THE LAND OWNER’S GUIDE

TO
PRIVATE ACCESS ROAD CONSTRUCTION
IN LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO

PROPER PLANNING NOW….

LESS EXPENSE LATER !!!

USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

LARIMER COUNTY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

 THE LANDOWNER’S GUIDE
TO

PRIVATE ACCESS ROAD CONSTRUCTION

IN LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO

PROPER PLANNING NOW ...

LESS EXPENSE LATER !!!

July, 1999

Technical Contributions:

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

2850 McClelland Drive #3100
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
Todd Boldt Phone: (970)223-0960

Larimer County Engineering Department

218 W. Mountain Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80522
Scott Cornell Phone: (970)498-5723

Funding for Printing this Publication Provided by: Larimer County

Fort Collins Soil Conservation District
Big Thompson Soil Conservation District

Additional copies are available from: Larimer County, Engineering Department

Natural Resources Conservation Service
 INTRODUCTION
It is ironic that two of the greatest attractions of rural Larimer County - beautiful scenery and
clear water - can be compromised by roads designed to help people to enjoy these attractions.
Poorly constructed access roads often cause severe erosion and stream sedimentation that benefit
no one. Erosion and land disturbance can produce negative effects in rural environments, and
can be disastrous in fragile mountain environments. A poorly designed road often causes frequent
and costly repair for which the landowner must pay.

Ultimately, if you own the land, you are responsible for assuring that your road is properly
constructed. Building an access road to even a single home in rural areas can be complicated and
expensive - particularly in hilly or mountainous areas. Regardless of the advice received, it's
important to remember that there are no inexpensive "short cuts" when building a functional, safe
road that also minimizes land disturbance. Admittedly, it can be more expensive to build a good
road -- but it is always less expensive to build a good road the first time than to build a bad
road over every year!

How can you get the road you need? It can be achieved through careful planning, design, and
supervision by you or by a reliable agent. You may be disappointed if you do not work closely
with the contractor or bulldozer operator. Whether you do the planning yourself or hire a
professional, some knowledge about planning, layout, and construction of access roads is
valuable.

This booklet provides the

basics. For many people
and situations, the
information provided may
be sufficient to design and
build a road. For others,
professional on-site
assistance may be
necessary. This booklet
does not address all the
problems that may be
encountered in road
construction, however. You
must determine the limits
of your abilities, but professional assistance certainly should be sought for complex projects.

For additional information on access road design and construction, contact the Larimer County
Engineering Department, your local Natural Resources Conservation Office or a private engineer.
In addition, some useful references are listed on page 8.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 2

Outline Guide Page
A. PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNING ..................................................................................................................... 4
A.1 Getting To Know The Property......................................................................................................................... 4
A.2 Points To Ponder As You Plan........................................................................................................................... 5
A.3 Deciding Where To Put The Road ..................................................................................................................... 7
A.4 Assistance is Available....................................................................................................................................... 8

B. DESIGN GUIDELINES........................................................................................................................................... 9
B.1 Road Grade......................................................................................................................................................... 9
B.2 Road Width ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
B.3 Side Slopes ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
B.4 Surface Drainage ............................................................................................................................................ 10
B.5 Subsurface Drainage......................................................................................................................................... 15
B.6 Curves and Switchbacks ................................................................................................................................... 15
B.7 Intersection With Public Road.......................................................................................................................... 16
B.8 Road Surfacing ............................................................................................................................................... 17

C. ROAD LAYOUT: LOCATING THE ROAD ON THE LAND............................................................................. 18

C.1 Obtain the Following Equipment for Laying Out the Road:............................................................................. 18
C.2 Locating The Road On A Desired Grade.......................................................................................................... 19
C.3 Marking the Proposed Road ........................................................................................................................... 19

D. GETTING READY FOR CONSTRUCTION ....................................................................................................... 20

D.1 Setting a Schedule ............................................................................................................................................ 20
D.2 Obtain The Materials........................................................................................................................................ 20
D.3 Hiring The Right Contractor .......................................................................................................................... 21
D.4 Getting Started On The Right Foot ................................................................................................................. 21

E.CONSTRUCTING THE ROAD ............................................................................................................................. 22

E.1 Clearing the Way for Construction ................................................................................................................. 22
E.2 During Construction ....................................................................................................................................... 22

F. GETTING VEGETATION ESTABLISHED......................................................................................................... 23

F.1 Hand Seeding................................................................................................................................................... 23
F.2 Drill seeding..................................................................................................................................................... 24
F.3 Hydroseeding ................................................................................................................................................... 24
F.4 Picking the proper plants ................................................................................................................................. 25

G. MAINTENANCE .................................................................................................................................................. 25
G.1 Maintaining Your Investment......................................................................................................................... 25

APPENDIX A: ESTIMATING STORM WATER FLOW AND SIZING CULVERTS................................................... 27

APPENDIX B: PLANT MATERIALS FOR REVEGETATING DISTURBED SITES.................................................. 33

References................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 3

A. PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNING
Planning in advance is essential for constructing a good access road. Become familiar with the
property and recognize its potentials and problems.

Overlooking this important phase can be an expensive mistake. The factors considered and
decisions made in early planning represent the fundamental building blocks of a good road.

A.1 Getting To Know The Property

1.) Secure the most detailed maps available for the property.

The maps that may be needed include:

• Property Ownership Map (Survev Plat) - to locate property lines.
• USGS Topographic Maps - to determine elevations and important landscape features.
• Soil Maps - to identify general slopes and "problem areas".

Soils Map

Topography Map
Property Map

2.) Carefully study the maps obtained and identify the property's important features and
characteristics.

a) Using the property map, accurately draw ownership lines on the

topography and soil maps.

b) Using the soil and topographic maps, identify problem areas that should be avoided if
possible. These include very steep, wet, or rocky areas, and soils that are shallow to rock or
highly erosive. The Larimer County Soil Survey is an invaluable tool at this stage of planning.
To obtain a copy of the soil survey and assistance in interpreting the soils information, contact
your local Soil Conservation District office. Soils information is also very helpful in locating
alternative homesites.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 4

 c) Using the topographic map, determine the minimum length for the road.
This may be done as follows:
On a topographic map, locate control points -- places through which the road must pass. Examples are the home site,
the entrance, or high and low points in the road's path. Determine the total elevation difference between consecutive
control points . Multiply each elevation difference by 12.5 to determine the minimum length of road required
between the control points. This length assumes a road constructed on an average grade of 8 percent.
If you plan a road that will be shorter than this approximation,
you may be headed for trouble. See Section B.1 for more on
EXAMPLE road grades.

COMPUTATIONS
Proposed
destination
Elevation = 8000 Elevation of Destination = 8000
Elevation of Starting Pt. = 7940

8000 - 7940 = 60 feet

Road must
Proposed
climb
Road

60 X 12.5 = 750 feet

Proposed
starting point - Minimum length of
Elevation = 7940 an 8% road = 750 feet

EXISTING COUNTY ROAD

A.2 Points To Ponder As You Plan

1.) Know the State and local laws, ordinances, and regulations.

Ordinances and regulations regarding access roads vary from state to state and county to county.
Larimer County does not regulate private access roads which service a single parcel and
residence. If the road accesses more than one residence, however, the road may be required to be
constructed to certain minimum standards. These standards are designed to insure properly
constructed roads in such cases to promote safe, accessible roads that minimize land disturbance
during construction. Additionally, if the road is to access a public county or state road, a access
permit is required. Contact the Larimer County Engineering Department for details.

2.) Plan ahead for possible certification to Larimer County Standards.

It is highly recommended that landowners use the proposed Larimer County Design Standards
for Local Access Roads to design and construct roads accessing their residence. A certification
process may be available for roads so constructed. Some of the benefits include; 1) a functional,
safe road that will require minimal maintenance, 2) reduction of the negative effects of such
Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 5
construction (e.g. erosion, land disturbance), 3) and possibly more reasonable property insurance
rates. Contact the Larimer County Engineering Department for details.

3.) Be Prepared to pay the cost of constructing a good road.

The cost of constructing a road will vary greatly from site to site. The cost estimates below may
increase due to the following:
• Steep land - costs increase due to more earth-moving on steep slopes.
• Winter construction - costs increase because it takes longer to build.
• Rocky land - the costs of moving or blasting rock are high.
• Drainage needed - surface and subsurface water must be managed.
• Low stability soils - extra precautions are required on such sites.
• Clearing required - wooded areas must be cleared.

APPROXIMATE COST PER LINEAR FOOT OF ROAD

• GREATER THAN 50% SLOPES

• LARGE BOULDERS AND ROCK
OUTCROPS SHOWING ON SURFACE
$8-10 per foot • SOIL SHALLOW TO BEDROCK

• 30 TO 50% SLOPES
$5-8 per foot • OCCASIONAL ROCK
• FAIRLY SHALLOW SOILS

• LESS THAN 30%

Bedrock
$3-5 per foot SLOPES
• DEEP SOILS
• LITTLE ROCK

One important point! - if you cut corners during planning and construction, you will pay
more for future maintenance.

4.) Don't give your land away!

Erosion is the displacement of soil particles from the soil surface caused by wind, water, ice or
gravity. Removal of surface vegetation and disturbance of the soil surface accelerates this
process. As soil particles are displaced they are easily transported from the site and may affect
water and air quality. The effects of erosion may have wide ranging consequences for your
property as well as property of others and public lands and waters. If you lose the soil on an area,
re-establishment of the vegetative cover will be difficult. Plants must have a good soil medium
to grow and establish properly. The presence of good ground cover from plants and

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 6

reinforcement of the soil by the roots of these plants is the most effective way to protect your
land, the land of others and our water resources from the effects of erosion.

Erosion control should be a normal part of all construction procedures, and therefore, erosion
control practices are incorporated throughout this booklet. Take every precaution to keep your
soil on your property. If road construction is done in a season that is not appropriate for seeding,
there are alternatives to protect the soil resource. These include mulching, surface roughening
and application of various erosion control blankets. Make sure you have planned on the
appropriate measures to protect the soil and install any needed materials as soon as possible.

A.3 Deciding Where To Put The Road

1.) Get to know the property by walking over it - several times.

With the fundamentals in mind, walk over the property making notes of any features which are
different or are not as indicated on the map. Working in a downhill direction may provide you
with a better view of the terrain. Be sure to identify property boundaries and avoid locating the
road too close to any boundary. Construction crews may venture across property lines without
knowing it.

2.) Choose a starting point elevation on the existing road as close as possible to your
destination's elevation to minimize your proposed access road's length and grade.

3.) Choose an entrance that provides good visibility from all directions.

A permit from the Colorado Department of Transportation or Larimer County Engineering

Department will be required before establishing access from a public road administered by these
agencies.

4.) Avoid streams, springs and other wetland areas.

If streams must be crossed, make crossings at right angles to the flow of the stream. Otherwise
maintain a minimum undisturbed 20-foot strip of vegetated area along all live streams. Rather
than routing stormwater directly into the stream, create a sinuous route through the vegetated
area. Incorporate sediment basins or traps at discharge points to allow sediments to drop out of
the water before it is released into the stream. Sediment traps can be constructed using logs or
rocks found on the site. Strive to keep away from springs and wetlands. Route the road above
wet areas where possible. Wetlands are an important part of the ecology of the landscape and are
very effective in filtering runoff waters of sediments and other contaminants by providing buffers
for large runoff events.

Any planned activity in wetland areas must be reported to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
may require a permit. This includes installation of structures to accommodate a crossing of live
streams. Areas within the normal high-water line of streams are considered wetlands. Other
wetland areas may be isolated from live streams but are equally important for protection of
ground and surface water quality.
Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 7
A.4 Assistance is Available

If by this point, road construction already seems like an overwhelming task for the novice, don't give up! Help is
available, but don’t expect someone else to plan and construct your road for you unless you are willing to pay for it.
Helpful assistance is available to guide you through the decisions and actions which will lead to the desired properly
constructed road. The table below is provided as a guide to locate sources of information or services helpful in
planning, designing, and constructing your road.

Uniform Building Code Requirements: Colorado State University

Larimer County Access Permits (Roads & Utilities):
Building Department Larimer County
200 W. Oak, Basement Engineering Department
Fort Collins, CO 80522 218 W. Mountain Ave.
Phone: 498-7700 P.O. Box 1190
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Road Design, Erosion Control, Site Restoration: Mike Bryant 498-5709
Larimer County Engineering Department
218 W. Mountain Ave. Zoning Information:
Fort Collins, CO 80522 Larimer County
Scott Cornell 498-5723 Planning Department
200 W. Oak, Basement
Soils Information, Erosion Conrol, Revegetation P.O. Box 1190
Fort Collins Soil Conservation District Fort Collins, CO 80522
1415 N. College Ave, #3 Phone: 498-7683
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Todd Boldt 223-0960 Wildlife Behavior & Habitat:
Colorado Division of Wildlife
Big Thompson Soil Conservation District 317 West Prospect
3825 Starlite Drive] Fort Collins, CO 80526
Fort Collins, CO 80524 Phone: 484-2836
Todd Boldt 223-0960
U. S. Forest Information:
Wildfire Hazards: United States Forest Service
Wildfire Safety Coordinator Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forest
Larimer County Building Department Visitor Information Center
200 W. Oak, Basement 1131 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80522 Fort Collins, CO 80524
Tony Simons 498-7718 Phone: 498-2770

Livestock and Agricultural: Weed Control:

Larimer County Extension Office Larimer County Weed District
200 W. Mountain Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 543 200 W. Mountain, P.O. Box 1190
Fort Collins, CO 80522 Fort Collins, CO 80522
Phone: 498-7400 Phone: 498-5768

Septic System Requirements: Wetland Mitigation

Larimer County Department of Health & Requirements:
Environment Department of the Army Corps of Engineers
1525 Blue Spruce Dr. Omaha District
Fort Collins, CO 80522 Tri-Lakes Project Office
Phone: 498-6775 9307 State Hwy 121
Littleton, Colorado
Forest Management Issues 80123-6901
Colorado State Forest Service Terry McKee (303)979-4120
Foothills Campus, Building 1052
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Michael Hughes 491-8453

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 8

B. DESIGN GUIDELINES

It's important to understand the basics of designing roads before trying to locate or position a
road on the land. The standards to which roads are constructed vary with their intended use. (A
road built solely to accommodate logging operations would not be expected to meet the
demanding standards of a subdivision road. )

B.1 Road Grade

1.) The grade of the roadbed should be less than 10% for best results (10 ft. vertical in 100
ft. horizontal).

1
10
Maximum sustained grades should never exceed
• 6 percent for natural soil and grass surface
• 10 percent for gravel or crushed stone surface
• 16 percent if paved.
These grades may be increased up to 12 percent on gravel roads (if crushed stone is used) and 20
percent on paved roads for short reaches (200 feet or less) where no other alternative exists.

Grades should be determined using techniques described in Section C.2.

2.) Steep grades should always be avoided at road curves or intersections.

B.2 Road Width

1.) The minimum width of the roadbed is 12 feet for one-way traffic and 20 feet for two-
way traffic.

The minimum tread width (driveable width) is 10 feet for one-way traffic and 16 feet for two-
way traffic. The minimum recommended shoulder width is 2 feet on each side of tread width.
Increase all widths by 4 feet if traffic from towed trailers of any kind is expected.

B.3 Side Slopes

1.) All roadcuts and roadfills should have side slopes that are stable for the particular soil
and conditions.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 9

 • Cut slopes in rock may be vertical when less than 3 feet high. Cut slopes should not be steeper than 1.5
to 1 (1.5 feet horizontal for every 1 foot in rise) where the cut slope is greater than 3 feet high.
• Fill slopes should not be steeper than 2 to 1 (2 feet horizontal to every 1 foot of rise) unless an analysis
of the soil shows steeper slopes to be stable. Where maintenance will be performed by mowing, cut
and fill slopes should be no steeper than 3 to 1.

CROSS-SECTION OF ROADBED AND CUT & FILL SLOPES

B.4 Surface Drainage

No other aspect of road design is more important and less understood than surface drainage along
the road. And unfortunately, this is the area where road-builders sometimes try to "save money"-
an expensive mistake!

1.) The surface water from all sources must be conveyed from the roadway in order to
control soil erosion, maintain a stable road surface, and reduce future maintenance and
repairs.
Surface drainage must be planned for water from the following sources:
1- Rainfall on the roadbed, as well as cut and fill slopes.
2- Overland storm flows from the watershed above the road.
3- Springs or live streams intercepted by the road.

2.) If possible, shape the road to drain itself by means of cross-sloping and/or broad-based
dips.

a) Cross-sloping involves sloping the road slightly to allow surface water to flow across and off
the road rather than down the length of the road. Cross-sloping should be less than one-half inch
in one foot (4%) or about six inches across the width of the road. See the chart on page 11.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 10

 CROSS-SLOPING CHART
SOME SINGLE-FAMILY ACCESS ROADS SOME SINGLE-FAMILY ACCESS ROADS
OR OTHER SELDOM USED ROADS AND ALL DEVELOPMENT ACCESS ROADS

Cross-section view Cross-section view Cross-section view Cross-section view

of Road of Road of Road of Road

Out-sloped road with In-sloped road with Out-sloped with In-sloped with
out-sloped broad- in-sloped broad-based roadside ditch and roadside ditch and
based dips. dips. culverts. culverts.
Only requires culverts Requires culverts in Generally the most Requires culverts
in the draws or low draws and at location acceptable design. every 130 to 200 feet.
areas. of dips.
Where overland flow Where overland flow Requires periodic Requires periodic
from above road from above road culverts to remove culverts to remove
during storms is during storms is ditch water. ditch and road water.
significant. small.
Road water flows Safer on roads that are Road water flows Safer on roads that
freely off the roadbed. often frozen, wet, icy, freely off the roadbed. are often frozen, wet,
or slippery. icy, or slippery.

b) Broad-based dips may be used to carry surface water off the roadway. Properly constructed
broad based dips allow a smooth crossing without bumping or bottoming out. On sections of a
road where broad based dips are the primary means of surface drainage, construct the dips
approximately 150 feet apart, outletting them on side ridges where possible. If the height of the
fill slope at the outlet of the dip is 4 feet or greater, the broad-based dip should be in-sloped and a
culvert installed.

Out-sloped Broad-based Dip In-sloped Broad-based Dip With Culvert

20’ 75’
20’ 75’

3.) Construct roadside ditches on the inside of all roads that have overland flow from
above the road during rain storms.
Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 11
Flat bottom ditches, with flat areas two feet or more in width, provide for greater safety and
reduced maintenance than do deeper "V" shaped ditches.

ROADSIDE
DITCH
ROADBED
2’

4.) Install culverts in natural draws on all roads. Culverts should be placed every 130 to
200 feet on all in-sloped roads.

a) What type of culvert pipe should be used?

Corrugated Steel Pipe
- Most common type in use
- Heavy duty and can take fairly "rough handling"
- More tolerant of improper installation practices

Corrugated Aluminum Pipe

-Lighter and easier to handle than steel.
-Will last longer than steel if properly installed
-More expensive than steel.
-Damages easily with rough handling.

Double-wall Corrugated Plastic Pipe

-Lightest and most easily handled.
-Less expensive in smaller sizes.
-More easily crushed by inadequate cover or poor
compaction of fill material around pipe.

b) Many factors affect the culvert size, including drainage area size, watershed land use, local
rainfall, soil type, slope of pipe, fill over pipe, etc. All culverts should be designed using the 10-
year, 24-hour storm as a minimum with no culvert less than 12 inches in diameter. Roads
accessing more than one residence must design to the 50-year, 24-hour event where it is the only
route for ingress and egress. Minimum diameter for culverts on these roads must be a minimum
of 15 inches.

You may use the culvert design procedure in Appendix A (page 26) to determine the proper
culvert size. If the procedures are difficult for you to understand or certain sections cause
difficulty, contact the Larimer County Engineering Department or local Natural Resource
Conservation Service Field Office (see p.8). These offices may be able to help you get through
the procedures and calculations. However, you may be advised to seek assistance from a
professional engineer. At any rate, it is important to correctly estimate culvert sizes. If you
Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 12
under estimate, you may encounter flooding and damage to the roadway. If you oversize culverts
you may be spending considerably more money than is necessary.

Where it is impractical to install the proper size

of culvert, an adequate overflow area should be
provided to allow storm flows to overtop the
road and discharge on natural ground, not fill
OVERFLOW CHANNELS
SHOULD BE APPROX. material. The overflow should be protected with
12” WIDE AND 6” DEEP
rip rap or other means as needed to prevent road
washouts or erosion.

c) How should culverts be installed?

1.) Install culverts at or below natural ground. The steeper the pipe is installed (or the more
fill over the pipe), the more water it will carry. In addition, pipes with shallow cover are easily
crushed by heavy vehicles.

THE DEEPER THE

DITCH, THE MORE
WATER THE PIPE
WILL CARRY.

2.) Outlet the culverts at or beyond the toe of the slope. Erosion protection, such as rock rip-
rap or geotextile fabrics, is often necessary at the outlet of culverts. Never outlet a culvert on fill
material without such protective measures. It is usually less expensive to extend the culvert to
stable natural ground than to protect the fill material against erosion from the culvert outlet.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 13

3.) Insure each culvert has an adequate inlet. Most culverts never carry as much water as
they should due to poorly constructed inlets. The culvert may be large enough to carry the
required flow, but the inlet may not let the water into the culvert. Be sure the roadside ditch is
wide and deep enough to allow flowing water easy entry into the pipe.
Although not always necessary for an adequate inlet, the structural culvert inlets shown below
provide some examples that can be low in maintenance, as well as very effective.

DROP INLET RISER CONSTRUCTED FROM A SECTION OF

CORRUGATED METAL PIPE (24” DIAMETER MINIMUM).
“DROP BOX” INLET CONSTRUCTED OF BRICKS,CEMENT
BLOCKS. OR POURED CONCRETE.

4.) Use watertight connecting bands when connecting two joints of culvert pipe. Since pipe
generally comes in 20 foot sections, properly installed culverts on sloping roads often require
connecting bands. Connecting bands should result in strong watertight joints. Rod and Lug
type or "hugger" type bands provide secure, trouble free joints if properly installed. "Dimple
Bands" are not acceptable and should not be used.

5.) Properly compact soil material placed around culvert pipes. The soil used to backfill
around the pipe should be placed in
layers of 4-6 inches and compacted.
Insure that soil is placed all around and
MAKE SURE SOIL under the pipe. This is especially
IS COMPACTED important when using plastic pipe.
AROUND PIPE.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 14

 Culverts should be specified and installed to withstand at least 10 tons of bearing capacity.

B.5 Subsurface Drainage

Subsurface drainage refers to water which is below the normal ground surface. It may be a
natural condition or it may be created by failure to properly remove surface water.

Poorly drained roads fall apart in bad weather with even minimal traffic. Wet foundation soils
swallow up stone as fast as it is hauled in. Erosion control and stability of fill and cut slopes are
impossible to maintain without proper drainage.

1) Locate poorly drained soils on soil survey and watch for signs of subsurface drainage
problems before and during construction-

The following may be signs of wet soils with subsurface drainage problems:
• Soils that are grayish in color.
• Areas with numerous springs or seeps.
• Low areas or ground with a soft mushy surface.
• Areas predominated by water-tolerant plants such as alders, willows, poplar, cattails, reeds,
etc.

If these conditions are present you are dealing with a wetland. Any planned disturbance of
wetland areas requires notification of the Army Corps of Engineers, before construction, and may
require a permit if it is allowed at all. It is best to avoid wetlands!

2) If possible, maintain the water table at least 24 inches below the road surface.

One or more of the following may be needed to reduce problems on wet soils:
• Improved surface drainage.
• Removal of nearby shade trees to let sunlight dry the road.
• Use of large (3 inch) stone for the road surface.
• Installation of fabric filter cloth under the surface gravel to prevent stone from sinking and
disappearing into the soft soil.
• Installation of subsurface drainage tile (must consider effects to wetlands though).
• Relocating the road to a drier area - (The best idea!).

B.6 Curves and Switchbacks

1) The minimum radius of curvature of the centerline of the road should be as follows:
• 100 feet for flat to rolling terrain
• As terrain allows in mountainous or steep terrain (avoid undue site disturbance)

2) Plan switchbacks and curves on grades as flat as possible.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 15
B.7 Intersection With Public Road
1 ) For safety, the angle of intersection of a proposed access road and a public or private
roadway should be no less than 10 degrees from perpendicular for at least 50 feet, and the
clear sight distance to each side should be no less than 200 feet. Sight distance requirements vary
depending on the speed limit for the road being accessed. Check with the Larimer County
Engineering Department or Colorado Department of Transportation to be sure of requirements
for accessing these public road systems.

PERPENDICULAR LINE

10° 10°

ACCEPTABLE ANGLE OF
APPROACH TO ACCESS
DESIRED POINT OF
THE ROAD.
ACCESS

EXISTING ROAD

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 16

B.8 Road Surfacing

1) Choose the type of surfacing material by considering traffic needs, frequency of usage,
grade of road, soil type on natural roadbed, available materials, cost, and aesthetics.

Grass
• Not for daily or wet weather use.
• For use on dry soils only.
• On grades less than 8%.
Soil
• Least expensive.
• May require soil amendments, mowing, etc.

Road Base (crushed rock) Only

• Medium to high traffic.
4-6 inches • For use on naturally sandy or gravelly roadbed soils.
• On grades of 15% and less.
Soil • Specify “ABC” or “base course”.
• Requires periodic grading.

Road Base (crushed rock) Over Washed Gravel

• Medium to high traffic on soft soils.
3 inches
3 inches • On grades of 15% and less.
4-6 inches • Specify “ABC over washed gravel”.
• Requires periodic grading.
Optional fil-
ter cloth over • Use fabric filter cloth in poorly drained areas.
natural earth

Road Base (crushed rock) Over Large Rock

3 inches • For wet sections of roads with soft mushy soil.
• For all traffic conditions.
6-8 inches
• On grades less than 16%.
• Specify “3 inch washed stone” or “ballast tone”.
Optional fil- • Requires periodic grading.
ter cloth over
natural earth
• Use fabric filter cloth in poorly drained areas.

Pavement
2 inches For heavy traffic on all soils.
4-8 inches On grades up to 20%.
compacted Requires extensive base preparation.
“ABC” stone
Most expensive.
Soil Subject to frost damage on wet soils.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 17

 2) Road base (crushed rock) surfacing should be applied as soon as possible after
construction (while soil surface is still freshly disturbed) to reduce soil erosion, and insure a
good bond between the soil and surfacing materials.

C. ROAD LAYOUT: LOCATING THE ROAD ON THE LAND

After becoming familiar with the property and the design concepts of road construction, It's time
to actually lay out the road. Laying out a road consists of staking or flagging the centerline of the
road, identifying locations for broad-based dips and culverts, and possibly staking cut and fill
slopes.

C.1 Obtain the Following Equipment for Laying Out the Road:

• Clinometer or Abney level - Inexpensive hand-held tools to measure road grade. May be
obtained where forestry or surveying supplies are sold.

Abney Level Clinometer

• 50 or 100 Foot measuring tape - To

measure road width, length, distance between
dips, cut/fill slopes, etc.

• Survey flags, colored plastic tape,

or Stakes - To mark the proposed
route and location of culverts, dips.
edges of cut/fill slopes, etc.

• An ax and/or bush hook - To drive stakes and to cut dense vegetation.

• Compass - To determine aspect and to keep oriented.

Handheld Compass

• Notepad and a map or

aerial photo - To make useful notes about the
location of the road and potential problems.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 18

C.2 Locating The Road On A Desired Grade

1) One-person Method

a. Tie colored plastic tape eye-level to a tree, brush, limb, etc. at the starting point of the road.
b. Walk a short distance along the proposed route of the road and, using a clinometer or Abney
level, shoot back to the colored tape to determine the grade of the proposed road.
c. Move up or down the hill until the desired grade is found, and then flag this position (again
at eye-level).
d. Walk further along the proposed route and repeat the procedure above, always shooting back
on the previous tape.

2) Two-person Method

This method is similar to the above procedure except that instead of shooting back to the
previous tape, the person with the level (the "instrument-man") shoots forward out the
proposed road to another person (the "flag-man"). He directs the flag-man to move up or down
the hill and flag a position marking the desired road grade. The flag-man may mark his position
(to be the centerline of the road) with plastic survey flags, wooden stakes, paint on trees, or
colored tape. (Before using this two-person method, the instrument man should locate his eye-
level on the flag-man, and always shoot this same spot on the flag-man during the survey).

If the desired endpoint is missed after following a

predetermined fixed grade, the road locators
should work backwards from the endpoint and
connect the two surveys at the most convenient
point. It may be necessary to repeat earlier
surveys several times working in both directions
to find the best route. Nobody said it would be
easy!

C.3 Marking the Proposed Road

1) Using plastic survey flags, wooden stakes, colored tape, or paint, mark the following
clearly:

• Centerline of the road

• Location of culverts and broad-based dips
• Curves and switchbacks
• Edges of cut and fill slopes on very steep areas
• Any planned turnouts, parking, or passing areas

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 19

D. GETTING READY FOR CONSTRUCTION
• when do I start?
• what materials do I use?
• who do I get to do the work?

D.1 Setting a Schedule

1) Plan the timing of the actual road construction to occur during the milder, drier seasons
of the year.

2) Establish a construction schedule which will require that the road be completely
finished in segments of 500 feet or less.
Maximum effectiveness is insured when stone surfacing and seeding are performed while cuts
and fills are still fresh. However, if the season is not right for seeding, alternative methods to
control erosion may be necessary.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS LINE

• GRADING FINISHED • CULVERTS BEING

INSTALLED • NEXT SECTION
• GRASS SEEDED OF ROAD BEING
• FINAL GRADE BEING “ROUGHED IN”
• SURFACING DOWN SMOOTHED

0 500 100 150

LENGTH OF ROAD (IN FEET)

D.2 Obtain The Materials

1) Develop a Bill of Materials for each segment of the road.

Check early with suppliers about availability, shipping times, price, terms, and other specifics.
Be sure to specify the details on the type of materials desired. Culverts, drop inlet boxes, silt
fences, erosion control netting, fabric filter cloth, crushed stone, riprap, seed, fertilizer, lime, and
mulching materials may be needed.

2) Plan to have materials BEFORE they will actually be used.

Have you ever started a job, only to find you didn't have everything needed to finish? Failure to
have materials on hand when they are needed results in unnecessary delays. Such delays are
expensive. Planning is the key!

3) Materials to be used should be inspected upon arrival and sub-standard materials

rejected. For example, if "dimple bands" are delivered when "hugger" bands were specified,
send them back!

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 20

D.3 Hiring The Right Contractor

1) Hire a contractor who has the right equipment for the job.

Since the cost of equipment time will be a major portion of the total expense of the initial road
construction, the "right" equipment will save money. (Would you hire a carpenter by the hour
who uses a rubber hammer for driving nails?) Some type of survey equipment will be needed to
properly slope the roadbed and the cut and fill slopes. A qualified contractor will have either a
tripod or a handheld level to assure that the road is built to your specifications.

2) Hire a contractor experienced in rural road-building.

Just because a contractor has heavy equipment does not mean he can build roads. Check around
a bit:
1) Get out and look at some roads built by contractors.

2) Talk to landowners who have hired the contractor in the past.

3) Hire a contractor with an attitude toward high quality.

A competent contractor should be willing to provide references. His major concern should be to
provide you with a well-built road, not finding reasons to cut corners. He should show concern
and knowledge for every aspect of properly designing and constructing the road.

D.4 Getting Started On The Right Foot

1) Discuss your plans and specifications with the contractor.

Establish the rules. Walk over the site with the contractor. Give him a copy of the specifications
you have developed for your road and discuss each point. Resolve any questions. Consider his
suggestions, but do not allow him to change the specifications to save money (his money) at the
expense of quality (your money).

2) Agree on the dollars and “sense”.

Many earth-moving contractors insist on payment by the hour. This relieves the contractor of
any risk. Lump sum payment on a job-basis is usually advantageous to the landowner who
knows the kind of finished product he wants and maintains close supervision of the contractor's
work to insure that quality work is performed. Either payment method may be used if you are
comfortable with the arrangement. It is not always wise to pick the contractor based on price
alone. A higher price may reflect higher quality in workmanship. Compare price and quality.

3) It is advisable to have someone knowledgeable of your road specifications to supervise

or periodically check the progress of construction.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 21

This is one of the most neglected aspects of any type of construction. Supervision is imperative
to assure that you will end up with a quality road. You should become familiar with the design
requirements and schedule of the construction and make time to check work.

E. CONSTRUCTING THE ROAD

E.1 Clearing the Way for Construction

1) Clear the vegetation from a right-of-way at least wide enough for the roadbed and cut
and fill slopes.

Access roads in wooded areas require that trees and brush be removed prior to cutting in the
road. Where deep cuts or fills are required, it will be necessary to clear a wider area. At curves,
the area cleared should provide good visibility of traffic from both directions. Where snow and
ice on the roadbed may present problems, it is a good practice to remove enough vegetation to
allow maximum penetration of sunlight to the roadbed.

2) Make plans in advance to use or sell timber, pulpwood, or firewood. If many large
mature trees will be removed, consult a forester for an estimate of their value.

3) To aid in removing stumps, some bulldozer operators prefer to have the trees cut 3 or 4
feet above the ground, rather than at ground level.

4) Do not place trees or brush in areas to be covered by soil fill material!

It's impossible to compact soil adequately around brush and this leads to future unstable road
fills. Brush should be either burned, removed from the site, or piled below the toe slope of the
fill to trap sediment. Remove all trees from the area to be filled with soil.

E.2 During Construction

1) Make sure after clearing that all your flags and stakes remain and are understood by
the contractor's crew.

2) Be alert for problem areas, such as wet or unstable soils, and correct immediately as
previously discussed.

3) Do not allow the equipment to 'rough in' more than 1000 feet of road until the first 500
feet are completed.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 22

Drainage structures, such as culverts, should be installed, fill material properly compacted, and
surfacing material put down as construction progresses. Seeding should begin on segments as
soon as the grading on that segment is completed.

4) Have an agreement with the contractor that he will check with you before placing any
surfacing material (gravel or pavement).

Before surfacing the road, be sure that drainage structures are installed properly, that adequate
erosion and sediment control measures are maintained, and that the roadbed's in-sloping, out-
sloping or crowning is satisfactory.

5) Maintain close supervision and make sure your plans are followed; ask questions if
something does not look right.

F. GETTING VEGETATION ESTABLISHED

Re-establishing vegetation on disturbed soils is considered the most effective solution to

controlling erosion and loss of soil at construction sites. The cover provided by grasses and other
vegetation minimizes the impact of precipitation and slows runoff. The roots of established
vegetation forms a matrix to reinforce the soil and also promotes infiltration into the soil. These
effects decrease the water flowing along the surface and slows its velocity, thereby protecting the
soil particles from displacement and transport. The soil tends to stay in place and is not carried
away in runoff. This keeps the soil on your property to promote good vegetative cover and
protects streams and other waters from contamination with silt and other materials that might
damage the quality of the waters receiving the runoff.

Seeding to re-establish vegetation can be accomplished by several methods. Drill seeding is

probably most effective but may not be possible in many areas involved with road construction
(cuts and fills). Hand seeding can be effective if properly done and hydroseeding may be the
only way to efficiently seed steep areas. Most seeding rates are based on drill seeding
techniques. It is wise to double these rates when hand seeding and increase rates by 50% when
hydroseeding.

F.1 Hand Seeding

1) If the ground surface has become hard or crusty, scarify or roughen up the surface.
This seedbed preparation may be done with a farm tractor and disk, a garden tiller, or even a
hand rake. (The latter may be the only way possible for steep road banks or cut/fill slopes.) Do
not disturb the ground too deeply—just enough to break the surface crust.

2) Apply fertilizer per soil test:

To determine the fertilizer needs of the soil to be seeded, an analysis of nutrient content, organic
matter content, and texture should be done. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation
Field Office, the Larimer County Extension Office, or the Larimer County Engineering
Department for recommendations and advice.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 23

If native grasses are seeded they will require less fertilizer and will establish and persist on the
site much better than many commercial or introduced species. Slow-release, organic fertilizers
are recommended.

3) Use the Seeding Tables in Section F.4 to determine the proper type of vegetation for
your area. Seeding mixes and rates of application, in lbs. per acre, can be complicated to
figure out if you are not experienced. Assistance can be obtained through the Larimer
County Engineering Department, Larimer County Extension Office, NRCS District Office,
or local seed distributors.

4) Rake over the area after applying the seed to maximize seed contact with the soil. For
best results the seed should be covered with ¼” to ¾” of soil.

5) Mulch the seeded areas with 60-80 bales of straw or hay per acre. This equals about 1-
2 bales per 1000 sq. ft. This mulching technique is most effective when the material is
crimped into the soil to hold it in place. A shovel may be used on small areas.

About 25% of the ground surface should be visible after mulching. Hay is usually less expensive
than straw, however, it is more difficult and time-consuming to spread. Hay may also contain
undesirable weed seeds. It is best to use certified, weed-free, native hay.

6) Areas to be vegetated where water has a concentrated flow should have the mulch
anchored with some type of erosion control netting.

This netting, usually made of plastic or plastic-like material, sometimes filled with straw or
coconut fiber, is held to the ground by large wire staples. Properly anchored and keyed straw
bales can be effective as well. Contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office
or the Larimer County Engineering Department for more information on sources and installation
of netting and other erosion control materials.

F.2 Drill seeding

Drill seeding involves mechanically placing seed at a specified depth in the soil using specialized
machinery. This insures that the seeds are placed in full contact with the soil for proper
germination. Though very effective this method is limited to larger areas where slopes will allow
safe use of the machinery. The area should be mulched as described in the previous section.

F.3 Hydroseeding

Specify that the following materials be applied:

• Fertilizer as required from soil test.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 24

 • Suitable seed according to the rates and season on the Seeding Tables
• 2000 lbs. of wood cellulose mulch or comparable material per acre. (On slopes, a
tackifier should be added)
• Most effective when seeding done as separate operation from hydro-mulching.

F.4 Picking the proper plants

While sycamores and redwoods are beautiful trees, and rhododendrons are beautiful shrubs, they
won’t grow here. Many problems have arisen over the years with the deliberate and accidental
introduction of non-native plant species to Colorado. One hundred thirty or 10 percent of the
native plant species in Colorado have been displaced by noxious weeds. Leafy spurge and purple
loosestrife (sold as an ornamental) are spreading rapidly along waterways and in wetlands in the
county. Another problem with introduced species is that they almost always require a great deal
of water. In Colorado, as in much of the West, water is a valuable commodity. It has always
been important to conserve water in Larimer County, but with the population increasing, it has
never been more important.

One easy way to conserve water and avoid noxious weeds is to plant native species. Native
species evolve over the years and become adapted to the local conditions such as soils,
precipitation, etc.. These species have a niche (role in the ecological community) which other
parts of the ecology depend on and evolve with. Native species require far less water and
maintenance than introduced species.

For the sake of simplicity we will divide Larimer County into three areas: plains, foothills and
mountains. There are a variety of sources of native seed and planting stock but not every native
species is commercially available. The tables in Appendix B (page 33) list a variety of native
plants that are usually readily available. These lists are by no means comprehensive. The species
selected will depend on the site characteristics. Further guidance in seeding can be obtained
from your local NRCS Field Office, the Larimer County Extension Office or the Larimer County
Engineering Department.

The Colorado State Forest Service has two excellent guides for selecting and planting trees:
“Trees for Conservation: A Buyer’s Guide” and “Trees for Conservation: Planning, Planting and
Care.” Both are available from the Colorado State Forest Service or the NRCS.

G. MAINTENANCE

Even the best planned and constructed roads will require some maintenance.

G.1 Maintaining Your Investment

1) Schedule periodic inspections of the entire road in early March and August, as well as
after large storms.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 25

A suggested method is to walk the entire length of the road examining culverts, cut slopes, and
the road bed itself. Make sure the drainage dips and cross-sloping are still functioning and the
roadbed is free of ruts and ridges. Then walk back along the toe of the fill slope examining the
drainage outlets and the general condition of the fill slope.

2) Any blockage or damage to culverts or drainage. Structures should be repaired

immediately.

3) Bare or eroding areas should be reseeded according to Section F or stabilized by some

other means.

Where repairs are made in mid-winter, it may be best to only mulch the disturbed areas and
perform the seeding later in the proper season. Rills 10 inches or less in size can be reshaped
with hand tools. Larger rills or gullies will require that additional fill be hauled in and some may
require machine shaping. Be sure to compact new fill very well to prevent it from being washed
out by subsequent rains. At culvert outlets, rock riprap, underlain by fabric filter cloth, may be
needed.

4) Maintain all vegetation along roads (including road shoulders, cut and fill slopes, and
other areas as follows:

Apply fertili1izer annually per soil test if vegetation is not responding well. It is advisable to
obtain an opinion and recommendations from a professional in these cases. Over fertilizing can
harm vegetation, encourage weeds, and cause contamination of runoff water.

5) Trim back or remove vegetation that crowds the roadway, Prevents surface water from
flowing freely to drainage structures, or shades problem areas.

6) With vehicle travel, road surfacing materials such as gravel will be worked off the
roadway. From time to time it will be necessary to grade the road to bring the material
back to the roadway. Some reshaping may be necessary to maintain proper cross slopes or
crowns.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 26

 APPENDIX A

ESTIMATING STORM WATER FLOW

AND

SIZING CULVERTS

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 27

 Estimating Stormwater Flow and Sizing Culverts
One of the most important exercises in planning a new road is estimating the expected flows from drainages you will cross with your road.
You must have this information to properly size culverts to be placed in the drainage. Larimer County requires culverts in rural driveways
to be sized to accommodate at least a 10-year storm event. The following guidelines will assist you in calculating the flow of water you
could expect in a particular drainage in such events. If you have trouble working through this exercise, contact the Larimer County
Engineering Department for help or consult a professional engineer. Underestimating the culvert may compromise an costly road project
and overestimating will add unnecessary cost to the construction.

1) Estimate the drainage area (A). This is the number of acres of the drainage basin above the road that will drain to the point at which the
culvert is to be placed. The simplest way to do this is to outline the basin on the topography map on which you have plotted the road
alignment. Then estimate the square feet in the basin and divide by 43,560. This is the area, in acres, which will drain through the
proposed culvert. The number will be used in a formula later to calculate the expected flow of water from the storm event.

2) Calculate the slope of the drainage using the following formula:

S = E/L x 100,
where S = drainage slope, in percent
E = elevation difference
L = length of the basin above your road

The numbers to be used in the formula are found by following three steps:

a) Measure the length (L) of the basin from the top to the point at which the culvert is to be placed.

b) Subtract the elevation at the culvert from the elevation at the highest point in the basin. This is the difference in elevation (E).

c) Divide the difference in elevation (E) by the basin length (L). Multiply this number by 100. This is the percent slope (S) of
the basin drainage.

3) Estimate the type of terrain in the basin from the following table. From Table 1 pick the appropriate numbers (C’)coinciding with the
best description of the land within the basin area. You should end up with three numbers - one for topography, one for soil type, and one
for cover. Add these together and subtract the sum from 1.0. This is the runoff coefficient (C).
1.0 - (C’topo + C’soil + C’cover) = C

4) Calculate the “time of concentration” (TC) for the basin feeding your culvert. The following formula can be used:
TC = 1.87(1.1-C)D2
Sα
where TC = time of concentration, in minutes
C = Runoff coefficient
S = Slope of the basin drainage, in percent
D = Length of basin, in feet

5) Calculate the rainfall intensity (I) for the time of concentration ,which you calculated above, using the following formula:
I = PCT
where, P = 1- hour precipitation amount for the site location, in inches
CT = Factor for times of concentration
less than one hour (see table 3)

P can be determined by finding your location on the map of Larimer County (Fig.1) and picking the number coinciding with the line
nearest your location. For instance, Red Feather Lakes indicates a 1-hour rainfall of 1.4 inches for a 10-year storm event.

6) Calculate the maximum rate of runoff (Q) for the drainage feeding the culvert with the following formula:
Q = CIA
where, Q = maximum rate of runoff, in cubic feet per second
C = runoff coefficient
I = rainfall intensity during the time of concentration, in inches per hour
A = Area of the drainage basin

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 28

7) Pick the proper size culvert for this location using the nomograph on page 16 (Fig.2). Here’s how you do it. On the right side is a
vertical line titled “Headwater Depth in Diameters”. Pick the mark on that line marked 1.5. Next, find the rate of discharge (Q) you just
calculated on the middle line. With a straight edge draw a line through these two points to the line on the left titled “Diameter of Culvert”.
The mark on this line nearest the line you drew will tell you the proper size culvert to install. If the line crosses between two numbers, you
should pick the larger number.

Example:
The location of your land is just west of Drake, where the star can be seen on Figure 1. On a topo map the drainage above your proposed
culvert location measures an average width of 600 ft. and it is 1500 feet from the top of the drainage basin to the spot at which your road
will cross. The elevation at the top of the drainage is 8120 ft. and where the road crosses the drainage the elevation is 7930 ft.

1) Calculate the area of the drainage basin (A):

A = 600 ft. x 1500 ft. = 900,000 ft.2 ) 43,560 ft.2 /acre = 20.7 acres

2) Calculate the slope (S) of the drainageway:

S = (8120 ft. - 7930 ft.) ) 1500 ft x 100 = 12.6%

3) The drainage basin is in forest and the soil appears sandy. The slopes in the drainage are moderately steep (25%). From Table 1 the
runoff coefficient factors (C’) are .025 (topography), .40 (soil), and .20 (cover). Adding these numbers and subtracting the result from 1.0
yields a runoff coefficient (C) of 0.375.

C = 1.0 - (.20 + .40 + .025) = 1.0 - .625 = .375

4) Calculate the Time of Concentration (Tc ) for the basin above your culvert location using the slope (S) and runoff coefficient numbers
you have calculated above:

Tc = 1.87(1.1 - C)(length of basin)2 = 1.87(1.1 - .375)(1500 ft.) 2 = 52.51 = 22.5 minutes

Sα 12.6α 2.33

5) Calculate the rainfall intensity (I):

From Figure 1, the one hour precipitation amount for a ten year storm event in your area is about 1.6 inches. You
calculated a time of concentration of 22.5 minutes. To adjust the precipitation amount to this time interval, you should
multiply by .68 since the time is halfway between the 15 minute and 30 minute intervals. (See Table 3)
I = 1.6 inches x .68 = 1.09 inches

6) Now you can calculate the maximum rate of runoff (Q) for the drainage as follows:

Q = C x I x A = .375 x 1.09 x 20.7 = 8.46 cubic feet per second

Note: if you wish to design the culvert to accommodate a storm event of greater magnitude use the factors (Cf) from Table 2 to adjust Q in
the equation.
The equation now becomes: Q = C x Cf x I x A
For a 100 year event, Cf is 1.25, so : Q = .375 x 1.25 x 1.09 x 20.7 = 10.58 cfs

7) Size the culvert:

Using Figure 2, line up the 1.0 headwater depth mark and your calculated 8.5 cfs discharge (Q) with a straight edge. Draw a line
through these two points and find the culvert size on the left-hand vertical line. In this case the line crosses very close to the 21 inch
diameter mark. This is the size of culvert you should place in the drainage.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 29

Table 1.
Factors for figuring C values
Description of Area C’value
Topography
Flat land, 0-3% slopes .25
Hilly land, 4-10% slopes .10
Steep land, 11%+ slopes .025
Soils
Tight, impervious clay .10
Medium, combination of clay & loam .20
Open, sandy loam .40
Cover
Cultivated lands .10
Woodlands .20
Grassland .25

Table 2.
Factors for adjusting Q to storm events greater than 10 year event
Event Cf
25 year storm 1.1
50 year storm 1.2
100 year storm 1.25

Table 3.
Factors to adjust precipitation amount to time interval less than one hour

Duration (minutes) : 5 10 15 30

Ratio to 1 hour : 0.29 0.45 0.57 0.79

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 30

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 31
 EXAMPLE:

D = 21 inches
Q = 8.46 cfs

1.0 1.75

*D in feet

EXAMPLE

Figure 2. CULVERT DIAMETER FOR CORRUGATED METAL PIPE CULVERTS WITH INLET
CONTROL (Adopted from: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Public Roads, Dec. 1965)

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 32

 APPENDIX B

PLANT MATERIALS

FOR

REVEGETATING DISTURBED SITES

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 33

PLAINS SPECIES

Grasses
Pounds of *PLS per acre **Percent
Species of mix
blue grama 3 10-20
sideoats grama 9 20-40+
western wheatgrass 16 30-50+
green needlegrass 10 5-20
switchgrass 5 0-20
big bluestem 11 0-10
yellow indiangrass 10 0-10
little bluestem 7 0-10
buffalograss 6 0-10
alkali sacaton 2 10-25
(for saline & salty areas)

*PLS = Pure Live Seed - the portion of the seed that is a live seed of the desired kind
**Percent of mix - ranges are suggested percentages and by no means absolute

Shrubs

cotoneaster honeysuckle chokecherry

lilac native plum sand cherry
Woods rose four-wing saltbush buffaloberry
winterfat rubber rabbitbrush

Trees

green ash cottonwood golden willow

hackberry honeylocust Colorado blue spruce
eastern red cedar ponderosa pine Rocky Mountain juniper
narrowleaf cottonwood

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 34

FOOTHILLS SPECIES

Grasses
Pounds of *PLS per acre **Percent
Species of mix
blue grama 3 5-20
sideoats grama 9 20-50
western wheatgrass 16 20-40
green needlegrass 10 5-20
switchgrass 45 0-20
big bluestem 11 0-15
yellow indiangrass 10 0-10
little bluestem 7 5-15
Consider the following species for severely disturbed sites where
quick establishment is critical.
streambank wheatgrass 11
prairie sandreed 6
1
hard fescue 4
1
Canada bluegrass 3
1
annual ryegrass 10

*PLS = Pure Live Seed - the portion of the seed that is a live seed of the desired kind
**Percent of mix - ranges are suggested percentages and by no means absolute
1
Introduced species

Shrubs

honeysuckle chokecherry lilac

skunkbush sumac Woods rose buffaloberry
golden currant serviceberry mountain mahogany
red-osier dogwood rubber rabbitbrush

Trees

eastern red cedar Rocky Mountain juniper ponderosa pine

pinon pine narrowleaf cottonwood

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 35

MOUNTAIN SPECIES

Grasses
Pounds of *PLS per acre **Percent
Species of mix
mountain brome 19 0-20
needleand thread 15 0-15
slender wheatgrass 11 5-10
western wheatgrass 16 5-15
Sandberg bluegrass 3 0-10
bluebunch wheatgrass 14 5-15
Indian ricegrass 13 0-5
big bluegrass 3 0-10
streambank wheatgrass 11 0-25
Consider these species for severely disturbed areas where
quick establishment is critical.
thickspike wheatgrass 11
1
intermediate wheatgrass 15
1
hard fescue 4
1
Canada bluegrass 3
1
timothy 2

*PLS = Pure Live Seed - the portion of the seed that is a live seed of the desired kind
**Percent of mix - ranges are suggested percentages and by no means absolute
1
Introduced species

Shrubs

shrubby ciuquefoil Woods rose common juniper

thimbleberry wax currant skunkbush sumac
golden currant chokecherry buffaloberry
mountain mahogany serviceberry snowberry
bitterbrush holly grape kinnickinnick

Trees

ponderosa pine Colorado blue spruce Douglas fir

Engelmann spruce lodgepole pine white fir
bristlecone pine aspen alder

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 36

 WILDFLOWERS

Another way of adding color to an area while keeping maintenance to a minimum is to seed wildflowers.
Like native grasses, native wildflowers will thrive in areas where other commercial species will not.
Many species have the additional benefit of being perennials. To determine which wildflowers are
indigenous to your area, refer to “Wildflowers of America,” by H. W. Rickett (an 11-volume series
available at your local library). Below are some suggested wildflowers.

PLAINS
yarrow lance leaved coreopsis plains coreopsis
perennial gaillardia annual gaillardia baby’s breath
blue flax prairie coneflower smooth aster
New England aster golden aster prairie aster
blazing star/gayfeather scarlet globemallow plains wallflower

FOOTHILLS
pasque flower silky lupine (poisonous to sheep) Indian paintbrush
sulphur flower perennial lupine (poisonous to sheep) blue flax
yarrow blazing star/gayfeather harebell
low fleabane plains wallflower penstemon

MOUNTAINS
pasque flower Colorado blue columbine sulphur flower
rose pussytoes Indian paintbrush baby’s breath
bellflower wallflower fleabane daisy
perennial gaillardia silky lupine (poisonous to sheep) dame’s rocket
blue flax perennial lupine (poisonous to sheep) penstemmon
catchfly yarrow Rocky Mountain iris
arrowleaf balsam

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 37

REFERENCES

Darrach, Alfred G.
1981, Building Water Pollution Control Into Small Private Forest and
Ranchland Roads
USDA Forest Service, Portland, Oregon

Dellberg, Robert A.
1982, Roadbuilding Guide for Small Private Roads
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Ukiah, California

Fusaro, John
USDA Soil Conservation Service
Fort Collins Soil Conservation District
Big Thompson Soil Conservation District
Living in Rural Larimer County - An Owner’s Manual

Haussman, Richard F. and Emerson W. Pruett

1978, Permanent Logging Roads for Better Woodlot Management
NA-FR- 1 8
USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area

Kochenderfer, James N.
1970, Erosion Control on Logging Roads in the Appalachians
USDA Forest Service Research Paper NE- 158
USDA Forest Experiment Station

Larmer County Engineering Department

1979. Larimer County Stormwater Management Manual.

USDA Soil Conservation Service

North Carolina Technical Guide Section IV
Standards and Specifications
Practice Standard No. 560 - Access Roads
October 1979

Acknowledgment

The authors have drawn freely from the publications listed. The reader is encouraged to consult these
publications if detailed information beyond the scope of this booklet is desired.

Private Access Road Construction in Larimer County 38