Making Better Use of Snow Fences
By learning to take best advantage of the new removable plastic snow fences, the Utah Department of Transportation is making winter travel safer and snowplowing more efficient.
The Challenge
In the farming regions of Utah, the highways pass through large open fields. Winds blowing across these fields can create snowdrifts across the road. Driving becomes hazardous, especially at night. And snow removal is extremely costly and time-consuming, requiring the use of trucks, loaders, graders, and even bulldozers.
Although permanent wooden fences had been used in some areas to prevent drifting on highways, they have several disadvantages. They can obstruct farm equipment, require regular maintenance and repair, and have to be cleared of vegetation that grows into the fence.
Developing the Strategy
In 1990, the Utah Department of Transportation (DOT) decided to test a plastic snow fence design that had been evaluated as part of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). Because it's made of plastic, the fencing can be more easily installed and removed, avoiding the disadvantages of permanent installations.
For the test, the DOT chose an area in southern Utah, near Monticello. At an elevation of 2,134 m (7,000 ft), this region receives an average of 2,100 mm (84 in) of snow every winter.
Putting the Strategy to the Test
The first test involved an installation of 152 m (500 ft) of the plastic fencing. It did not perform as expected, due to a limited understanding by the crew as to how the fencing should be installed.
Before the next winter, Utah DOT conducted training on the use and installation of snow fences.
What They Learned
"Our greater level of knowledge has resulted in the snow fence project becoming highly successful," says Craig Leavitt, Monticello area supervisor for Utah DOT. Utah DOT also found that three crew members could place 305 m (1,000 ft) of fence in an 8-hour shift, and the fences can be removed in a similarly short amount of time in the spring.
Landowners were pleased, since the fences were removed before the spring planting season arrived.
According to Leavitt, "The district continues to expand its snow fence program and to conduct workshops on the installation and benefits of the new snow fences."
The Benefits
Utah DOT reports the performance and benefits of the snow fences were better than expected.
- Drivers are less likely to encounter the hazardous driving conditions caused by snow blowing across the roads.
- The cost of snow removal and wear and tear on the equipment is reduced significantly, outweighing the cost of purchasing and installing the removable fencing.
- Even short sections of snow fencing offer cost savings, since snow removal crews are needed less frequently.
- A side benefit for the landowner is that by holding back the snow, the fences allow more moisture to be retained on farm and ranch lands.
