Creeks move. A high-water spring cuts into the outside of a bend, drops gravel and silt where it slows down, and piles up debris against culverts and fences. Black River Contracting cleans out creeks, repairs eroded stream banks and places riprap across Western South Dakota and Northeast Wyoming.
Most of this work is done with our Cat 324E long-reach excavator, which reaches the creek from the top of the bank so the machine stays out of the water.
What we do
- Creek cleanout: digging out gravel bars, silt and debris that are pushing water into a bank, a road or a field.
- Stream bank repair: shaping cut and slumping banks back to a stable slope.
- Riprap installation: placing rock on eroding banks, at culvert outlets, below spillways and on dam faces, where moving water would otherwise keep cutting.
Before we start
Work in a creek is regulated more closely than work on dry ground. Digging in a creek or placing rock below its normal high-water line can need a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and sometimes state approval. Check with them first, and we’ll work to what the permit allows.
We walk the site with you to see where the machine can sit, how far it has to reach, where rock can be delivered and stockpiled, and what’s upstream and downstream of the work.
Related
- Culvert installation and replacement
- Ditch and culvert cleanout
- Dam repair and cleanout, including riprap on dam faces and spillways
- Long-reach excavation
