Range Upgrade 2025

[BrokenolMarine]

Some of you may remember we put in the Culvert and the level crossing over the creek some time ago, to make life on the range easier. In addition, we removed several trees that were crowding the range. I chose the wooded area to keep the range cooler in the triple digit summers, since I was no longer competing and my shooting was just for the fun of it. Ninety yards was enough, and we slowly made improvements along the way. I was fairly happy, although the two foot culvert pipe did the job, in VERY heavy rains, it couldn't handle the flow and the creek would began to back up until it ran around the end of the crossover, seeking it's flow downstream. In the pic below you can see the flow around the end of the range crossing.

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Another concern was the stumps along the right side. They weren't in the way, but the offshoots that would grow out of the tops of the stumps were annoying. They provided hiding places for snakes, scorpions, tarantulas and other undesirables and the brass often took refuge in the tall shoots so it couldn't be found. We'd use the chain saw disc on the weedeater to cut them off at ground level, but it was a pain.

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I had been talking to my "Guy" when he was over taking care of another project, and he said he was in negotiations for another toy... but he'd let me know. He thought he could work a deal to help me with the issue.

[BrokenolMarine]

We got a call last week, and my GUY said he got his new toy, a Backhoe. He was all excited and said if we still were interested in the upgrades to the range, he would need some practice with the machine before he went out on Professional Jobs, and we could help one another. Since he lives close by, no pick up and delivery, HALF the hourly rate since he might be a little slower at first, and we'd buy any materials at his contractor price. (The larger culvert, and all the rock.) Win/Win. His new (Used) Backhoe is pretty cool. Miss T and I could use one around the farm for about two weeks, but then what would we do with it.

friends new toy.jpg (704.35 KiB) Viewed 286 times

First he attacked those annoying stumps. One was really surprising. The root ball was as big as my son's smart car. He dug the five stumps out then filled and smoothed the holes.

pulling stumps.jpg (643.12 KiB) Viewed 286 times

He dug out the old culvert and opened up the hole to accept the larger pipe.

dug out the culvert.jpg (714.96 KiB) Viewed 286 times

We placed the old culvert down near the creek crossing at the old barn. It will end up at this crossing which will be built up a bit more level, which will make things easier on Miss T in the winter.

old two foot culvert.jpg (628.97 KiB) Viewed 286 times

The new three foot culvert is waiting on the trailer for installation today. He will be back to start anew, squaring up the cuts and dropping the pipe in the hole, then adding rock and dirt to fill 'er in. We'll build up the crossing on the range and get 'er level. Put in the crossing at the barn, then deepen and dress up the creek to better insure the flow stays controlled. This creek runs down to the main creek, which then runs out to the road, and under, eventually running to the river.

three foot culvert.jpg (531.22 KiB) Viewed 286 times

More later, stay tuned.

[Sir Henry]

I could use some of that equipment myself.

[BrokenolMarine]

Our guy was back at it this morning, but stopped on the way over to pick up a third load of gravel. He has a fifth wheel dump trailer that holds a half dump truck load. With what is on hand, we will likely need two or three more loads. Still cheaper than having the gravel delivered by a commercial hauler.

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His first job this morning consisted of filling in that giant hole left by the mini cooper size root ball. Dragged the dirt into the hole then packed it down. Miss Tina got to work with out tractor leveling the stump work from the day before farther down the range.

Backfilling the stump hole.jpg (297.84 KiB) Viewed 243 times

I left them to it, they didn't me all in their business. Jimmy and his wife Lisa work together all the time, and know what they are doing and Tina had worked in Landscaping as a crew leader for years before we got married and grew up on a farm. I had other things to do. I went back down later to check on them and they were setting the Culvert on the range... Tina and Lisa Guiding Jimmy as he dropped gravel in place.

Range culvert going in.jpg (530.62 KiB) Viewed 243 times

Came back down later and they had put in the Barn Crossing as well. It will need another load of gravel on the back side to smooth the transition, but it's looking good.

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A look across at the range crossing, looking close you can see all the way thru the culvert to the other side.

Range crossing.jpg (264.75 KiB) Viewed 243 times

Tomorrow, Jimmy will cut the drainage line from the range to the barn in a straight line and address the sides to make the water flow better. Do the same thing on the other side of the barn culvert to ease the flow to the creek. We call these small runoffs creeks but what they really are is drainage channels from pasture runnoff. The main flow from the west fence to the south fence is an actual creek that runs across the corner of the property and under the road, then several miles to the river.

[rickhem]

Pretty neat upgrades BOM. I have a spot that I want to put in a culvert to allow easier access to a lower area of our property, but haven't done anything to move forward with that yet.

[Hatchdog]

Great improvements, a quality piece of equipment operated by a competent person makes short work of big projects like yours. Man, you are have a lot of water to direct.

[BrokenolMarine]

Great improvements, a quality piece of equipment operated by a competent person makes short work of big projects like yours. Man, you are have a lot of water to direct.

The seller checked a box on the disclosure sheet saying NO Issues with flooding. First year, major problems.
The south fence line runs along the roadway... what roadway there is... wouldn't even be called tertiary. The main creek flows under that. First year, major flood.

It ran over it's banks, took out the fence at the culvert under the road. Flooded the orchard. Ran over the road.

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Normal level... before and after we gave up on the county and had a heavy equipment guy bring in a dozer and widen the creek banks to take away some of the power of the flow. You can see from the top of the rail on the cattle fencing how deep the creek bed is in the before picture. The water shooting thru during high flow has twisted the culvert in it's bedding. After, the widened area in the last fifty yards has taken away a lot of the power of the flow and lessened the chance of flooding. In the second picture, Miss T and the heavy equipment operator are inspecting the final work... they give it scale.

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08 tina and mr ross inspect the work.jpg (523.55 KiB) Viewed 190 times

You can see the power of the water flow as it empties into the main creek here...

02a orchard creek running.jpg (544.58 KiB) Viewed 190 times

[CT_Shooter]

Our guy was back at it this morning, but stopped on the way over to pick up a third load of gravel.

It's a lot of material, some serious equipment, and I'm sure a lot of effort, but it should be well worth the cost. I enjoy seeing projects like yours as they come together. Even the birds seem to be joining in on it. Thanks.

[Mags]

...The seller checked a box on the disclosure sheet saying NO Issues with flooding. First year, major problems.
...

That happen here too. We moved in first part of December 1995. In Feb 1996 we had one of those 100yr floods. The high ground parts of the property were as island for a few days.

Looks like you have some good upgrades there to deal with your future runoff.

[BrokenolMarine]

Yeah, I left out the worst of the flooding. NO issues, that first flood? The woodshop... Thousands of dollars in exotic wood stacked in the second room of the woodshop, luckily on concrete blocks for airflow, but the sheets of plywood, two by fours, etc were not. The water was ankle deep and I was a little (LOT) upset. Big shopvac helped. Dozens of trips to dump the shopvac outside and sweeping the water out the door.




Turns out the 60 acre hayfield is above the shop and drains downhill against the back of the shop. If you look across the hayfield in the pic below, you can see the top of my shop. The water flows to the shop.

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We had to dig a french drain around the back of the shop and down the side, installing the perforated pipe and gravel to divert the water away from the shop in case of future heavy rains. Luckily the tactic worked. So far, we good!

27 view across the neighbors hay field comp.jpg (473.42 KiB) Viewed 161 times