Frequently Asked Questions

To minimize airborne dust on gravel roadways, the Road Maintenance Department performs a one-time yearly dust abatement treatment on over 350 miles of gravel roads. Usually performed during the months of May and June, dust abatement techniques are intended to limit but not eliminate airborne dust. To find out when your gravel road may be dust abated, contact Yakima County Public Services at 509-574-2300 or or view the current year list here.

Each year, we work with the supplier to ensure the bulk pricing we receive for the programs is available to individuals whose roads did not make the cut.  This is only available for Yakima County roads and is not an option for non-county roads, private roads or driveways.  After you have purchased the material from the vendor, we pick it up, prepare your road and apply the material at no additional cost.   If you would like additional information or to make use of this service, please contact the Road Maintenance Supervisor at (509) 574-2396 or fill out an Online Maintenance Request Form. We will meet with you on sight, recommend a treatment area and provide pricing. We will then walk you through the steps to purchase the product directly from the vendor.

Yakima County Road Maintenance conducts a visual survey and assigns a dust sensitive score to road segments every 2 years. This scoring is based on a variety of factors. Number of Homes per mile, within 300 feet of the roadway, Dust sensitive Crops per shoulder mile, within 300 feet of the roadway, Sensitive receptors (schools, gathering places, daycares, etc.) Average Daily Traffic, Posted Speed Limit, Accident Records, and land values. The number of miles we can shoot within a program year is largely dictated by the current material bid price. Material is roughly 80% of the per mile cost. If you did not receive dust abatement it is usually due to the score of your road being below the threshold of accumulative miles, we can treat, under the current year’s budget.

There are 500 plus miles of gravel road within Yakima County.  We understand the impact this scoring has on your road with respect to it receiving treatment or not.  We strive to be as accurate in identifying homes, crops, etc., to fairly score your road.   This does not mean that we are always perfect. Our staff is always willing to discuss your road and provide the survey information to see if we have missed something.  Feel free to call us at (509) 574-2396 or fill out an Online Maintenance Request Form to discuss this with a Road Maintenance Supervisor.