GRAVEL PITS - DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS TO THE GRAND RIVER

The accumulative damage to both ground and surface water caused by gravel pits is difficult to measure. If you fly low over the Grand River from north of Fergus to south of Cambridge you would be shocked. There is a reason both geologically and financially as to why so many both major and minor gravel pits are located beside the Grand River. Courtesy of past ice ages and glaciers, sand and gravel ground up by hundreds of tonnes of moving ice across the surface of the land has produced high qulaity aggregates. Now these same aggregates exist miles away from major rivers but they are not exposed at the surface as they are along our rivers. The overburden including topsoils, silts and clays may only be ten to twenty feet thick but that adds to the cost of extraction. This is money local aggregate producers prefer to pocket and as usual in this country the environmental and social costs are borne by the rest of the population.

Sand and gravel filters out both natural and man-made contaminants preventing them from entering our ground and surface waters. The resulting cleaner groundwater then discharges into surface water streams and rivers and helps the overall qulaity of our waters both for human use as well as wildlife in and around them. Secondly groundwater is colder than exposed to sunlight and warm air surface waters in rivers and streams. Many species simply can not survive in warmer waters including trout. Hence when groundwater is exposed by gravel extraction it warms up and then discharges this warmer water into creeks and rivers. Recently (July 27/16) I posted here about a gravel pit in the Puslinch area causing this problem by warming a currently cold water stream.

Preston Sand and Gravel Co. initially received a license for developing a gravel pit along the Grand River near Winterbourne. The license was for above water table extraction and it was strongly criticized by numerous local residents at Woolwich Council who knew that there wasn't enough gravel available above the water table. Sure enough the water table rose somewhat and now the proponents want to excavate below the water table right beside the Grand River. This assuredly will result in surface ponds and warmer water discharging into the Grand River similar to Bloomingdale as well as the massive Forwell Pit alongside the Grand River in Breslau.

There will be a Public Information Session on September 7/16 in the Lions Club Hall at the St. Jacobs Community Centre. The deadline for formal objections to the Applicant and the Ministry of Natural Resources is September 19/16. Yesterday's Woolwich Observer carrys the Notice of Application and has the addresses and other important information.