Gravel Delivery in Nevada

The state geologic map shows coarse alluvium and fine alluvium at the center points of both Reno and Sparks. Alluvium is loose rock, gravel, sand and silt washed down from the surrounding mountains and spread across the valley floor. Coarse layers lie where the water ran fast, near the mountain fronts, and fine layers where it slowed toward the middle of a valley.^[1]

In the south, Henderson's center point reads sedimentary and volcanic rock. Volcanic rock can be dark and dense, and some kinds are light and full of small holes. Mixed with sedimentary layers, it gives the area stone in a wide range of colors. Desert pits work deposits like these for washed gravel, sand and cobbles, and crush the larger pieces into angular stone for bases.^[1]

Soil changes from city to city. The USDA soil survey reads silt loam at the Las Vegas center point, classed somewhat poorly drained, and silt loam at the North Las Vegas center point, classed well drained. Henderson's center point shows extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, well drained. Reno's reads bouldery sandy loam, well drained. Sparks stands out with silty clay, classed moderately well drained.^[2]

Each of those soils digs in its own way. Cobbly and bouldery ground, like the readings at Henderson and Reno, is hard to dig and level, and large stones may need to come out before a base goes down. Silt loam packs firm when dry and turns to fine dust under traffic. Silty clay, like the Sparks reading, swells when it is wet and shrinks as it dries, so a base on it needs fabric and extra depth.^[2]

Ground height splits the state in two as well. Reno's center point stands 4,490 feet above sea level and Sparks's 4,400 feet. In the south, Henderson's center point reads 2,250 feet, North Las Vegas's 1,930 feet and Las Vegas's 1,900 feet. Each figure is one spot, and lots on a hillside can sit well above it.^[3]

Dry weather makes most deliveries easy. The weather station used for Las Vegas averages 4.3 inches of precipitation a year, and the North Las Vegas station reads the same 4.3 inches. Henderson's station logs 6.5 inches. In the north, Sparks's station reads 8.4 inches and Reno's 8.1 inches. A truck can reach most yards on firm, dry ground for most of the year.^[4]

Cold separates north from south. The Sparks station logs 141 days a year at 32 F or colder and the Reno station 102 days. In the south, the stations for Las Vegas and North Las Vegas each log 18 days, and Henderson's only 5 days. Snow follows the same pattern: Reno's station averages 29.7 inches a year and Sparks's 6.8 inches, while the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas stations each read 0.0 inches.^[4]

In Reno and Sparks, plan winter loads around snow. Clear the drop spot and mark the edges of a drive before the truck comes. On the silty clay at the Sparks center point, a thaw can turn a firm yard soft for a few days, so ask for the drop on pavement when the ground is wet.^[2],[4]

In the south, heat and space are the issues. Many lots are small, with block walls, narrow side gates and rock yards already in place. A dump truck may only reach the driveway or the street, and the stone then goes to the back by wheelbarrow. Tell Gravel Valet about gates, slopes, overhead lines and any covered parking, since a raised dump bed needs open sky above it.^[2]

Plan for dust. Silt loam, like the readings at Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, turns to fine powder when it is disturbed, and wind carries it. A tarp under and over a pile of Topsoil, Garden Soil or Playground Sand keeps the material clean and the neighbors happy until it is spread.^[2]

Desert landscaping is the most common job in the southern cities. Remove the turf, lay a weed barrier fabric, and cover the yard with 3/4" Crushed Stone, River Rock, Pea Gravel or Decomposed Granite. With 4.3 inches of yearly precipitation at the Las Vegas station, a stone yard needs no watering and stays clean with an occasional raking. Larger Riprap boulders give a yard shape and frame planting areas. Keep the stone a little below the edge of walks and patios, so foot traffic does not kick it onto the pavement, and rake the high spots back into the low ones after a windy week.^[4]

Gravel driveways and RV pads come next. On the well drained silt loam at the North Las Vegas center point, compact the subgrade, add a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete, and finish with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. Fabric keeps fine silt from working up into the stone. For a parking pad beside the house, Asphalt Millings pack into a hard, dark surface.^[2]

In Sparks, the silty clay at the center point calls for a heavier build. Lay a woven fabric on the graded clay, start with a coarse layer of #4 Crushed Stone or 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel, then compact Road Base on top. With 141 days at 32 F or colder logged at the Sparks station, a base that drains keeps frost from lifting the drive. Reno's bouldery sandy loam drains far better, and a drive there can often skip the coarse layer once the big stones are cleared and the ground is rolled firm.^[2],[4]

Flash flood control matters even in dry places. Short summer storms can send water across hard ground fast. A dry wash lined with River Rock and edged with Riprap carries that water through a yard. A trench of Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone at a roof edge catches runoff before it cuts into the ground beside a slab.^[4]

Planting beds need soil brought in. Cobbly and bouldery ground like the Henderson and Reno readings leaves little room for roots, so build beds up with Garden Soil or Topsoil and mix in Compost. Cover them with Wood Chips or Brown Shredded Mulch to slow drying, or with a stone mulch of Pea Gravel around desert plants. Pavers on Road Base with a bed of Concrete Sand finish a patio, and Playground Sand fits under a play set.^[2]