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| | From the Archives: Curry: Gravel Mining |
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| Oct 28 09 -- Nov 28 09 South Coast Rivers: Gravel Mining Continues |  Curry County has been busily dealing with permit applications and permit renewals for instream gravel mining along its major salmon-bearing rivers. In most instances this year, the news is not good. However, there is vigorous opposition to the Curry County actions which threaten the valuable salmon habitat in these rivers.
Rogue River Log pond on mill site. July, 2000 photo.
The Rogue River is the most endangered by inappropriate gravel mining in its upper estuary. In October 2009, the Curry County Board of Commissioners decreed that the areas where Tidewater wants to mine are zoned ER 2, which is a "management" designation in the estuary zone, and allows instream gravel mining with a conditional use permit. This decision will allow Tidewater to potentially resume mining at their existing site at Wedderburn, on the north bank of the river, if they submit an application that is approved by state and federal agencies, as well as by Curry County. Oregon Shores, Curry Sportfishing Association and Kalmiopsis Audubon have appealed this decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals.
The Board of Commissioners also approved Tidewater's application to mine gravel from a 52-acre gravel bar in the Rogue on the south side of the river, at the old Champion mill site off Jerry's Flat Road. This site has never been commercially mined for gravel. There was a great deal of opposition to Tidewater's application, as the site is just downstream from the Gold Beach water intake. Furthermore, the old mill site is on DEQ's Contaminated Site Index because of activities dating from the old mill. The entire gravel bar, including the area Tidewater wants to mine, is hydrologically linked. Mining has the potential to leach buried chemicals into the river, as well as release much more sediment that salmon must navigate.
The upper estuary of the Rogue is already in poor shape. It is so plugged with sediment that it is possible to walk across it at low tide without getting one's knees wet! A major contributor to this shallowing is Tidewater's illegal mining at the Wedderburn site without the required permit from the Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), in 2007. In response, DOGAMI halted mining at the site and increased Tidewater's reclamation bond to $77,000. The violation is still outstanding. However, the damage was already done. The river "captured" the mining pit, and sediment poured into the estuary.
According to the January 2009 report by ECO Northwest The Economic Value of Rogue River Salmon, Rogue River salmon are valued at $1.4 million per year to the commercial fishing industry, and $16 million per year to the sport fishing industry. That does not include the additional money associated with fishing, from purchase of food to hotels, housing, guides and outfitters, etc. The choice is clear: if the Rogue's salmon are important, then we have to curb irresponsible mining such as Tidewater is seeking. There are other, upland places to mine gravel without touching the river. But there is no other home for the Rogue River's salmon.
Chetco River Instream gravel mining on Chetco River
The Chetco River is the first river studied for its "gravel budget," that is, to determine how much gravel the river deposits in a year, and how much it varies. The idea is that if we know how much gravel the river accumulates, then it will be easier to make policy decisions about instream gravel mining. Unfortunately, the Chetco River Study, completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in summer of 2009, is quite general, and does not provide a level of detail sufficient to help decision-makers. Meantime, decisions about gravel permits continue to be made for the Chetco, including another permit renewal currently being requested by Tidewater for the Chetco.
The underlying hope of the gravel industry is that with sufficient gravel budget information, the agencies can create a Regional General Permit, which will streamline the rather nightmarish, multi-agency permit process currently necessary to gain permission for instream gravel mining. The problem with an RGP — which will be first proposed for the Chetco — is that it does not allow specific attention to individual areas of the river where mining is a problem. This is exacerbated on the Chetco where the river study is already too general to help with policy decisions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hopes to have a draft RGP for the Chetco available for public review in January of 2010. Oregon Shores, local residents and fishermen will be watching the process keenly.
Elk River Prime salmon habitat on lower Elk River. 7/21/09 photo.
Tidewater Contractors hoped to mine gravel on the Elk River as well as the Rogue and Chetco. They proposed mining under an old permit granted to the Wagner family. The Board of Commissioners heard an appeal of the matter, and decided in Summer 2009 that the Wagner permit was too old: it dated from 1989, and the criteria under which mining could be approved have changed too drastically in the intervening twenty years. The Commissioners invalidated the old permit. If Tidewater wishes to mine gravel in the Elk, they will have to file a new application with Curry County, and meet all the current criteria. In addition, Tidewater would have to meet the strict scrutiny of the federal National Marine Fisheries Service. NMFS has stated that the Elk has the best run of federally threatened SONC coho; the Chetco only has a "depressed and dwindling" population. The Elk therefore comes under high scrutiny for something as dangerous as instream gravel mining in salmon habitat.
For more information:
5/11/2009, Oregon Shores' testimony before Curry Board
2/12/2009, Background on the Wagner/Tidewater sites
12/9/2008, DOGAMI letter to ACOE regarding Regional General Permit concept for gravel mining
 Contact: Cameron La Follette, Land Use, (503) 391-0210, or EMAIL
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MORE NEWS... | Jul 23 09 -- Aug 23 09 Results of Hearing on Gravel Mining on Elk
Curry County Board of Commissioners held a hearing on the 1987 Wagner permit, which allows instream gravel mining on the Elk River. There was a lot of testimony, nearly all opposed to the mining. The main arguments centered around the undeniable fact that conditions have changed since the original permit was granted in 1987. Conditions have changed a great deal! Curry County should definitely ... MORE | | Tue Jul 21 09 1:30 PM -- Curry County Hearing July 21 on Gravel Mining in Elk River
Tidewater Sand and Gravel proposes to mine 12,000 cubic yards of gravel from four different gravel bars on the Elk River in Curry County, based on a 1987 county permit to the Wagner family. Tidewater's permit application to the Army Corps of Engineers for the mining is still pending. However, Curry County has decided to open up the old Wagner conditional use permit permit to a hearing. In 2006 ... MORE | | Jun 6 09 -- Jul 15 09 Two More Victories on Gravel Mining on the Rogue
In late May, the Curry County Planning Commission turned down Tidewater Contractors' proposal to mine a 52-acre gravel bar on the lower Rogue River. This was the second time Tidewater had proposed to mine the gravel bar. The planning commission turned Tidewater down for the exact same proposal in 2008. Local people came out and testified in number against the proposal in 2008, and they came and ... MORE | | Thu May 28 09 -- Jun 1 09 Third Hearing Scheduled on Gravel Mining near Old Mill Site
Tidewater Contractors failed in 2008 to win approval from the Curry County Planning Commission for its proposal to mine a 52-acre gravel bar in the Rogue River estuary. Now in 2009, Tidewater is proposing essentially the same application. At the April hearing before the Planning Commission, local residents again showed strong opposition. The 2009 hearings will be continued on May 28 in Gold ... MORE | | Thu Apr 23 09 -- May 28 09 Tidewater Requests "Interpretation" of Estuary Boundaries
Tidewater Contractors is still seeking a means of resuming mining and expanding its existing gravel site and asphalt plant at Wedderburn, on the north bank of the Rogue River estuary. In 2008 Tidewater proposed an expansion as a "grandfathered" non-conforming use, which was approved by the Curry County Planning Commission, but overturned by the Board of Commissioners on appeal by Oregon Shores, ... MORE | | Apr 1 09 -- Apr 30 09 ACOE Solicits Comments on Tidewater Application on Elk River
Tidewater Company is proposing to mine gravel from the Elk River, near Port Orford in Curry County. The Corps of Engineers is requesting comments on the proposal. The deadline is April 27, 2009. Tidewater is a gravel company from Brookings. In 2008 Curry County turned down Tidewater's application to mine a new site, a 52-acre gravel bar on the Rogue River. Due to incomplete permits and ... MORE | | Sep 24 08 -- Dec 24 08 Two Victories on Gravel Mining on the Rogue
Oregon Shores, Curry Sportfishing Association and Kalmiopsis Audubon Society appealed a decision by the Curry County planning commission allowing Tidewater Contractors, Inc. to expand its instream gravel mining at the existing Wedderburn site, on the north bank of the Rogue River. This site is in the Rogue's upper estuary, and has been the focus of a violation and fines levied by the Department ... MORE | | Aug 7 08 -- Sep 1 08 Gravel Mining on the Rogue
Gravel mining controversy on Oregon's rivers has shifted focus recently to the Rogue River. In May 2008, the Curry County Planning Commission approved the application (AD-0802, AD-1743) of Tidewater Contractors to continue and expand a large aggregate-mining operation in the Rogue River estuary. Many people in Curry County were opposed to this; the fishing community also expressed grave concerns ... MORE | | Nov 1 07 -- Dec 1 07 Chetco River Gravel Mining
Curry County, Chetco River, November, 2007: Gravel mining has been a continuing controversy on the Chetco River for a long time. The Chetco is salmonid habitat and provides the domestic water supply for Brookings; it is also one of the few rivers in Oregon based solely on runoff, as it lacks any snowpack. The controversy increased when, in October, 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a ... MORE | | Nov 1 07 -- May 18 08 Rogue River Gravel Mining
Curry County, November, 2007: The Rogue River, literally wild and scenic, has an equally famous salmon run. Freeman Rock mines gravel from the lower Rogue, currently up to 40,000 cubic yards per year, which was an increase from its previously permitted amount of 20,000yd. Freeman requested an increase to 75,000 yd for the coming year, and a further increase to 100,000 yd each year for the years ... MORE | |
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