"Living snow fence utilization is one of the most sustainable engineering actions CDOT can do along highway corridors" (Sundstrom, 2015).
Jenni Kerns
Background
CDOT Winter Maintenance
How Snow Fences Work
Shrubs as Living Snow Fences
Over the last year, CDOT staff* has conducted literature reviews and met with state foresters, engineers, and surrounding state DOTs to determine the plausibility of using native shrubs for snow fences. Other state DOTs, such as Minnesota and New York, have put effort behind determining the effectiveness of utilizing shrubs alone as snow fences. In both states, willow shrub species were found to be effective at snow capture by the second year after installation at a fraction of the cost of traditional snow fences. While willows are not native to the eastern plains of Colorado, appropriate shrub species have been identified as sustainable options.
Image of Red-Twigged Dogwood snow fence in Minnesota
Image of Red-Twigged Dogwood snow fence in Minnesota
Image of MnDOT’s Hybrid Willow Test Plot along Highway 14 in Waseca, MN
Image of truck passing by MnDOT’s Hybrid Willow Test Plot along Highway 14 in Waseca, MN
Red-Twigged Dogwood and Willow Snow Fences in Minnesota
Image of Rabbitbrush shrub at the Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver
Image of Rabbitbrush shrubs at the Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver
Image of Rabbitbrush shrubs near Riverdale Regional Park in Henderson, Colorado
Colorado native shrubs such as Rabbitbrush or Skunkbush Sumac can reach heights of 4 to 8 feet at maturity, with diameters between 4 and 6 feet. Rabbitbrush can be seen thriving throughout Eastern Colorado and even within the Denver metro area.
Roggen Research Site
Aerial image of the area near Roggen, Colorado that is proposed as the site for a shrub living snow fence. Prevailing winter winds are shown as blowing from the north, and the fence rendering is represented with three rows of green shrubs spaced off center from each other. Text reads: Snow fence description: three to four rows of shrubs spanning aproximately 1,500 feet. Plant and row spacing depend on the porosity, height, and diameters of the chosen shrub species.
Conclusion
Image of trucks traveling along a clear highway during winter. In the background is a farmhouse and barn.
