Useing sand as build up fill on existing clay..?

[JANDG]

I am in WA state on 6 acres with alot of clay that I wan't to fill most all low areas with as alot of it holds water till late May & then some. front 3 acres is o.k. & is built up allready. Sand is cheap here & everything else is not. top soil being about 400.00 for 10 yeards, fill dirt aka clay as I allready have is 150.00+a dump load. I thought of useing sand & chip & maybe even leaves from local tree services as a dump spot. anything I should know about useing alot of sand as a build up material..? Never done it & is the reason I ask. I have installed a great open ditch system & is quite complex actually that works great & moves ALOT of water out of here allready.
Thanks Joe

 

[johnamon]

JANDG,

Can you describe your water movement system? Pictures? I maybe doing something like this in the spring.

Thanks

 

[rdbrumfield]

before I filled with sand, I would push me a pile of clay big enough to give me a few inches to cover the whole part you are going to fill. fill with sand, and blade a light cover of clay back over, till in and plant. The clay will hold some moisture for plants.

I don't know how deep you are going to put the chips, but I have heard of them catching on fire even though buried. Instantainious combustion, like wet hay in a barn. I know of three different fills that did this including highway 101 south of Westport. Almost impossible to put out.

 

[JANDG]

I can get pics of the ditch system this next weekend & post. Basically now I will skip the chip as it would turn into a very large amount being delivered from variouse tree serice companies. However the sand is something I am willing to play with this summer. My trouble spots are just low areas My ditch system went as foolows.
I put a 3-4 wide flat bottom ditch as a main across middle of propert from side to side 450' I think then swung it on a 90 degree on line & ran that down another 250' on my propert line to main road ditch. I have private road. I shot all ditches with builders transit in middle of summer useing stakes @ every 20'. The studied all drainage & ran a single shank ripper, then middles buster & then flat bottom them with hand shovel for all other ditches. I picked my areas smartly & use colverts of variouse sizes for mowers, tractor etc. This winter was the test & it does wonders & moves way more water than I thought it would.. I can allready tell the summer dry out will be qick, maybe a entire month ealier to put equimpment on ground. the smaller ditches are in the 1000's of' & smartly picked out lines look just fine & work even better. Just make sure everything is shot or moddified after one winter season. I would shoot it all in myself, that way you know it will work & with very little mods needed in winter. all the little ditches go to main ditch. Keep it a flat bottom for best performance. I will start delivery of sand in May & lots of it. I suppose I need a tiller for my 3032e JD. I have box scraper & tooth bar, ripper, middle buster & that is it for now, will be buying a implement for 1200 in a few weeks just don't know what yet.
Joe

 

[MikeD74T]

before I filled with sand, I would push me a pile of clay big enough to give me a few inches to cover the whole part you are going to fill. fill with sand, and blade a light cover of clay back over, till in and plant. The clay will hold some moisture for plants.

I don't know how deep you are going to put the chips, but I have heard of them catching on fire even though buried. Instantainious combustion, like wet hay in a barn. I know of three different fills that did this including highway 101 south of Westport. Almost impossible to put out.

AKA spontaneous combustion

 

[rambler]

You can do that drainage & fill in WA??? Here in MN on my farm they'd throw me in jail if I did that without permission. Wetlands must be preserved!

Anyhow, what is the end goal? You are creating a terrible place to try to build on - sand never packs it always will move, and wood chips decompose & settle.

Likewise if you want to grow lawn or a garden - the sand will dry out.

What is the end use for this land?

--->Paul

 

[Just Bill]

Hello
I don't think that you can put too much sand if its just fill sand.
The Rio Grand Valley is almost all sand and they grow a lot of vegetables.
Florida has sand and they seem to do ok.
Tilling it into the top few inches will help drainage a lot.
If you want a garden add manure and sand.
Vegatables like water but need drainage too.
You will get some weeds along with vegatables or grass but you are going to get weeds any way.
The big problem with wood chips and leaves is that they tie up a lot of nitrogen while they decompose.
Just my opinion.

 

[Egon]

Work the chips and sand in with the clay.

 

[JANDG]

Most towns /cities in my area sit on completely sand fill, they are on top of the old rivers, well were the rivers used to be. 1000's of new homes sit on top of dreadge spoils from Mt ST Helens . I can get the sand cheap.. chips & leaves for free & all the chicken manure I would ever want for little of nothing also. I think I will play with all of this summer. The property is for growing nothing garden wize but keeping large trees in there place, at least the ones I chose to keep & I use large 72" ZRT mower to do the job fast. Basically just building up low spots & fliing any trouble spots for my dedicated mower. I like to mow & more the better. It takes 100's of yards of fill to do anything when even on 6 acres. I play with over 100 yards every summer, top soild mix is getting ridiculouse around here @ 400 a load, won't do that again. I also have no wet lands on my property, many in my county do however & feel sorry for them, such BS... You just can't drain directly to neighbors property around here, which I am not.
Joe

 

[Egon]

With all those items available to you make use of them and get a good mix between clay and the brought in items. You may end up with some pretty good soil.