Creating a screen for the powerline right of way?

[split toe]

I am trying to decide how to block/screen off a foodplot I have on the powerline from the road. The total distance across is about 160ft. I was initially thinking about a berm, but was starting to calculate how much dirt that would require if I was going to make it 6+ft tall.... Any ideas? I also thought about egyptian wheat as well.

I should add that the screen or berm is going to be about about 150 yards from the road, so it is not like they are going to just look over the top.

 

[ncnat]

A berm will last longer if the power line company will leave it alone. I use sudangrass or egyptian wheat to block off my power line.

 

[Weezy]

If money isn't a big deal and you want it instantly go with the berm. How much is a tri axle of fill in your area?
I dug a 80 yard long x 8-10 ft tall berm after some neighbor issues. Used a cat 963 track loader. Dug a ditch on the inside used it for the berm on outside. The ditch turned into a little pond and the deer funnel around each end of the berm. Costs me around $2500 rental and fuel.

 

[Drycreek]

I've used a product called Plot Screen, made by Frigid Forage, (mostly Egyptian wheat), and it worked out well until the hogs destroyed it when the seed heads ripened. Plant it about 25' wide and you can't see through it. Wind is your enemy though, as it gets pretty tall and it's a little spindly.

 

[Mennoniteman]

A conifer like norway spruce is a common planting for a field screen. Or a cheap easy planting for an annual is a ten foot wide strip of pearl millet planted in may or june. This gives you a nice screen all the way through hunting season, but must be repeated every year. Here you can see my seven foot high pearl millet screen behind the brassica, before the trees.

 

[split toe]

Can't plant trees as it is on power line right of way

 

[split toe]

If money isn't a big deal and you want it instantly go with the berm. How much is a tri axle of fill in your area?
I dug a 80 yard long x 8-10 ft tall berm after some neighbor issues. Used a cat 963 track loader. Dug a ditch on the inside used it for the berm on outside. The ditch turned into a little pond and the deer funnel around each end of the berm. Costs me around $2500 rental and fuel.

I'm going to have to check the price of fill dirt. It is going to have to be about 160ft long though and at least 6ft tall.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm going to have to check the price of fill dirt. It is going to have to be about 160ft long though and at least 6ft tall.

25 to 30 triaxle loads at $250 a load should be in the neighborhood of what you're looking at plus a cat dozer for a day at about a thousand dollars to shape the berm.

 

[split toe]

D

25 to 30 triaxle loads at $250 a load should be in the neighborhood of what you're looking at plus a cat dozer for a day at about a thousand dollars to shape the berm.

Damn, that is going to be expensive! Wonder if they could just use dirt from the site of the berm??

 

[Mennoniteman]

D

Damn, that is going to be expensive! Wonder if they could just use dirt from the site of the berm??

The cost of fill dirt equals distance X availability. If a contractor in the neighborhood is trying to get rid of some you can get it delivered for free. If there's none available other than the local materials quarry it's going to be expensive. Using fill from elsewhere on the site is a great idea, because rule of thumb in excavating is that trucking materials on the highway is much more expensive than moving materials on site. The big issue with that idea is that to strip the fill dirt from elsewhere on the site you have to remove the topsoil first, stockpile it on the side, then put it back after you have the fill dirt that you need. If this isn't done properly you won't be able to grow anything there anymore. The extra cost of stripping the topsoil off the top then putting it back is going to be about equal to the savings of not trucking on the road, so in the end the price will probably be about the same.

 

[Weezy]

What's in between the power line and road, field or wooded?

 

[split toe]

 

[split toe]

You can see the road off to the left of the creek. The berm would be on the right side of the creek just past the high line tower and then food plot on the tight side of the berm.

 

[DocHolladay]

I would contact the power company and see what your best option is. They may not want/allow a berm or trees as it may get in the way of them being able to service the lines or tower. If it doesn't, they may say it does just because they can. A planted screen will need to be replanted every year, but if they need to service anything, they will be able to drive over it without any problem.

 

[Smallplot]

There is one option which has not been discussed here. Since it is a ways off the roadway you may be able to plant a strip of switch grass and maybe throw in some big blue or Indian grass. The switch should stand well into winter months and it will come back year after year with little maintenance.

I do like Egyptian Wheat which is a type of sorghum. One thing to consider with this type of planting is seeding rates. Too high seeding rates will effect the stalk size in a way not conducive to stand ability. Also have to hit it with a good amount of N.

Downfall of using NWSG if you are wanting this to also screen your entry/exit be cautious as Deer love bed down in NWSG.


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[Weezy]

Oh, so you want to screen across the power line. Seems like planting something would be the only way to go. Unless maybe you do a long subtle berm. Your gonna need a dozer for that.

 

[Weezy]

I remember reading that power line companys don't mind ponds being built. Less growth to maintain. The dam of the pond could be your screen/berm. Ducks unlimited built my neighbors pond for free.

 

[Mennoniteman]

A 6' tall privacy fence with a gate for access might be an option.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

Food for thought......and not to burst your bubble.....filling within a floodplain is a big no-no can end up with HEFTY fines and forced "un doing" of work as well as cost to restore what may have been damaged during the work.

Not saying this is really an issue here as there are tons of variable that cannot be determined with a quick screen capture, but we do ALOT of post fine work for private individuals as they try and get out of trouble!

 

[split toe]

That

A 6' tall privacy fence with a gate for access might be an option.

That is a idea, I'm not sure what the cost of that would be versus a berm. I would think the fence would be cheaper?