur (Figure 3). The discharge hazard increases as line voltage in- creases, distance to the ground decreases, and the amount of smoke increases. Such discharges have killed fire fighters. To reduce the potential for discharges, the fire front should not be allowed to cross under the lines in large areas. By properly coordinating the location of the burn with the wind direction or by lighting the fire parallel to the line, no major smoke buildup can occur."
From: Ned
17-Jun-18
adapt to the new conditions and spend the extra money hunting elk or something, SH^& I wish they would put a powerline through my one acre, or a natural gas pipeline or something lol :)
From: AZrecurve
17-Jun-18
There will be a constant humming noise from that 500kV line. My quail hunting spot has a similar transmission line. I hate walking under that thing! Freaks me out holding my shotgun and hearing that humming noise. lol
From: LBshooter
17-Jun-18
Your goi to be paid for the deer highways that someone want to put in for you? Sounds like a good deal, I don't think your sanity will be tested.
From: flyingbrass
17-Jun-18
Thanks for all the replies! Keep them coming good and bad
From: cnelk
17-Jun-18
Back in the day, we had a power line cutting across the whole side of one our 640 acre farms.
I lost count how many deer and bear I shot in the cleared ROW.
Plus it was fun to shoot alum arrows up near the lines and watch them spark :)
From: Ace
17-Jun-18
Power lines can definitely be a travel corridor for deer and other game ... and for trespassers who will come up with all kinds of stories as to why they're allowed to be there.
Don't ask me how I know.
From: jingalls
17-Jun-18
My personal experience is "DO NOT DO IT" ...if...you bought this property as your sanctuary to get away.
I and a buddy did something similar and we baisically sold our soul to the devil!
You will be giving up control of your property. MANY...MANY...MANY people will be on your property and you will fight trespassers for several years after. You will get so sick of sitting in a stand listening to that HUMmmmmm!!! And once you sign, it's like a bullet out of a gun. No gettin it back! No matter how good they make it sound...remember they are trying to SELL you on their plan!
If this is an investment/fun property? Then go for it. But hold out as one of the last pieces of the puzzle and get everything you can. Good Luck!
From: Yasla
17-Jun-18
just curious, how much $$ should someone expect for something like this? $1000/ year to traverse the 600+ acres? $3000???
From: BOX CALL
18-Jun-18
I hunted a private farm that had a power line going thru it.seen many times trespassers sneaking down thru the right of way.most would say,its public right of way.was in a stand one year and a helicopter came thru with a big pole hanging down with big saw blades whirling trimming woods edges.damn scary.
From: olebuck
18-Jun-18
i have a 1000 acre lease that has a big transmission line on it.
i absolutly love it. plenty of area for food plots, and its the best observation station you could as for. you can see forever!
we are mostly pine trees, and we do controll burns yearly with no problems.
They even pay us to keep the right of way bushhogged.
From: South Farm
18-Jun-18
In Canada where I hunt power lines are favorite travel corridors for big bucks.
From: kyrob
18-Jun-18
I have a power line ROW going through my farm. It was there when I bought it about 16 years ago. Also have a 30" natural gas line ROW on it as well. In 2009, we had a big ice storm that dropped limbs and trees on the lines because they hadn't spent any money on upkeep of the ROW's. They hired a bunch to come in and clean it up and they cut trees down on my line fences and left them lay. I called and they said they would take care of it sometime in the next year or so as they had to clear the ROW's to get the electric back on. Who do you think ended up clearing them. They also cut several black walnuts that were 30" at chest height with no limbs for 30 feet. They cut them up into 4 or 5 foot sections and left them laying in the creek. 3 or 4 years ago they came through with a machine that took everything down to bare dirt the whole length of the ROW. Didn't put out any seed or anything to hold the ground. I called and they said they didn't have to and something would eventually grow back. It's very steep along many parts of it and when it rained a lot it ran off the hard packed ground and went down the holler and roads of my place 20 feet wide washing out culverts and whatever else was in the way. It's all grown back up now and the flooding has stopped but knowing now how they operate and the attitude they have about fixing things back, I would never allow them access if they weren't already in place. The gas line guys come in every couple years and mow and don't cause any problems.
From: HDE
18-Jun-18
All depends on what the surface use agreements say...
From: Fuzzy
18-Jun-18
access roads and edge, win/win
From: JL
18-Jun-18
I hunt on a 400 acre spot with a powerline ROW. It doesn't seem to bother the deer and I do not hear the lines....or maybe I tuned them out.
If I was in the OP's situation....maybe see if they can put them underground vs in the air...that way you don't see them.
From: SBH
18-Jun-18
That is a bummer! Sorry to hear it. Lots of good advice above. Hope you can negotiate a good deal for yourself and things go well. You can make it happen!
Our Power CO in MT is a total pile of SH*! I sure wouldn't trust them to do anything respectful or timely on my land. They run a monopoly and operate with the efficiency of government. Be on your guard is my advice.
From: Slate
18-Jun-18
Make it work in your favor and get paid they have lots of money
From: Wayniac
18-Jun-18
I have access to property that has lines & a powerstation just off property. We've taken many deer off of the cut lanes under/near the lines.
Upgrades, maintenance and personnel access & traffic during the season will definitely change wildlife patterns.
We also had zero issues with trespassers and vandals until the year after a tree survey was performed, and when a LARGE crew was let on a for a pole replacement/upgrade.
I'd avoid it or make sure you had as many ironclad checks/balances in place as possible.
Also - the hum is annoying and is worse on rainy days - I hate walking under/across them.
From: woodguy65
18-Jun-18
The best advice is to get an attorney and have them look over and read everything before signing.
From: HFlier
18-Jun-18
I always hunted power lines
From: LKH
18-Jun-18
Underground will not happen. I had to put in 700' of powerline when we built a new house. I have poles since the cost more than doubled if I went underground.
I wonder how many million miles of power/phone lines exist in this country. There's good reason for the power/pipeline companies to have Eminent Domain. If they didn't we'd never get anything done.
From: HDE
18-Jun-18
Again, eminent domain is only when there is no other viable option. Even then, they still have to pay you for the loss of surface at market value.
There are always alternatives when doing a route plan, be good to see what they are.
A right of way or land attorney could be money well spent...
From: Teeton
18-Jun-18
I didn't know all of what you have and how long and wide they are talking. But one problem they open up and never tell you about in the traffic you get from the lines. The line open up miles and miles of straight thru riding, Mountain bikers, atv riders hikers, and so on. All saying when you stop them,,,this belongs to the power co.. Years and years and still stop and that's what we hear. Now we have a lot of people that live close to our property. So if your doesn't you my be not have that problem.
From: Salagi
18-Jun-18
As a kid a friend of mine and I hunted rabbits a lot under the power lines. He always had a sore throat at the end of the day, never seemed to affect me. I have deer hunted a little under power lines since growing up including in south Arkansas. It does increase visibility and provides a travel route. But, it does also increase the likelihood of trespassers as well as maybe keeping you from doing some of the things you would like to where the lines go through. I would say it would be nice having the power company to keep the ROW trimmed but if we are talking Entergy, well, their reputation is not the best in that. Maybe they would do better with the big lines.
Chances are unless a whole lot of the landowners have objections, and can get the politicians involved (which usually means addressing an environmental issue of some type), the line will go through your place. The routes they can take are limited and your piece of ground only a small part of the entire plan. Negotiate well and hope for the best.
From: W
18-Jun-18
A friend's FIL was able to get Entergy to move the line to the edge of his property. You could just use it as a long sendero for a long range rifle!?
From: Shawn
18-Jun-18
get a good lawyer and get as much as possible up front and than as much as possible long term. I than would ask for several thousand dollars a year for them to have access to a right of way to the property. I think during construction it will have some impact on your hunting but within a few years I think it will make the property better as far as the hunting goes. Re-sale will be hurt but after some years that will not even be terrible. I hunt a farm they just went through with a gas line. The landowner actually made out fairy well and the hunting is still as good or better. Make sure you retain the right to farm and do as you like with the property under the lines(within reason). The thing is if they are dead set on doing it and have no other alternatives they will get it done so you mind as well work it for all its worth!! Shawn
From: KY EyeBow
18-Jun-18
As a land owner you need to protect your investment. I suggest an attorney who specializes in real estate and contracts. A good attorney will make you more money that what his/her fees are. ROW and easements pretty much suck from a land owner standpoint in my experience so you better get the best deal you can!
From: goyt
18-Jun-18
We have a lot of power line ROWs om our property and they are for the most part a great asset for hunting. The only time they are a negative is when they are visible from a public road. Then we do not want to put in food plots. Otherwise they provide great spots for food plots, easy access to doing work and installing stands and silent access for hunting.
From: arbe25
18-Jun-18
I used to be a ROW agent for Entergy Louisiana. LA law is a little different than Arkansas, but if you need any specific questions answered, i'd be happy to help. I'll just repeat what others have stated, hold out to the very end and you will get paid. Entergy will only expropriate if they have to. Get yourself an attorney and your own appraisal. Make sure they pay you for not only the ROW, but damages also. It can be a good opportunity for free gates, roads, etc.
