What are the major impacts of sand and gravel mining within floodplains?
The impact of a sand and gravel operation depends primarily upon where the pit is located within a floodplain and the depth and area of excavation. The effects of excavating deep pits in the floodplain are generally not recognized by the public until after a major flooding event. The most recent major flood events occurred in 1993, 1979 and 1978, so the frequency of such events is relatively rare. If not excavated properly, sand and gravel pits can induce changes in the river bed which endanger life and property by changing the depth, velocity, or path of floodwaters.
