Scientific Evidence
There have been no Environmental Impact Statements on the impacts of sand and gravel dredging on the Kansas River since the 1990 Final Regulatory Report and Environmental Impact Statement on Commercial Dredging Activities on the Kansas River. Currently the United States Corps of Engineers is performing an Environmental Assessment on commercial dredging in the Kansas River. The results will likely be made public in the Fall of 2013.
Links to scientific publications and government reports on the impacts of sand dredging on the Kansas River and Missouri River are provided below.
Impacts to aquatic life
Effects of dredging on fish – Study by Craig Paukert and co-authors published in Journal of Freshwater Ecology Volume 23 Number 4, December 2008; Effect of Instream Sand Dredging on Fish Communities in the Kansas River USA: Current and Historical Perspectives.
Impacts to freshwater mussels – Watters, G.T. 2000. Freshwater mussels and water quality: A review of the effects of hydrologic and instream habitat alterations. Proceedings of the First Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Symposium 1999: 261-274.
An Evaluation of Regulations, Effects, and Management of Aggregate Mining in Northern and Central Coastal California – Prepare for National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Region by Aldaron Laird and others.
Kansas River Sand Dredging Information
Friends of the Kaw Comments – Friends of the Kaw’s comments on the Army Corps of Engineers report on the hydrologic and geomorphic changes on the Kansas River associated with sand dredging.
Kansas River Dredging EIS -Environmental Impact Statement prepared in 1990
Summary Overview by the Kansas Water Office – Kansas-Lower Republican Basin High Priority Issues Kansas River Bed Degradation January 2009
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas River Degradation Study – US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. 2010. Hydrologic and Geomorphic changes on the Kansas River.
Sand pits and public water supply wells – How commercial sand dredging in the Kansas River may effect alluvial aquifers.
Missouri River Sand Dredging Information
EPA Comment on Draft EIS – EPA’s comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for sand and gravel dredging on the Missouri River.
Missouri River Dredging EIS – Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Missouri River Commercial Dredging Permits.
National Academy Missouri River report – National Academy of Sciences. 2010. Missouri River Planning: Recognizing and Incorporating Sediment Management.
US Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Degradation Study – US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. 2009. Missouri River Degradation Reconnaissance Study.
Bibliography for other resources
Literature Review of Water Quality Impacts of In-river mining– Townsend, M. A. 1998. Bibliography of Water Quality Impacts of Sand and Gravel Mining. Kansas Geological Survey, Open-file Report 98-51, 32 p.
Sediment Removal Bibliography – Compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
