Ruts In Trail Fix Needed

[nolarefugee]

I have a few trails (for tractor) on our place in southern Ms, north of Poplarville where rain, over time, has washed the sandy topsoil away leaving hard clay with deep ruts here and there.

How can I fix these and prevent them from occurring? Short of putting in a real road.









Thanks.

 

[slowzuki]

How much money do you want to spend? Soil stabilized with cement powder tilled in will last longer if you put the local soil back. Big money to start bringing in better road base.

 

[ruren]

It looks like there isn't much crown to your trail in the pictures. dragging some material from the edge to the center of the trail to create a ditch along the edge for the water may help. If the water runs too fast down your ditch and erodes it you can help by building small dams from rocks, logs, etc. at intervals along the ditch to slow the flow of the water. If its only a few spots in might be worth bringing in a few trucks of gravel to build up the trail if you can afford it and you can get a truck in there.

 

[JakeBrake]

On my place I cut pine saplings up to 6" in diameter and place them lengthwise into the ruts. This slows the water and, eventually, the continued erosion will stabilize and fill the ruts and make a road suitable for tractors or 4X4's

I always have stands of pines that need to be thinned anyway.

If you want immediate results this is not the method to use.

 

[Ken45101]

There is a lot of "well it depends...."

But in general, grade the trail so that the water runs off of it to the side.

If the trail is going horizontally across a hillside, grade it with a tilt to the downhill side so that the water runs off immediately.

If it is going down a hillside (hopefully not straight down), put in dips every 20 or 50 feet and have the dip drain to the downhill side. The more the water volume, the more dips you need.

Water bars (diagonal bumps or poles) will work to direct the water to the side but do not last as long as the dips graded in last.

Ken

 

[woodchuckie]

There is a lot of "well it depends...."

But in general, grade the trail so that the water runs off of it to the side.

If the trail is going horizontally across a hillside, grade it with a tilt to the downhill side so that the water runs off immediately.

If it is going down a hillside (hopefully not straight down), put in dips every 20 or 50 feet and have the dip drain to the downhill side. The more the water volume, the more dips you need.

Water bars (diagonal bumps or poles) will work to direct the water to the side but do not last as long as the dips graded in last.

Ken

What he said.

 

[coobie]

I had some logging done on my land a few years back and they left hella-va ruts.I used my 3 pt rototiller to get them smoothed out.coobie

 

[studor]

If you fill the ruts with crushed stone and bevel the roadway it will likely not recur. The crush will provide drainage and unless the area gets a lot of water will not wash away like the soil

 

[zonta223]

How much money do you want to spend? Soil stabilized with cement powder tilled in will last longer if you put the local soil back. Big money to start bringing in better road base.

I second this works well on my place.
If you have a cement factory in your area ring and ask about "BB" or "BCB" cement.
Basically a cement powder used in the back filling of mines etc they normally sell it in 1 ton bulk bags if you have something that can transport and lift it. Comes at a great discount price over normal cement and is just what you want.

 

[JB4310]

Just fix the trails up with a box scraper, if there are some spots that keep recurring badly, cut a crossing swale or a gutter on the side.

Doesn't look that bad, no huge ruts or anything, might even do it with a rake.

Jb

 

[coobie]

Just fix the trails up with a box scraper, if there are some spots that keep recurring badly, cut a crossing swale or a gutter on the side.

Doesn't look that bad, no huge ruts or anything, might even do it with a rake.

Jb

I have tried the box scraper on some deep ruts with bad results.The only option was a 3pt rototiller.coobie

 

[JD 4520]

I use a box scrapper and apply some crushed gravel over the wettest areas. Side drainage helps a lot also as mentioned earlier.