Riverscape Newsletter

As you paddle down the river, on almost any stretch of the Willamette, it is hard not to notice the presence of Gravel Mining. Because the river has brought down gravel from upstream, and spread it across its floodplain for thousands of years, there are vast areas of gravel along the Willamette that are unearthed and utilized to make cement and other related products. Most of these pits are large, and have heavy equipment pulling the gravel out of the floodplain, putting it in large trucks, and processing it - with all of the related noise and disturbance you might expect. Over the years gravel pits have been dug along the Willamette and relatively little thought had been given to their placement, their impact on neighbors, and impact on the river.

Today, if you fly over the river at 1,000 ft, you are literally never out of site of some pit from the Yamhill River to Eugene. Some are small, some are large, some are abandoned, but many are operating. Over the years, WR has gotten into this issue when County lands are proposed to be rezoned from Agriculture to Gravel Mining. Too often we have seen little analysis of the impact of such pits on the river. Typically, once the County gives approval, such pits are almost guaranteed to receive a permit from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).

Given that the same flooding and receding of the river helped create good soils that work for agriculture, sometimes these two industries have come into conflict when gravel pits are proposed. Recently this issue has flared up at Grand Island, just across from Willamette Mission State Park. A large pit is proposed for this area, which will affect local agricultural landowners. The proposed pit is also very close to the river, and right next to some wonderful Natural Areas owned by the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department. These areas, Grand Island Access, and Wheatland Bar, are amazing, and offer an array of habitat for wildlife, and key areas for people to experience the Willamette Water Trail.

While I do not buy the idea that there is a shortage of agricultural land in the Willamette Valley, and that we need to protect every last acre (again, just fly over the Willamette and you will see what I mean), there is clearly an imbalance in the system when a large pit can be dug in the Willamette floodplain, affecting local landowners with ceaseless noise and activity, potentially impacting crops, groundwater, and degrading the experience for those utilizing State owned natural areas.

We feel the proposal at Grand Island is a mistake, but we also feel that we need to take a look at how this Gravel Extraction industry is operated along the Willamette, and throughout Oregon, to see if there is a better balance that can be struck between the need for gravel aggregate, the need to protect agriculture along the river, and the need to protect the Willamette, and restore habitat on both private and public lands that has been degraded.

There is clearly a need to create and restore the river's habitat, and to improve its ecological function. WR will have more on this in the coming months, so stay tuned, and keep an eye out for opportunities to help protect Grand Island.

See you on the River,

Travis

Travis Williams
Riverkeeper and Executive Director