Gravel Delivery in New Mexico

The state geologic map shows unconsolidated alluvium at the center point of Las Cruces. Alluvium is loose sand, gravel and silt carried down by water and dropped where the flow slowed. In dry country it builds up in broad fans at the foot of mountains and along river valleys, and it can be many feet deep. Pits in deposits like that yield round gravel, washed sand and cobbles that are run through crushers to make angular stone.^[1]

Gravel washed out of mixed mountain rock comes in many colors, from tan and rose to grey and black, which suits decorative yards. River cobbles crushed into smaller pieces gain sharp faces and lock together well enough for a base. Round stone left as it came from the ground looks good in a bed or a dry wash, and it rolls underfoot and under tires.^[1]

Surface soil at all three points is sandy. The USDA soil survey reads loamy sand at the Las Cruces center point, classed somewhat excessively drained. Rio Rancho's center point shows loamy fine sand, classed well drained. Sand like this takes water in fast and lets it go fast. It makes a firm, free draining base for stone, and a dry, lean ground for plants that needs help to hold moisture.^[2]

Ground height is high across the three cities. Rio Rancho's center point stands 5,820 feet above sea level, the highest of the group. Albuquerque's reads 4,970 feet, and Las Cruces sits at 3,990 feet. Each figure is one spot on the map, and lots on a mesa edge or down in an arroyo can sit well above or below it.^[3]

The New Mexico Department of Transportation sets its rules for the layer of stone under its pavements as Base Course, Type I, Section 303, in the 2019 Edition of its Standard Specifications for Highway and Bridge Construction, as later modified by a special provision.^[4]

On a home job, sandy desert soil drains well and carries a load when it is compacted, so a gravel drive here can be built with less digging than on clay. Loose sand still shifts when it is dry, so the base needs angular stone with enough fines to bind, and it needs to be rolled or tamped firm.^[2]

Rain seldom stops a delivery here. The weather station used for Rio Rancho averages 9.5 inches of precipitation a year, the one for Las Cruces 9.1 inches and the one for Albuquerque 8.8 inches. Much of it can arrive in short, hard summer storms. On those days, water runs across hard ground and down washes fast, and a sandy yard that was firm in the morning can be soft at the low spots by afternoon.^[5]

Cold days are more common than many visitors expect. Rio Rancho's station logs 116 days a year at 32 F or colder, Albuquerque's 93 days and Las Cruces's 69 days. Most of those are cold nights followed by mild, sunny afternoons. Snow is light: the Albuquerque station averages 7.9 inches a year and the Las Cruces station 1.0 inches. A winter delivery is rarely held up for long.^[5]

Loose sand is the main access problem. A heavy truck can bog down in deep, dry sand just as it can in wet clay, and an unpaved lot or a soft shoulder can trap a wheel. Pick a drop spot on pavement, packed gravel or firm caliche, and tell Gravel Valet about any dirt road, steep driveway or tight gate on the way in.^[2]

Wind is the other factor. Fine sand and soil blow off a pile on a gusty spring day, so cover Mason Sand, Playground Sand, Topsoil and Garden Soil with a tarp if they will sit before you spread them. Stone piles stay put. Keep any pile clear of a wash or a low corner of the lot, where a summer storm could carry the fines away.^[5]

Check overhead before the truck backs in. A dump bed rises high when it tips, and utility lines, carports, portal roofs and trees near the drop spot can block it. An open spot with firm ground below and clear sky above makes the delivery quick.^[3]

Many buyers here swap a lawn for stone. Pull the grass, lay a weed barrier fabric, and cover the ground with River Rock, Pea Gravel, 3/4" Crushed Stone or Decomposed Granite. With yearly precipitation of 9.5 inches or less at all three stations, a stone yard needs no watering and stays neat for years. A layer of Decomposed Granite packs into a firm surface for paths and seating areas between beds. Edge each area with steel or stone so the gravel stays out of the beds and off the walks.^[5]

Gravel driveways suit sandy ground. On the loamy fine sand read at the Rio Rancho center point, grade and compact the subgrade, then build a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete. Finish with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. Fabric is less needed on well drained sand, but it helps where wind blown sand would work into the stone. Crown the surface so storm water runs to the edges.^[2]

Storm water control is the main drainage job. Short, heavy storms can cut channels across a yard or a drive. A dry wash lined with River Rock and edged with Riprap carries water through a yard and looks like a natural arroyo. A trench of Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone at the foot of a roof line takes the flow from a canale or a downspout and lets the sand soak it up.^[2],[5]

Garden beds need help holding water. The somewhat excessively drained loamy sand at the Las Cruces center point lets water pass quickly. Mix Compost or Garden Soil into the top of a bed and cover it with Brown Shredded Mulch or Wood Chips to cut evaporation. In a desert bed, a stone mulch of Pea Gravel or River Rock around cactus and other dry country plants also works.^[2]

Patios and play areas use finer material. Pavers sit on compacted Road Base with a bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings. A patio of packed Decomposed Granite needs no pavers at all. Playground Sand and Wood Chips go under swings, and Fill Dirt or Fill Sand handle rough grading on an uneven lot.^[2]