Roads, gravel and a tar tank: Emmons County discusses maintenance, pits and possible paving to boat dock

The county road superintendent reported crews are concentrated on culvert installs, gravel hauling and blade work across Emmons County and outlined short‑term tactics to address wet spots and clay “black‑spot” stretches on multiple township roads.

"Every man is out of the shop. There's nobody in the shop, including myself most days," Road Superintendent Russ Waller said, describing current field deployment. He said crews were hauling from several pits, performing spot graveling near Hazelton and Vandervoor, and planned to start “double hauling” — moving gravel from different pits to improve problem stretches.

Waller and commissioners discussed gravel quality, crushing specifications and the long haul distances crews face. Commissioners and staff urged prioritizing crushed rock with lower clay content to improve road longevity; Waller said the county will seek better blends and consider leased or purchased supplies at scale. He noted a potential local lease (Renn/Tommy Higgs pit) where a landowner offered to stockpile a county‑dedicated pile to give a 5–7 year supply window, subject to contract details.

Road maintenance topics also included blade lease payments, the need for a possible used dump truck or mini excavator, and a shortfall Waller flagged on blade lease payments that could create a budget gap if not covered.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the county's tar tank and whether operating or sharing a larger tank with neighboring jurisdictions or cities would reduce per‑gallon costs and supply risk. The meeting reviewed problems counties face obtaining bulk tar and the expense of heating large tanks. Officials discussed smaller emulsion barrels as an alternative in some situations but noted tradeoffs in performance and cost.

In a separate but related conversation, county officials and members of the public discussed long‑standing concerns about heavy truck traffic and dust on the county road that leads to the Cattail/boat‑dock area and Seaview facilities. County staff said the stretch between U.S. Highway 1804 and the boat‑dock area has underlying soils in poor condition; engineering to pave the existing road could be costly because of the work needed on subgrade and box culverts. "According to John, we can't add any more weight on top of that box culvert," a county contractor told the board, describing constraints that affect paving options.

Commissioners discussed alternatives: a concrete stabilization approach to improve the road more cheaply as a staged step toward eventual paving; building a new alignment; or pursuing cost shares with state or other partners such as Game and Fish or Seaview. County staff said the concrete stabilization option was being explored as a lower‑cost interim solution that could be compatible with future paving.

Road rules and seasonal haul restrictions also came up. Commissioners discussed models used elsewhere — a networked rain‑gauge/notification system that triggers restrictions based on local precipitation readings — and asked staff to investigate whether the county could join a regional system or otherwise issue timely advisories to heavy haulers during wet periods.

No formal action to change policy or spend new funds was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to pursue gravel and contract details, get written offers for pit access, and continue exploring shared tar options and engineering estimates for road stabilization and long‑term improvements.

Provenance: Road and maintenance discussion began with the county road superintendent's monthly update and continued through extended exchanges about gravel pits, tar tanks, blade leases and paving options to the Cattail/boat‑dock area.