Land Clearing in Strasburg, VA

Land Clearing Over Strasburg's Limestone and Sinkholes

About 30 percent of Shenandoah County, in its central valley, sits on limestone bedrock. High-calcium limestone is quarried northeast of Strasburg to make lime. Clay near town was used for pottery and drain tile. The pottery earned Strasburg its nickname, Pot Town.

This kind of rock forms sinkholes and caves. Crystal Caverns, a cave at Hupp's Hill, was open to visitors from 1922 to 2010. The county plan says sinkholes and caves lead straight into the county's groundwater.

That shapes how we work. Cleared brush and stumps never get pushed into a sinkhole, and mulch stays on top of the ground. For stump removal, the mini excavator digs each stump out, roots and all, and the hole gets backfilled and leveled.

Brush Clearing and Fence Lines on Strasburg Farm Ground

The county plan calls the valley's limestone soils excellent for farming. Strasburg was settled with family farms on fertile bottomland along the Shenandoah River. Forest and farmland cover at least 85 percent of the county.

Pasture that goes ungrazed or unmowed fills in with brush and young trees. Fence line clearing cuts that growth back from the wire so a fence can be fixed or replaced. Brush clearing takes an overgrown field back to ground you can mow. Saplings get the mulcher head, which turns them into chips that stay on the ground as cover.

Lot Clearing and Site Prep for New Homes Around Strasburg

Strasburg grew up along the Valley Turnpike, now US 11, like the valley's other towns. It is the largest town in Shenandoah County, and it grew from 4,017 people in 2000 to 7,083 in 2020. Recent growth has come mainly along the town's northern corridor. Washington, D.C. is about 80 miles away, and I-66 starts just northeast of town.

A new house needs a clear, level spot and a way in from the road. Lot clearing takes brush and small trees off the building area, and the mini excavator pulls the stumps. Grading and site prep then shapes the house pad so rain runs away from it. Last, a gravel driveway gets cut in from the road to the house site.

Virginia law counts clearing, grading, excavating and filling as land disturbance. Outside Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, erosion control rules start at 10,000 square feet of disturbed ground. A locality may set a smaller number, and one acre or more may need state permit coverage. The landowner or builder checks with the county or the town before work starts.

Steep Slopes Toward Massanutten and Drainage Near the North Fork

Massanutten Mountain splits the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg. Its northern peak, Signal Knob, stands 2,106 feet high and looks out over the town. About 45 percent of the county has steep slopes of 15 to 25 percent. Along the county's eastern and western borders, slopes run from 25 to 45 percent.

Steep ground takes more planning than a flat field. Before we quote, we look at the grade and the way in for each machine. On a wooded slope, the mulcher head grinds brush and saplings down where they stand. Heavier brush on a bank goes to the brush cutter on the mini excavator.

Strasburg averages 39.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, and that water has to go somewhere. On limestone ground, the county plan says water moves from the surface to groundwater through sinkholes. Above ground, all surface water in the county ends up in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. French drains and drainage trenches carry water away from a house or a drive.