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Rmoore116
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2023 10:39pm
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Hello,
I have a question I have been pondering for weeks and thought I would seek your wisdom.
I have a riverfront property in a floodplain in Missouri on a crystal clear river that floods to a depth of a foot about once a year and under several feet of water a few times a decade. The entire property is flat and about 6 foot above the normal river level. To reach my desired cabin (on stilts) site you must travel about 1100’. The first 500’ has a dirt road that has been in place for decades and is ok to soft, depending on season. The final 600’ has no access yet.
My question is how to build a road that will stay in place? I am afraid if I simply put gravel down without an underlayment fabric it will quickly disappear. If I put fabric down first and have it above the dirt level, I am afraid that the flooding current will wash the rock away.
My current thought is after removing trees and basic grading to strip about 4†of the topsoil off, lay down fabric, install a geocell grid and fill/compact small gravel to the height of the surrounding dirt. My theory is that being at or below grade will help keep the gravel in place with the assistance of the geocells.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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FishHog
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 07:37am
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Is this water flowing (which is going to make it very difficult), or just standing water that slowly recedes (still not great but easier to deal with).
Whatever you decide, I will say this. There are times of the year where you will be much better off to walk in and not drive on the road. I have this issue. Its easier to walk in for the spring trips than to fix the damage I would do to the road by trying to drive in. So make a plan for those shoulder seasons if you still want to get in and out. If its flooded, it could be as easy as hip boots and tow a canoe to carry your gear.
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Rmoore116
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 07:50am
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Unfortunately the water is flowing when it floods the property.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 08:18am
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Your building a road through flowing water? If so you need culverts.
I built a driveway through a swamp. 3yrs ago and had a large stone truck on there within a month. I layed down all the logs like railroad ties, put dirt on from the ditches I dug along side the road. Then put road fabric on and 3-7in of crushed stone. The place was a complete mud pit after I covered the logs in mud/dirt. I let the surface dry out for about 3 weeks then did the road fabric/stone.
Two pics are of the same spot.
20190426_111749.jpg
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Rmoore116
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 08:36am
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Thanks. That makes perfect sense in a non-flowing area. I’m concerned that if I do that in my case the river flow will wash everything above grade away.
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jsahara24
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 09:20am - Edited by: jsahara24
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Those geo grids have their place, we generally use them to provide emergency vehicle access through areas that we want to look like 'lawn'.
I had a walking trail down a pretty significant slope that was stoned and kept eroding during rain events. We installed the geo-grids and it definitely helped, but didn't completed solve the problem. We ended up having to pave the steep section.
I realize paving is likely cost prohibitive, but what about getting some road millings and "re-activating" them to bind them together?
My other thought would be to utilize larger stone (~4") on top of fabric, however with out seeing the situation/flooding flows its hard to say whether they would stay in place....
Good luck...
edit...Just had another thought, they make products to inhibit dust from gravel/dirt roadways that binds stone/dirt together....may be worth looking into, I had looked into some products and I think the typical one is calcium chloride, but there are some other polymers that may achieve what you're looking for. I think you would need to apply it yearly or every other year depending on the product...worth looking into..
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Brettny
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 10:14am
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Quoting: Rmoore116 Thanks. That makes perfect sense in a non-flowing area. I’m concerned that if I do that in my case the river flow will wash everything above grade away
It may wash everything away. That's why you may need culverts..or just accept the road for what it is.
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 10:40am - Edited by: jsahara24
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Here is another idea, dig out more than you originally mentioned.....Install geotextile and large ~ 4" stone....then place a thin layer of soil on top and seed it heavily.....
The stone below will provide your stability, while the vegetation on top will hold the soil in place....
you could do this with the geo grids as well, just instead of a stone surface use a soil that will take support vegetation..
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snobdds
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2023 11:26am - Edited by: snobdds
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We get soft every spring. I was best friends with a trucker from the quarry for a summer.
Good roads have good ditches. Built up roads are the best. If the base rock is big enough, you don't need fabric. If the base material is less than 4", use fabric.
My road. Never have had a pothole since I finished.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2023 10:31pm
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To be clear, is this cabin built yet? It seems like maybe it isn't yet. If it isn't, is there another site on your property you can reconsider for building it on so you can avoid this road work?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2023 11:00pm
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Decades ago I read about a family down in the Mississippi delta? that decided to end the struggle with flooding by building their home & garden on an old barge.
Doesnt solve the road issue; expect they were used to using a skiff.
I know building my initial 150' of driveway, making a roadbed and 14yd. of gravel topper, was $1000 and I need to top that with another 14yd@$500 of gravel this year as well as another load to extend it 100-125'.
So call it $2k for 250-275'. And I dont have the possibility of running water washing it away.
Do the math.
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curious
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2023 11:26pm
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Building anything in a flood plain seems like not the wisest thing to do. Having to build a road through some spots that may be seasonally wet is one thing, but building a road snd a cabin in a flood where the river will flow through when it rains or snows heavy enough appears to be a guaranteed source of work and s place to spend endless amounts of money. My 2 cents.
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