01/16/2026
East Slope Earthworks successfully completed the Merrill Lake Slide Mitigation Project in Cowlitz County, Washington finishing in Nov of 2025. The project scope included producing, hauling, and placing aggregate materials from the State-owned N-3000 Quarry to stabilize an active landslide area at the terminus of Forest Road 7634. In total, our crews produced and placed 5,800 cubic yards of Quarry Spalls to construct the required rock buttress, exceeding the original 5,000 cubic yards planned due to field-verified needs and changing site conditions.
Work also included improvements to approximately 1,100 linear feet of access road, installation of new roadway culverts, full clearing and grubbing of the construction footprint, excavation of 2,900 cubic yards of soil, and construction of a complete perimeter drainage system. The drainage scope included installation of a 350 cubic yard drainage blanket designed to intercept groundwater seepage and protect the slope from further instability.
The project required careful planning and ex*****on due to exceptionally challenging conditions, including steep terrain, limited work area, saturated soils, restricted access, and record-setting rainfall events. Despite these constraints, the East Slope Earthworks team delivered the project safely and in accordance with the project specifications. Congratulations to the entire project team for maintaining the highest safety standards while completing high-risk work in extreme conditions.