creek crossing.

For many local farmers, having a creek run through their property is an advantage.  Creeks can provide access to water for pasture livestock, a boundary between fields, or recreation for the family.  Sometimes, creeks can be a source of headache for farmers, as was the case with this project at the Takes farm located east of Cascade, Iowa, on Bellevue-Cascade Road.

Each day when it was time for chores, local farmer John Takes would fill his feed wagon and cross the county highway into his cattle pasture.  Once inside the fence, John would have to maneuver his tractor and wagon down and then back up the steep sides of the small creek to access his herd.  On its best days this caused his equipment to bottom-out, creating a dirty mess that was hard on his machinery, and on the worst days in times of high water, the pasture was nearly inaccessible.

To remedy this problem, John called Terry and Gravel Grading and Excavating to help him devise a solution.  Terry recommended installing a new creek crossing, complete with prefabricated slatted concrete slabs to aid in traction for equipment and three ag-tile culverts that would allow the creek to maintain its flow below the new structure without compromising its stability.

To begin, the crew of Gravel Grading & Excavating waited for a dry spell, so the creek would be low enough to work around.  Then drawing on their extensive experience and laser grading equipment, they determined the optimal location of the path across the creek, as well as the appropriate height for the new crossing so as high water events would not breach the new lane.

The guys then moved in with graders, skid steers, and excavators, to begin the process of moving dirt to prepare for the installation of the culverts.  A bed was prepared for the pipes to lay upon, and once again the laser levels were used to determine the proper degree of slope for maximum water drainage.  Once this was prepared, the plastic piping could be installed and backfilled with dirt and rock for stabilization.  An extra measure was taken for erosion control by pouring concrete walls on each side of the new road to prevent washouts in heavy rain events.

The crew then went about pouring a final layer of concrete to top off the new crossing, placing concrete slats on both sides, and regrading and dumping new gravel along the newly-established path for the finishing touches.  

Shortly after the conclusion of the creek crossing, a storm passed through, testing the effectiveness of Gravel Grading & Excavating's work.  As expected the crew was able to move the earth for our customer John, and the culverts worked just as planned, allowing the creek to maintain its flow through the pasture while allowing John to access and feed his cattle.

Thank you to the Takes family for choosing Gravel Grading and Excavating for this project, and be sure to give us a call for any of your dirt work needs.