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'Living' snow fence to improve U.S. 20 safety, efficiency

Drivers on U.S. 20 from Mountain Home to Fairfield will see a new structure soon in the flat landscape dominated for years by sagebrush, barbed wire fences, and, in the winter, snowdrifts that create havoc with travelers.

In mid-May, crews from ITD’s Mountain Home maintenance shed installed a 1,600-foot “living snow fence” along the highway, between mileposts 109 and 110, about 19 miles northeast of Mountain Home. The “fence” actually is a double row of trees planted on the north side of the highway to create a natural barrier to snow that routinely drifts across the highway.

In the past five years, all but two of the 16 crashes recorded at that segment were influenced by highway conditions of snow, ice or slush, or by animals (wild and domestic) on the roadway.

Over the years, ITD determined the stretch of U.S. 20 required above-average expenditures in snow and ice removal and overall winter maintenance.

“Something had to be done because there were places like Sun Valley, a local community with a high volume of tourists in the winter months, that used U.S. 20 as the major travel route to their destination,” explained Dave Labar, Mountain Home maintenance foreman.

The project supports ITD’s Strategic Plan by improving safety and fostering the mobility of tourists who often use the highway to reach winter recreation areas.

The relatively flat and unprotected area allowed drifts to form on the raised highway surface, increasing travel time and negatively impacting commerce within local communities.

In addition to high maintenance costs, the section of highway was chosen based on low visibility for drivers in winter months and large right-of-way access.

“Because of terrain and cost effectiveness, a living snow fence was selected as the best solution to the problem," said District 3 Maintenance Engineer Tom Points. “The fence uses trees or shrubs to catch or trap snow to keep it from depositing on the roadway. It is much cheaper to do this than it is to plow that same snow. It is also less visually intrusive than a standard plastic snow fence.”

Planning began in earnest last November after Mountain Home Air Force Base donated 155 cubic yards of organic natural compost to prepare the living snow fence project site. The compost will improve the survival rate of the newly planted trees.
The Air Force base also committed more than 200 yards of wood-chip mulch to aid in weed and moisture control.

ITD’s crews, with assistance from an Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) inmate labor crew, planted 400 Rocky Mountain Juniper seedlings, chosen for their hardiness, resistance to drought and insects, and adaptability to local soil conditions.

“Living snow fences are more cost-effective than structural or temporary barriers,” Points said. The fence also provides other benefits beyond snow control – such as a potential habitat for wildlife.

Although the efforts and full impacts of the living snow fence will not be evident for several years, it has the potential to affect commerce and safety, two of ITD's main goals, for generations. The economic impact also aligns with the goals of the Gov. C.L “Butch” Otter’s Project 60 initiative to grow Idaho's economy.

Construction of the living fence would not have happened without the combined efforts of ITD, IDOC, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the University of Idaho, Mountain Home Air Force Base and Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

“In a time of shrinking budgets and resources, demanding that we do more with less – finding frugal solutions is a necessity,” said District 3 Engineer Dave Jones.

“Projects like these could not be accomplished without the assistance of outside organizations,” Jones added. “It is good to know that cooperative ventures exist, providing the public with a low-cost solution that still delivers a safe public highway.”