EROSION issues +

[StanR]

I should be closing on the below 37.5 acres in the next few weeks. I am past pumped! I will start a thread when we close to show the improvements and ask for advice. Maybe I just did.

I have several issues that I need to handle pretty fast:

There is an erosion problem that I think was made worse by something the previous owner allowed to happen; I have piles of saw dust sitting near the entrance.

I have the below picture labeled several ways and will post a legend.

I divided the property into 4 sections: A=NE ,B=SE ,C=SW,D=SW.

All improvements (well and electric) are by the letter C and there is no septic yet.

The middle line is contour with 4 hash marks.

There are four sections: numbers 1,2,3,4.

SOIL TYPES

Section A/B an iron ore type soil.
Section C/D a sandy loan

Elevations by section:
A=361'
B= 362'
C=349'
D=345'

Elevations using hash marks on curved line thru the center:
Top to bottom of dry creek thru middle
1st = 333
2nd=327'
3rd= 323'
4th =313'

Nice contours for a small track.


I am sending in a soil test tomorrow

Issues
Piles of saw dust. See the white marks under letter A. The owner was paid by the local saw mill so they could dump the saw dust there. They were supposed to come back and level out. Did not happen.

I understand this is saw dust only and was standard for the area.

I need to spread this around... I was thinking in sections C/D that this may help the sandy soil.
I am not sure if is would help the iron ore type soil.

The other issue is by what manner to procede once a decision is made.

I was thinking of using a mature spreader??

The local USDA soil conservation office, the local agricultural agent, and the state wildlife biologists all said they would be happy to come out.

Do you know if the saw dust will improve one of my soil types more that the other? Also, what are the drawbacks.

EROSION

The highest elevation is in area A/B

The number 1-4 show the erosion area. The worst are #1 and #2

I think the saw dust disturbed the normal flow of water draining from the land.

So after we solve the saw dust problem what is the best way to solve the erosion issue?

I assume the land will have to be recontoured.

The above is dozer work.

I have the following equipment:
Kubota MX 5100 4x4 w/fel, draft control and 1 rear remote, rear tires filled with water
I see the need for a grapple so I am going to order the 3rd function kit.
6 ft shredder
6 ft disk
9 shank cultivator or ripper
6 ft rake
6 ft rear blade
Seeder/fertilizer spreader
16 inch ford 2 bottom plow
Potato plow
Cultipacker
I have the blades to make a 6 foot land leveler. (I have a very long drive way)

This brings me here:
1. moving the saw dust. Manure spreader?

I would also consider hiring someone? Not sure of the cost of the time

2. Erosion. My land is a little higher than my neighbor on the A/B side.

Do they just move some dirt from the higher areas to low area? I know that will change to top layer, just do not know if bad or good??

Do we bring in some dirt to fill the deepest erosion areas?

I am sure the people that come out will have ideas and/or suggestions.

I have close to zero experience.

So any words of wisdom or just things to watch for so I do not make any major mistakes would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Stan

Map

pictures of saw dust

SW Corner

SE Corner

NW

picture looking west at entrance

 

[Western]

Congrats on your pending purchase!! I kinda got lost in all the info.....maybe because it is a Holiday and I've been in the sun working on the neighbors boat and there was no shortage of beverages

I think the best, first thing you can do is have the "The local USDA soil conservation office, the local agricultural agent, and the state wildlife biologists come out". In that order too.

They will give you on the spot advice that we can't possibly perceive on here. Those guy's know there stuff and may possibly save you allot of time and headache, and they are FREE.. Those guy's have helped me tons over the years.

Again congrats!!

 

[Pete Judd]

Congrats also, and a lot of info to look at. I have a small hobby wood shop that can produce a lot of saw and planer dust/shavings. I have been composting them for years. Great soil enhancer. Have to listen to the agent, as they, most of the time will give great advice. The agents around here seem to be bored and will come out at the drop of the hat to prove that they are paying their way, and get it in the log book. Also it depends on the wood chips. Western cedar around here is not good for the garden, but alder seems to be high in nitrogen. Good luck.

 

[StanR]

Thanks.. There was a lot of info...

How abotu just the best way to move all that saw dust?

 

[jinman]

Stan, thats a big piece of property and has several needs that I think I can see. You have some definite challenges ahead. The last picture looking across the road to your neighbor's place shows what I'd be looking to do. You need to get some grasses growing to stop the erosion of all your topsoil. You neighbor has a pond and you will probably end up with several ponds to retain water runoff and allow you to plant grasses and get some cover down. Your neighbors place looks alot greener in the photo because they seem to have more grass than you do. Controlling additional erosion and getting grasses would be one of my top priorities.

Next, those sawdust piles may not be a bad thing, but they are taking forever to decompose as they are. There's just not much composting/decomposition going on there. I would experiment with one of the piles by adding urea (100% nitrogen) and dry molasses as a sugar to fuel composting and add carbon. If you can convert that sawdust to compost, it could be very useful. As the compost finishes, you can add it to soil with some clay so it binds together into a finished product. You can see that the sawdust binds up all the nitrogen and nothing grows in it. As it sits, it is not a good growing medium. Spreading it out that way will inhibit natural grass growth and will not aid as a good fill because it cannot be compacted and will just erode in channels and be a hindrance as you have said. I think it would be better as a huge pile in one place than spread all over the surface. Of course, I'm no expert, so your county agent or soil conservation folks can surely give you more quality advice than me.

As far as spreading the compost, I think your tractor's loader and boxblade can do the trick. However, you probably need a dozer in there now to push all that sawdust up into one big pile so you can manage it. A dozer can move lots of material in a short while and that sawdust should present no challenge whatsoever, especially if it is slightly damp and will not create sawdust dust storms.

Below, I've added a couple of pictures of my property. Mine is not the red dirt you have, but my erosion is mature and deep. In this area, I will eventually dam up an exit gully and make this area a pond/lake. I don't think it will ever be able to be anything else without several hundred thousand dollars of fill and dirtwork. I'm not that rich.

 

[Reg]

I don't have a good idea of just HOW MUCH sawdust there is.
A manure spreader would require loading, then towing, probably a hassle if you have only one tractor.
They are also quite expen$ive for a one time project.

Given that you would be picking it up in the loader anyway, why not just spread it from the FEL ?
I'm thinking that a moderate priced manure spreader probably doesn't carry much more than a FEL bucket anyway, so the number of trips with a spreader wouldn't be much fewer.
You should probably price manure spreaders and see what size fits your budget and trip time saving costs.
I am assuming that the spreading doesn't have to be PERFECTLY UNIFORM.
For small quantities I would just gently jiggle it out of the bucket and spread it around later with a rake, then turn it under.

Wood DOES require a lot of nitrogen to decompose.
If you want nothing to grow where you turn it under... denying nitrogen could be a good strategy (-:
OTOH a nitrogen fixing first year crop could be a good idea if you later want to grow food there.

 

[Egon]

scrape up some of the sawdust and dump it in the erosion channels to slow the water down. Sorta make a dam or two if possible.

Harrow the rest of the area where sawdust is present, add fertilizer[soil test] and grass seed of choice for your area and harrow again.

 

[Western]

It is quite possible the Extension agent will have good ideas for the mulch and the best use of it in your situation. He will also give you the recommended cover grasses for your area and the erosion problems.

I think the first thing you DON'T want to do, is add to the problem (erosion). It may end up being best to spread it and till it in, or he may recommend you trailer it to some other part of your property to add to and benefit a particular area. The mulch could be a great benefit if used where it really needs to be, or possibly the wrong kind. dunno

Erosion is a PITA and easy to make worse, especially when it's a dry climate. I have struggled with it on 2 places I have had and the Ext agent and the USDA fellas where loaded with info and if there is any county or state help,(cost share/funding) they have that info too.

Once I had a hay field that had a deep ravine that had eroded through it, the Extension agent was setting up a cost share plan for a pond to be built , where the state would pay for half, as long as it was built to their specs.

We never got it done since we sold the place shortly after.

Just some thoughts.

 

[StanR]

The USDA agent told me they co op on ponds. There are out of money for 2011 but I was told I could get in for 2012.

Since I have a dry creek running in the middle a bond should be easy as long as I have or can get the correct **** ( I think clay) material.

It would take me forever to move the saw dust one bucket at a time. I will need some advise on what to do. I might even have it hauled off.. but bet that could get pricy. To bad we can not burn it.... If it is good as fill I will could put a ad in CL.. Free fill come and get it. I will load.

Thanks

 

[Taylortractornut]

Just something to think about dont tell folks the previous owner was paid to take it. In MS that will make you a commercial landfill. Im not sure about your state. Id push it up into piles and let it rot. In about 5 to 15 years depending on the weather youd have a super supply of compost. I have a friend that was taking brush from the town he lived in for a fee. DEQ was in the area and sow him and asked around and his load payments. They classed him as operating a commercial operation without a liscence.