Aggregate
A broad term for sand, gravel, and crushed stone used in construction.
Aquifer
A layer of sand, gravel, rock, or other material that can store and transmit usable amounts of groundwater.
Below-water-table mining
Mining that removes material from below the water table, often creating a pond or lake.
Berm
A raised mound or ridge of soil, often used for screening, noise reduction, safety, or site separation.
Borrow pit
A pit where soil, sand, gravel, or other material is removed for use elsewhere.
Crushing
Breaking larger rock or gravel into smaller pieces.
Dewatering
Removing water from a pit or excavation, usually by pumping. Dewatering can affect groundwater levels and nearby wells if not properly evaluated.
Dragline
A large excavating machine that uses a bucket and cables to remove material, often from wet pits.
Extraction
The removal of natural resources from the ground.
Gravel train
A tractor-trailer combination commonly used in Michigan to haul aggregate. Gravel trains can carry heavy loads and are often a major concern in mining proposals because of road wear, traffic safety, noise, and dust.
Haul route
The roads trucks use to move material from the mine to customers or construction projects.
Mine reclamation
The process of grading, stabilizing, revegetating, and repurposing land after mining. Reclamation may include open water, wetlands, grasslands, slopes, trails, agriculture, or future development, depending on the approved plan.
Overburden
Soil, clay, vegetation, or other material that sits above the sand and gravel deposit and must be removed before mining.
Processing plant
Equipment used to sort, wash, crush, or screen aggregate into different sizes and products.
Screening
Separating sand, gravel, and stone by size.
Setback
A required distance between mining activity and property lines, roads, homes, wetlands, or other features.
Silt fence / sediment control
Temporary erosion-control measures used to reduce sediment leaving a construction or mining site.
Stockpile
A pile of sand, gravel, topsoil, overburden, or processed aggregate stored on site.
Topsoil stripping
Removing the upper soil layer before mining begins. Topsoil may be saved for reclamation.
Wash water
Water used to clean or sort aggregate. Wash water may require settling ponds or other controls to keep sediment from leaving the site.
Water table
The underground level where soil and rock are fully saturated with water. Below the water table, open spaces in sand, gravel, or rock are filled with groundwater.