Gravel Delivery in Mississippi

Soft, young sediment lies under our Mississippi cities. At the Jackson center point the geologic map lists clay, sand and marl. Marl is a soft, limy clay that can feel greasy when wet. Southaven reads sand, clay and quartzite. Long Beach, on the coast, reads fine alluvium and coarse alluvium, which is material spread by rivers and streams.^[1]

Ground like this holds plenty of sand and round gravel but little hard bedrock near the surface. For a buyer, that means two things. Sand and round stone suit beds, paths and drains. Anything that carries a car needs crushed stone brought in, because crushed pieces have sharp faces that lock together, while round pieces keep rolling. #57 Crushed Stone, 3/4" Crushed Stone, Road Base and Crushed Concrete all lock when packed.^[1]

The USDA soil survey maps silt loam at the Jackson and Southaven center points and fine sandy loam at Long Beach. All three are classed moderately well drained. That class means water soaks in, but slowly enough that the top can stay wet for a while after a big rain. Silt loam softens when soaked, and a boot can sink into it after a long rain. Fine sandy loam drains a little faster and packs firmly once confined, which makes it a friendlier subgrade for a patio or a walk. Neither one carries a car well on its own.^[2]

Clay and marl in the rock mix at Jackson are worth a note. Clay-rich ground can swell when it takes on water and shrink as it dries, and a thin base laid straight on it can crack or sag over time. A woven fabric between the soil and the stone, plus a thicker base, keeps a drive or patio level through wet and dry spells.^[1]

The Jackson and Southaven center points both stand 270 feet above sea level. Long Beach reads 20 feet. Each figure is one spot on a map, so a single lot can sit higher or lower. On flat, low ground, even a slight dip can hold water after a storm, so walk your yard after a rain before you set a grade.^[3]

Rain drives the plan. The weather station used for Long Beach averages 68.2 inches of precipitation a year. Southaven's station averages 54.9 inches and Jackson's 51.3 inches. On moderately well drained silt loam, a lawn can stay soft for a day or more after a storm, and a loaded dump truck can leave deep ruts.^[2],[4]

Pick a firm drop spot for that reason. A concrete driveway, a parking pad or the street side of the drive can take a full truck in any weather. If the stone must land on grass, wait for a few dry days and choose the highest part of the yard. A tarp or plywood under the pile keeps fines out of the turf.^[4]

Cold seldom gets in the way. The Southaven station logs 44 days a year at 32 F or colder, Jackson 32 days and Long Beach 13 days. Snow is rare: the Southaven station averages 2.7 inches a year and Long Beach 0.2 inches. Most frosty mornings warm up quickly, so a winter delivery runs much like one in spring. A wet winter week is a bigger problem than a cold one, since soft ground stops a truck and frozen ground carries one.^[4]

Check access before the truck comes. A dump bed rises high to unload, so look for power lines, low oak limbs and carport roofs over the drop spot. Soft road shoulders, ditches beside the drive and tight gates can limit where a truck can go. Tell Gravel Valet about any of these when you order.^[3]

Plan for runoff from the pile. Fines in Road Base and Stone Dust Screenings can wash out in a heavy downpour and drift onto pavement or into a ditch. Cover a pile you will not spread the same week, or set it where any runoff flows onto grass. Clean stone such as Drain Rock sheds little.^[4]

Driveways come first. On the silt loam at the Jackson and Southaven center points, dig out the sod and soft topsoil, lay woven fabric and pack Road Base or Crushed Concrete in thin lifts. Finish with Driveway Gravel or #57 Crushed Stone. Build the surface a little above the yard and crown it so rain runs off the sides.^[2]

Drainage is the next big job. With 68.2 inches of precipitation a year at the Long Beach station, low yards and wet side lots are common. A French drain filled with Drain Rock around a perforated pipe, wrapped in fabric, moves water under the lawn. A swale lined with River Rock carries water across the surface. Riprap keeps a ditch outlet from washing out.^[4]

Pads for sheds, trailers and boats work like a small driveway. Frame the area, lay fabric and fill it with 3/4" Crushed Stone or #57 Crushed Stone. The clean stone lets water drain from under the floor and keeps wood off wet ground. On the fine sandy loam at the Long Beach center point, the subgrade drains a little better, and the same build still applies.^[2]

Long gravel lanes and farm drives are common outside town. For a long run, the lower course can be Crushed Concrete or Asphalt Millings, with Driveway Gravel on top. Where the lane crosses a low spot or a ditch, set a culvert in #57 Crushed Stone and armor each end with Riprap so storm water cannot cut around it. A crowned surface with shallow ditches on both sides keeps the lane firm through a wet season.^[4]

Garden beds do well raised up. Fill them with Garden Soil or Topsoil and mix in Compost. A cover of Brown Shredded Mulch, Red Mulch or Wood Chips shades the soil in summer and slows weeds. In a wet climate, mulch breaks down faster, so plan to add more each year.^[4]

Patios and walks use the finer products. Pavers need a compacted base of Road Base and a thin bed of Concrete Sand to set them level. Pea Gravel and Walkway Gravel make a path that drains fast after a storm. Playground Sand fills a sandbox, and Fill Sand or Fill Dirt raises a low spot first. Edge each path with metal or stone so the gravel does not drift into the lawn during a storm. Our area calculator turns each layer into tons.^[2]