Entries by admin
Houston Advanced Research Center Pre-/Post Harvey Mapping Tool
A novel GIS mapping tool developed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) now makes it easy to see how Hurricane Harvey changed the San Jacinto River. This novel, 4-pane mapping tool allows users to view pre- and post- Hurricane Harvey images in natural and infrared colors. The four panels make it very helpful when looking […]
Why We Need Full-Cost Accounting for Aggregate Mining
Last night, I read a strangely moving 125-page white paper titled Freshwater Gravel Mining and Dredging Issues. It was authored by G. Mathias Kondolf, Matt Smeltzer and Lisa Kimball of UC Berkeley for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Transportation in 2001. Despite “Gravel” in the name, the paper is an encyclopedic […]
Immediate and Long-Term Risks Associated with River Sand Mining
Scientific literature from around the world has identified both immediate and long-term risks associated with sand and gravel mining. These risks underscore the need for tighter regulation of the sand mining industry in Texas, where the industry does not follow best practices commonly accepted in other states and countries. Yet some miners here are pushing […]