Gravel, Stone and Soil Delivery in Liberal, KS

Old dune sand under the plains

The geologic map places the center point of ZIP 67901 on Dune Sand of Pleistocene age. The unit is listed as sand, laid down by wind long ago and now held in place by grass and soil.^[1]

The USDA soil survey maps the Eva-Optima-Dalhart complex, 0 to 5 percent slopes, at that point. A complex mixes several soils too closely to map apart. Eva is the main one, making up 35 percent of the unit, with Optima and Dalhart named in the unit as well.^[2]

The top mineral layer is loamy fine sand. It is rated somewhat excessively drained and falls in hydrologic group A, the class where water soaks in fast and little runs off. Rain disappears into this ground almost as soon as it lands.^[2]

Shrink-swell in the top 100 cm is low, at 0.8 percent. Sand hardly changes volume with moisture, so the ground itself will not heave a drive or a walk. The ground at the center point is about 2,900 feet above sea level.^[2],[3]

Weather at the Liberal gauge

The NOAA normals station at Liberal, KS, about 7 miles away, averages 21.1 inches of precipitation a year. That is a semi-dry total for the plains. Much of the year the sandy topsoil is dry and loose.^[4]

Snowfall at the gauge averages 14.4 inches a year. Wind on open ground can drift it against fences and buildings, and melt from those drifts soaks into the sand quickly.^[4]

The station counts 128 days a year when the low reaches 32 F or colder. Water caught in fines inside a base can freeze and lift it, so keep a drive base clean and well drained.^[4]

The median last spring freeze at the Liberal gauge comes on April 20, and the median first fall freeze on October 24. Tender plants wait until after the April date. Fall mulch should be down before late October.^[4]

Building on loose sand

Sand drains fast but shifts under a wheel. Loamy fine sand has little binder, so tires dig ruts in it and loose stone sinks in. A drive here needs a base that holds itself together.^[2]

Strip the grass and roots, then wet and compact the sand. Lay a fabric over it to keep the stone separate from the sand below. The fabric stops the base from sinking as the sand shifts.^[2]

Road Base is the main layer. Its fines fill gaps between the angular pieces and bind them, which is what loose sand lacks. Wet each lift before rolling, since dry Road Base will not pack well in a place with only 21.1 inches of yearly precipitation.^[4]

Top the drive with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. For a long farm lane, Asphalt Millings bind into a firm, darker surface that also helps snow melt on sunny days. Edge any loose stone with larger rock so it does not spread into the sand.^[4]

Wind, dust and open yards

Bare sand on windy plains blows. Cover open ground near the house with stone or mulch to keep it in place. Pea Gravel, River Rock and #57 Crushed Stone all stay put in a strong wind, while light chips can blow away.^[1],[2]

A gravel yard or a parking area over fabric stops sand from lifting and keeps weeds down. Decomposed Granite packs into a firm, dust free surface when wetted and rolled, a good choice for paths and patios in this climate.^[2]

Where you want a windbreak or a row of shrubs, dig wide planting holes and backfill with Garden Soil mixed with the native sand. That holds more water near the roots than sand alone. Cover the ground with Wood Chips, which are heavier than shredded bark, and set a stone edge so wind cannot scour them out.^[2]

Snow, drifts and a crowned surface

Snow on open plains seldom lies flat. It piles in drifts against anything that breaks the wind, then melts off in a few sunny days. A gravel drive with a gentle crown sheds that melt to its edges before it can soak the base.^[4]

Plowing a gravel drive takes some care. Set the blade a little high or use skid shoes so it rides over the stone instead of scraping it into the ditch. Each spring, rake back any stone that ended up on the shoulders. Pile plowed snow on the downhill side of the drive where you can, so its melt runs away from the base and from the house. A sandy shoulder takes that water in quickly.^[4]

With 128 freezing nights a year at the Liberal gauge, a base full of fines can trap water and lift. Clean stone like 3/4" Crushed Stone on top, over a well compacted base, lets melt water drain down and out instead of freezing in place.^[4]

Pea Gravel or angular stone on sand

Two stones are often weighed against each other for yards on sandy ground. Pea Gravel is round, smooth and easy to rake. 3/4" Crushed Stone is angular and rough. The difference matters more on loose sand than on firm soil.^[2]

Round stone rolls under foot and under tires, and on sand it sinks unevenly. Angular stone locks with its neighbors and forms a mat that spreads weight. For a drive, a parking spot or a trailer pad, choose 3/4" Crushed Stone or #57 Crushed Stone.^[2]

Pea Gravel still has a place. Use it for a path, a dog run or a play area, held in a firm edge over fabric. A steel or timber border set a little proud of the surface keeps the stone from creeping out into the lawn. Its smooth surface is gentle on paws and bare feet, and it drains as fast as the group A sand below.^[2]

Beds and homes in ZIP 67901

Group A sand lets water through quickly, so beds dry out fast. Raise beds and fill them with Garden Soil or Topsoil to hold moisture. A layer of Brown Shredded Mulch or Black Shredded Mulch keeps the surface from drying and blowing.^[2]

The Census counts 7,954 housing units in ZIP 67901 and 7,444 units in the City of Liberal. Detached single-family houses make up 65 percent of homes in both the ZIP and the city.^[5]

The median home in the ZIP was built in 1974, and the city median is 1973. Owners live in 61 percent of occupied homes in ZIP 67901. Many drives from that period have lost their top stone into the sand and need a new base before a fresh top layer.^[5]