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Apr 1 2009 -- Apr 30 2009 ACOE Solicits Comments on Tidewater Application on Elk River |   Close-up of Gorse, north of Bandon on Mile 109. 4/19/2007 photo.
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 outstanding violations with the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Curry County Board of Commissioners also turned down Tidewater's application to expand its existing sand-and-gravel site at Wedderburn, near Gold Beach, also on the Rogue River.
As a result, Tidewater is trying to find other locations for instream gravel mining, and has turned to the Elk River in northern Curry County. The Wagner family has an existing permit from Curry County (dating from 1987) to mine gravel on the Elk. Tidewater is applying to mine gravel from this site. The company wants to remove 12,000 cubic yards of material per year from the Elk over a five year period, from four different gravel bars.
The Elk is a pristine river in many ways. It has the strongest run of SONCC (Southern Oregon/Northern California Coasts) coho on the south coast, a salmon run that is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. However, the lower Elk has had problems with gorse infestation. As a result, the original Wagner permit prohibits gravel from being removed from the area. Only asphalt can be removed from this site on the Elk. That may mean that a new asphalt plant (temporary or permanent) will be built there; or Tidewater might apply to the County for removal of this condition. We will keep you informed of activity as this application gets underway.
For more information:
3/27/2009, Corps of Engineers Notice of application for permit
2/12/2009, Background on the Wagner/Tidewater sites
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 |
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