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Sep 24 2008 -- Dec 24 2008  Two Victories on Gravel Mining on the Rogue Rogue estuary and gravel bars, looking east from Wedderburn. 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 of Geology and Mineral Industries. The Board of Commissioners heard the appeal in late August. In early September, the Board agreed with us: Tidewater did not have the continuous permits necessary to show that their existing mine site was grandfathered in under the land use laws, and thus could be expanded. Oregon Shores and its co-appellants are gratified that the Board of Commissioners understand the high importance of the Rogue River for the salmon fishery and for tourism. Tidewater Contractors also proposed an entirely new mining operation on the south side of the Rogue River, just a mile and a half from the existing Wedderburn site on the north bank. Tidewater proposed to mine all 52 acres of a large gravel bar at the old mill site on Jerry's Flat Road. Oregon Shores, Curry Sportfishing Association and many, many local citizens, provided testimony at a standing-room-only planning commission hearing on August 28, in Gold Beach. After digesting all the testimony — including concern from the City of Gold Beach, whose water intake is just above the proposed mining site — the planning commission denied the proposed mining application. The gravel bar floods almost annually in the winter storms, and the resulting sediment load washing into the river would have major impact on salmon. Additionally, the Rogue has never been studied scientifically; no one knows how much gravel it actually deposits annually. We have no baseline knowledge for what would be an appropriate amount of gravel removal. Oregon Shores has long advocated for instream gravel mining to be based on science, but that science has yet to occur. We applaud the Curry County planning commission's decision not to permit another large instream gravel operation on the Rogue just a mile and a half from an existing one, especially in light of our ignorance about the gravel budget of the river. For more information, see: Oregon Shores' new Guide to Permitting Instream Gravel Mining Articles on topic 'Curry: Gravel Mining':  Sep 5 2011    Oregon Shores Seeks Again to Protect Rogue from Mining  May 5 2011    Efforts to Block Tidewater’s Gravel Mining Succeed  Feb 10 2011    Curry Planning Commission Turns Down Gravel Mining  Jul 28 2010    Efforts to Protect the Lower Rogue From Gravel Mining Continue  Apr 5 2010    Gravel Mining Continues to Threaten Chetco River, Rogue Estuary  Feb 15 2010    LUBA: Tidewater May Apply for Wedderburn In-stream Mining  Oct 28 2009    South Coast Rivers: Gravel Mining Continues  Jul 23 2009    Results of Hearing on Gravel Mining on Elk  Jul 21 2009    Curry County Hearing July 21 on Gravel Mining in Elk River  Jun 6 2009    Two More Victories on Gravel Mining on the Rogue  May 28 2009    Third Hearing Scheduled on Gravel Mining near Old Mill Site  Apr 23 2009    Tidewater Requests "Interpretation" of Estuary Boundaries  Apr 1 2009    ACOE Solicits Comments on Tidewater Application on Elk River  Sep 24 2008    Two Victories on Gravel Mining on the Rogue  Sep 23 2008    New Guide to Permitting for Instream Gravel Mining   New Guide to Permitting for Instream Gravel Mining  Aug 7 2008    Gravel Mining on the Rogue  Nov 1 2007    Chetco River Gravel Mining  Nov 1 2007    Rogue River Gravel Mining ©2013 Oregon Shores •  CONTACT US