Crossing a creekbed

STx · Nov 4, 2014

We have a wet weather creek that runs through our place with about 1/3 of our property behind it. It's very steep (almost completely vertical in some places), about 20' deep and 20' wide. Getting vehicles or machines across it was impossible and had been weighing on me for a while, I hate only having access to 1/3 of the property by foot.

Yesterday, I solved that problem. It took a little over 3 hours and I still need to do some additional grading and widen the "road" in the creek but I can get the tractor over there now so I can start brush hogging some trails and the property line. This job would have been much easier with teeth on the bucket but the smooth bucket did the job, just took more time.

Pictures show entry into the creek at a drainage ravine and then the finished product.

firemanmike69 · Nov 4, 2014

Looks great, nice job

garacuda · Nov 4, 2014

Very nice work. Did something very similar at my own place so I could get to some downed trees to cut for the stove. I have to go back every so often and "re-work" it a bit. Looks like you have some nice topsoil there too.

oosik · Nov 4, 2014

Good job. Did you put something in the creek bed to let the water run under the road?

Gary Fowler · Nov 4, 2014

I don't know how your soil washes away, but in my area, that ramp would be back to a ravine with the first rain unless I put on some large rocks to slow down the water.

STx · Nov 4, 2014

I didn't put anything in the creek before building the bed up for a few reasons. First, this spot was already a hump in the creek bed so it backed water up here anyway and to be honest, I really don't mind if it does hold some water for a little while, good for the animals. This part of the state only gets about 15" of rain a year on average and it takes a several inch storm to get any substantial water flowing in here. I've only seen water in it a few times and it was always after an unusually large storm of 4" or more. I am a little worried about it washing out if we get a big storm but if it does, I'll just redo the grade and lower it some.

The ravine that I entered the creek from is lower than it was when I started so I don't think that part will wash out, it's just the bed crossing the creek that I'm worried about. I really should put some rip rap or something on the sides but we don't have much stone here, other than caliche about 1' under the topsoil, and I don't want to truck it in. I did put the trees that were taken down during the crossing on either side so hopefully they'll slow it down some.

This is really just my "rough" crossing so that I can get over there and work on something more permanent, the grade is still pretty steep and really only suitable for tractors, 4 wheelers or UTV's. I want to get it good enough that I can drive my truck over there. I'm not sure why I'd need to but I want to have the option in case the need does ever come up.