[dan1212]

I am trying to remove stone from a shoreline approximately 10' by 150' as shown in the image. Stones range in size but are fairly small. Last year I tried shoveling the stone into a sieve which I manually sieved the sand away from the stone and then put the stone into a wagon, which hauled up a hill and dumped into a hole, this was a fairly strenuous activity and I am trying to see if I can make it a little easier. Also note I didnt get too far with getting the stones removed. I was thinking of using my pickup truck and one of harbor freights cargo unloaders, but getting the stone into the pickup is still a large task, any ideas on doing that easier? Also maybe a pickfork type tool to get the larger first layer of stone without having to sieve the stone.

Does anyone have any ideas on tools or methods to tackle this task?

Any thoughts are appreciated, Thank you.

 

[GrayHair]

Postulation:
Let's see, you removed them last year and they are back. Seems like Mother Nature wants them there. They probably provide a natural deterrent to beach erosion from wave action, which is likely why she put them there to begin with. She's a smart lady.

Not what you want to hear, but if you must remove them, put them back at the end of the season. You will be better off by doing it, as will the beach.

 

[dan1212]

Postulation:
Let's see, you removed them last year and they are back. Seems like Mother Nature wants them there. They probably provide a natural deterrent to beach erosion from wave action, which is likely why she put them there to begin with. She's a smart lady.

Not what you want to hear, but if you must remove them, put them back at the end of the season. You will be better off by doing it, as will the beach.

Last year I attempted to move them, didnt get very far haha.

 

[Bud9051]

not sure where that water is but here in Maine we are not allowed to modify the waterfront without approval. several cases in past where everything had to be restored.
as for the actual task I would address a small section and see if it lasts the season or will this need to be repeated often?
Could you bury them on the beach?
bud

 

[Nealtw]

There are machines for that.
Landscape Rake/ Rockhound - YouTube

 

[kwikfishron]

I'd be looking at bringing in sand instead of removing rock.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Not sure how big that lake is and how rough of currents you might have....

But obviously you are taking rock uphill...what if you just float sort of a wood platform barge and dump your rock further out in the lake.....just do small sections at a time with a hard tong rake....some beer and a suntan workout routine in the summer.

I would guess you would be wanting to bring in some sand...but that should be downhill at least.

Or some outside the box thinking.....get the local kid's baseball team....float an innertube out maybe thirty yards.... and offer the baseball team maybe a quarter for every rock they put thru the inner tube....get a beer and sit down in that chair and keep track of what you owe them....hopefully they are not that good hitting the innertube.

 

[dan1212]

Not sure how big that lake is and how rough of currents you might have....

It is a long, wide river. When there is no boat traffic its pretty much no waves at all, but with the boats that come through there is some wave action. I like the ideas. Thanks.

 

[SW Dweller]

the boats are causing the rocks to be exposed. Waves do that. Short of damning the water away and pouring concrete the solutions that your left with are few.

You might try some 24" concrete slabs in the local garden center. Getting them to stay will be a trick

 

[notnew2diy]

Mother nature will continue to expose the rocks just under the surface. It will be a never ending project.

FWIW...my parents retired to north central Arkansas, a foothill in the ozarks. They cleared an area of rocks and such for a veggie garden. Every spring dad would till the area. Every spring dad would replace a shear pin on the tiller when it hit an unseen rock.

Good luck...Don.

 

[lenaitch]

I think you fighting Mother Nature. I've seen folks try to create sand beaches and it is seldom successful. I see a groyne/groin in the upper part (the rock 'spit') which might be helping to scour your beach a bit; otherwise it would be building sand.

Around here, any littoral work work would require a permit.

 

[SW Dweller]

notnew2diy your speaking of the freeze thaw cycle.
As a chid I was commanded to take the little tractor and the wagon through all of our row crop feilds, about 200 acres. Every year I got a wagon load of rocks that we used for erosion control

 

[Nealtw]

I friend grew up on a farm in Manitoba, when asked what the crop was, he said stone. They harvested tons every year.

 

[notnew2diy]

notnew2diy your speaking of the freeze thaw cycle.

You are 100% correct, but,
I would think,
the same would apply to constant wave action even if there was no ground heaving?

We also don't know what kind of toys the OP has.
In my case, if I was allowed to modify the beach,
I'd use my tractor and a york/landscape rake to pull the stones into a windrow.
From there, the options expand a bit but I'd still have tons of manual labor.

Just my $.02(big grin).
Have fun...Don

 

[carpdad]

What about that pile of stones on right? Can you dump small stones on top or other side? Does freeze/thaw work on sand? If no, bury in the beach as suggested? Or make a mound away from the beach but just few steps away. Wheelbarrow, strips of ply for barrow wheel and 5-6 trips a day could get you results. If the stones are from mother nature, live with her.

 

[huesmann]

The pile of riprap on the right is a rock vane intended to minimize erosion of the bank.