Gravel Delivery in Utah

The northern cities sit on land built up from sediment. The USDA soil survey reads very fine sandy loam at the West Valley City center point, classed well drained. The West Jordan center point shows gravelly loam, also well drained. Soils like these were laid down by water and wind on the floor of a wide valley below the mountains.^[1]

Valley fill of this kind is the source of much of the sand and gravel used in building. Streams that leave the mountains drop their coarse load first, so gravel beds form near the canyon mouths and finer sand and silt settle further out. Pits in those deposits give round gravel, washed sand and cobbles. Crushing the larger rock gives the angular stone a base needs.^[1]

The two soils behave in different ways under a shovel. Very fine sandy loam, like the West Valley City reading, is smooth and can turn to powder when dry and to soft paste when soaked. Gravelly loam, like the West Jordan reading, already holds stone, so it packs firm and drains fast. On the first, a fabric and a full layer of base help. On the second, the ground itself gives a good start.^[1]

Ground height runs high here. The ground at the West Jordan center point stands 4,940 feet above sea level. Provo's center point reads 4,490 feet, and West Valley City's 4,250 feet. Each figure is one spot on the map. A lot on a bench or a hillside above the valley floor can sit much higher.^[2]

Gravel from mixed mountain rock comes in many colors, from tan and grey to red and black. That mix suits decorative yards, and many buyers in dry country want stone that matches the hills around them. Crushed stone from hard rock lasts longest on a drive. Round stone from a stream bed looks good in a bed and rolls underfoot.^[1]

Rain is light at every station. The weather stations used for West Valley City and West Jordan each average 17.7 inches of precipitation a year, Provo's 17.2 inches and Saint George's 14.2 inches. Dry ground is firm ground, so most deliveries meet hard, dusty soil. A summer storm can still soften a low corner of a yard for a short time.^[3]

Snow is the bigger factor in the north. The West Valley City station averages 49.0 inches of snow a year, and Provo's 44.9 inches. West Jordan's station records 23.0 inches, and Saint George's 10.8 inches. A drive buried in snow or glazed with ice is hard for a loaded truck to climb, so clear the path and the drop spot before a winter delivery.^[3]

Cold nights are common. The Provo station counts 111 days a year at 32 F or colder. Saint George's station logs 98 days, West Jordan's 97 days and West Valley City's 81 days. Frozen ground carries a truck well in the early morning. When a sunny day thaws the top inch, the surface can turn slick and soft until it dries.^[3]

Wind and dust are part of dry country. Fine sand, Topsoil and Garden Soil can blow off a pile on a gusty day, so cover them with a tarp if they will sit before you spread them. Stone stays put. On very fine sandy loam, like the West Valley City center point reading, a tarp under the pile keeps the soil below clean too.^[1]

Pick a drop spot that is level, firm and open to the sky. A dump bed rises high as it tips, so stay clear of power lines, carports and trees. Tell Gravel Valet about a steep drive, a narrow gate or a tight turn at the end of a cul de sac. On a lot that climbs well above the 4,940 feet read at the West Jordan center point, a long grade may change where the truck can stop.^[2]

Many owners here plant a water wise yard. With 14.2 inches of yearly precipitation at the Saint George station and 17.7 inches at the stations for West Valley City and West Jordan, many owners swap lawn for stone. Lay a weed barrier fabric and cover the ground with River Rock, Pea Gravel, 3/4" Crushed Stone or Decomposed Granite. Set paths of packed Decomposed Granite or Walkway Gravel between beds of desert plants.^[3]

Gravel driveways and RV pads are the next big job. On the very fine sandy loam at the West Valley City center point, lay fabric, then a compacted layer of Road Base or Crushed Concrete, then Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone. On the gravelly loam at the West Jordan center point, the base can be thinner. Crown the surface so snowmelt runs off to the edges.^[1],[3]

Snowmelt and freeze and thaw shape the build. With 111 days a year at 32 F or colder at the Provo station, water that sits in a base freezes and lifts it. Use angular stone that drains, keep fine dirt out of the base, and give the melt a path off the drive. A trench of Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone at the low edge carries it away.^[3]

Garden beds on lean, dry soil need body. Mix Compost or Garden Soil into the top of a bed, and cover it with Brown Shredded Mulch or Wood Chips to slow water loss. Around cactus and other dry country plants, a stone mulch of Pea Gravel or River Rock works better than bark. Topsoil and Fill Dirt level a yard before sod or seed.^[1]

Patios and play areas use finer material. Set pavers on compacted Road Base and a bed of Concrete Sand or Stone Dust Screenings. A patio of packed Decomposed Granite needs no pavers. Playground Sand or Wood Chips go under a swing set, and Riprap lines a steep bank where a summer storm cuts into the soil.^[1]

Snow removal shapes the finish on a northern drive. With 44.9 inches of yearly snow at the Provo station, a plow or a heavy shovel will scrape a loose surface each winter. Angular stone packed into a firm base holds up better than round stone. Plan to rake the edges back in spring and add a thin top layer of Driveway Gravel where the plow carried stone into the yard. A border of steel edging or Riprap at the low side keeps the stone in place.^[3]