Access to rural properties, when you are trying to get the property cleared, is a critical issue. If a property is very big, the first question to be asked when it comes to clearing it is whether or not heavy equipment can safely enter it, turn around, stage the machine, and reach the area that needs to be worked on without damaging features which the owner wants to keep. Around Lampasas, access issues like this involve gates, ranch roads, low-water crossings, the edges of creeks, slopes, soft spots and overgrowth.
This is why the entrance to a site is often more important than the size of the overall property. A five-acre area that needs to be cleared and that has an easily-accessible entrance may be much more straightforward to work within than a smaller space where the gate is hard to get through or a road is basically blocked by brush. If your land is hard to access, Lone Star Forestry Mulching’s lot clearing service in Lampasas can help you.
Access Is a Critical First Step
Many landowners think of land clearance in terms of what needs to be removed, which is a fairly natural first thought. The brush, saplings, cedar, vines and small trees are certainly the most visible problem. But for the crew carrying out the work, the first thing they think of is access to the site. If machines cannot be brought in safely to reach the work area, or move through the property without causing avoidable damage, then the overall clearing plan needs to change.
This kind of access includes everything from the driveway to the gate, the turn from the public road, the first hundred feet inside the property, the route to the work area, and the staging space for the equipment. It also includes overhanging trees, utility poles, wet spots, buried debris, and low branches that might not have been noticed as an obvious problem until the machinery tries to get past them.
For properties in Lampasas, access will be shaped by a mix of factors. A property might have a gate for cattle to access different parts of the ranch or a fence that is running too close to the entrance. Equally, a ranch road may be wide enough for a truck to pass through, but not ideal for a mulching machine to work in.
Gate Width Can Decide the First Move
The width of the gate is easy to overlook when planning a job like this, because owners pass through their own gates all the time in pickups and tractors without any problem. Clearing equipment, though, has different needs. A machine will need more width and better turning space. If the gate is tight, then the clearing crew needs to know this before they show up to do the job.
A narrow gate does not necessarily stop the project. Yet it could mean a different route needs to be used or a temporary adjustment made to the project. What does cause trouble is only discovering the issue after the crew has arrived to carry out the work. Then the owner and operator have to start solving the access issues under a time constraint.
Where the gate is actually located has to be considered too. A gate standing at a sharp angle off of a narrow road can make entry to the site harder, while a gate with brush growing tight around both sides may require the entrance to be cleared before the main work area can be reached.
Low-Water Crossings Need More Than a Quick Look
Low-water crossings are obviously useful on ranches, but they add another layer of difficulty when it comes to clearing plans. A crossing that works well for a pickup to get across in dry conditions may not be the right route at all for heavier equipment or for a job scheduled after it has been raining heavily.
The safest access plan treats a low-water crossing like this as something that needs to be evaluated early on. If the crossing is too soft, steep, narrow or unstable, the operator may need to plan for using another route, whereas if the crossing is more functional the work plan still needs to account for turning around within the space and what happens if the weather changes.
This is important also because clearing work often takes place in spaces that are already retaining a lot of water. Brush can hide the signs of water issues, then, once the vegetation is removed, the owner suddenly sees where water has been crossing the road or collecting near a low point.
Ranch Roads Are Not Always the Roads to be Worked On
A ranch road should not automatically be used for working. Some roads, for example, are only intended for light trucks, ATVs, livestock movement, or light and occasional use. These roads can be narrow, uneven, rocky or overgrown and are not conducive for clearing machines, which need enough room to move around.
This is one reason why entrance to a site when clearing work is being undertaken may need to be considered before the main clearing work starts. Opening the road up first can make the rest of the job safer and more efficient later on.
If the goal is to clear a future site for a home, barn or pasture area, the route to that location should be part of the conversation too. It obviously isn’t great if clearing creates a beautiful open space that is simultaneously very difficult to reach.
Hidden Obstacles Can Change the Best-Laid Plan
Heavy growth on rural properties can be hiding more than just vegetation. Things like old wire, abandoned fence posts, scrap metal, rocks, tree stumps, trash piles and uneven ground can all be buried and hidden in the brush and behind trees. A machine operator needs to approach the work with that lack of certainty in mind. The thicker the growth is, the more likely it is that the property has some hidden features that can slow the work down once they get started.
This is another reason why access clearing is different from cosmetic cleanup. When a route is cleaned up properly it lets the operator, and you as the owner, see the land in a more precise way. It can reveal whether the job is mostly dealing with just brush, or whether there are areas that require extra caution. Once that is established, you will get a better idea whether the next phase should be adjusted or not.
This also helps with planning out work with other contractors. For instance, if a grading crew or a fence contractor is involved, they will have a much easier time doing their job once the route into the site is fully visible. Conversely, if clearing work is carried out without considering the future needs of the site, the owner may end up paying for someone to do a second pass in order to create better access that should have been included earlier during the first run.
Weather Can Turn Access Into the Main Constraint
In Central Texas, bad weather can change ground conditions quickly. Dry conditions may make a route look straight-forward. Then rain can start to reveal soft spots, runoff paths, slick rocks and low areas that cannot be crossed casually with heavy machinery. A property with a low-water crossing or a route along a creek needs close attention to the timing of the project, i.e. don’t do it during the wet season!
Clearing right after heavy weather may be possible in some areas, but it is unwise in many others. The decision will ultimately depend on the route, as well as the soil, slope, vegetation and equipment needs there. Rushing access through wet ground can create ruts in the ground and damage that you did not want to have happen.
The best approach is to plan around the property and its specific qualities. So, put simply, if a site has an entrance that is wide and dry, this will be a good staging area and work may be easier to schedule here. A conversation before you start with the contractor helps separate out what constitutes normal access from access that could become a limiting factor after you start.
Good Access Planning Saves Time Later
Good access planning does not make the project more complicated. Instead it is just good planning to account for it from the beginning. With it, the owner knows what route is going to be used to bring equipment onto the property. The operator knows where to enter and how to reach the work area, while future maintenance work becomes easier too.
This is especially important for landowners who plan to keep improving the property in months or years to come. A cleared entrance can, for instance, support later fencing work, or a cleared ranch road can support the pasture land. One good decision made regarding site access can make future jobs there easier down the line.
If your Lampasas property has a narrow gate, a difficult crossing, or an overgrown area that is limiting site access, contact Lone Star Forestry Mulching.
FAQs
Does a narrow gate mean equipment cannot get in?
Not always. It does mean that the entrance needs to be evaluated before the project is actually scheduled to take place. There may be another route in or you can create temporary access. The important thing is to identify the issue, whatever it might be, early on.
Should I clear the entrance before calling a clearing company?
Typically you do not need to do the work yourself. It is better to describe the gate, road, crossing and other access issues to the contractor, and supply them with photos thereof. A professional can then decide, using this information, whether entrance clearing will have to form part of the project.
Can a forestry mulcher cross a low-water crossing?
Sometimes, but it depends on the nature of the crossing, the amount of water there, the slope, the condition of the ground, the approach and the equipment to be used. A crossing that is usable by a pickup truck may not be ok for land clearing equipment. It should be evaluated to see if it is usable rather than assuming it is.
What if my ranch road is too narrow?
The first phase, in these cases, may need to involve widening or cleaning up the route before the main area is cleared. This can be a smart investment beyond the land clearance work because it improves access to the site for things like future maintenance and fencing.
Why does staging space matter?
Heavy machinery not only needs room to enter a property, once it’s in there it also needs to be able to turn around and work. Without enough room to do so, the job may take longer to carry out or even require a completely different approach.
Start With the Route, Then Clear the Land
A clearing project succeeds faster when access to the site is factored in as an explicit part of the work. The width of the gate, ranch roads, low-water crossings, slopes and other hidden obstacles can all impact on your plan, but once the route is opened more, the rest of the property becomes easier to inspect and clear.
If access is the part of your land clearing project in Lampasas that keeps creating uncertainty, call us today at Lone Star Forestry Mulching.
