Gravel and sand deposits may be decades away from depletion

Scott County does not have the richest aggregate resources in the metro area, so what it does have is even more important, experts say.

Gravel and sand deposits might be only decades away from depletion in the Twin Cities area, many of them covered by development. A map in Shakopee, for instance, shows low-end townhomes built during the housing boom over aggregate deposits.

The proposed S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. mining site near Jordan has stirred opposition due to the trucking route’s impacts on residential homes. Politicians will also have to weigh the alternative cost: extra damage to local roads and higher construction costs should gravel have to be hauled in from outside the county.

Read more in the Jordan Independent.