A planned quarry in Oakridge, Oregon, would negatively impact famous hiking trails

The small town of Oakridge, Oregon is gearing up for mountain biking season. The small community grows each summer as mountain bikers come from near and far to ride the challenging terrain and seemingly endless singletrack.

Late June is hectic as Mountain Bike Oregon, one of the state’s largest mountain bike festivals, multiplies the already busy weekend by several times. Oakridge prepares to host people from the cycling industry and recreational riders for three days of music, food and, of course, biking.

However, many Oakridge residents feel that the mountain biking culture that in some ways saved the town is once again under threat. For many Oakridge residents, a proposed quarry is too close to the trails and too close to town.

Which hiking trails would be affected?

The proposed quarry, if approved, will be located on the east side of town on what is known as TV Butte. This area is home to several famous hiking trails, including Heckletooth, Aubrey, Salmon Creek, and Dead Mountain. A new hiking trail is currently under construction and will also be affected if the proposed quarry is approved.

Michelle Emmons, executive director of the Oakridge Trail Alliance, told Singletracks that while there are no plans to close these trails, they will undoubtedly be affected.

“These trails are going to be affected by noise and dust,” Emmons told us. “And also by traffic. There will be 80 to 100 trucks on the road. So all that dust is going to be transported along the same trails that people ride their bikes on. It’s a clean air issue.”

The dust Emmons is referring to is silica dust. Silica dust is a naturally occurring material found in many rocks, sands, and clays, so silica dust is an obvious byproduct of construction activities such as quarrying. This dust can be so fine that it is not only easily carried through the air, but can also be inhaled into the lungs. Exposure and inhalation of silica dust can cause a chronic lung disease called silicosis. And as silicosis develops over time, symptoms include a persistent cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness. These symptoms worsen the longer a person is exposed to silica dust.

Emmons discussed this air quality issue with the Lane County Planning Commission, the governing body that ultimately decides whether to approve or deny the proposed quarry. In a letter from the Oakridge Trail Alliance board, Emmons wrote:

In addition, the proposed quarry operation would cause significant air quality impacts, particularly in terms of silica dust. This poses a health risk to residents and visitors and is contrary to Lane County’s significant investment in improving air quality in Oakridge. With existing challenges from wildfire smoke shortening the peak tourist season and compromising the safety of outdoor activities, the question arises as to why Lane County would allow such an obvious environmental impact to exacerbate the situation, further deter visitors and harm our local tourism economy.

It’s not just the dust that’s a thorn in Emmons’ side, she’s also concerned about the impact that up to 100 trucks a day will have on the roads leading to trailheads. Many of these trailheads have been improved to accommodate all recreational users, abilities and skills. If the quarry proposal is approved, these users will have to contend with heavy traffic from large construction vehicles.

Oakridge is a small town and other than recreational traffic, the streets are relatively quiet. The increasing number of trucks in the area raises concerns for those who prefer to bike the trails rather than drive and park at the trailhead.

More than cycling

According to Emmons, the impacts of the proposed quarry go beyond mountain bikes. Regardless of whether they’ve ever ridden one of the many great trails in the area, this is a proposal that Oakridge residents don’t want to see adopted, Emmons says.

“There was no one here in this public place expressing support for this (quarry) operation,” Emmons said.

Singletracks spoke with Emmons a day after Oakridge held a town hall meeting to discuss the quarry proposal. Of the 20 or so speakers, all were against the quarry. Even more voiced their opposition a few years ago when this quarry proposal was last rejected by Lane County.

Yes, you read that right: this is not the first time this has happened.

The current quarry proposal is actually the third version of the same plan. Emmons stated that the shortcomings of the last proposal did not help the quarry, but the new proposal does not appear to address those problems. Problems like water – according to Emmons, the quarry needs 5,000 gallons a day.

“They don’t know where they’re going to get the water from,” Emmons explained, telling us that several attempts have been made to drill for water on the proposed site, all of which have been unsuccessful. “If they drill into the aquifer that supplies all the residents in the area and use that water, who knows what’s going to happen to the wells.”

TV Butte is located in an old industrial area of ​​Oakridge. This would be a perfect location if Oakridge wanted to continue to operate industrial operations there. However, new housing and businesses are planned for this industrial area.

Visitors come to Oakridge to be outdoors. Lush, forested mountains surround this postcard-perfect river valley town. Wineries and restaurants looking to locate in the new industrial area might hesitate if their neighbor is a quarry.

“A quarry on the edge of town that produces dust and drives traffic onto the roads next to the industrial park that is being developed as a business center and recreation center that connects people to the east side of Oakridge and the trails – that’s not a compatible use. It doesn’t fit into the plan,” Emmons said.

Singletracks will continue to follow this story and keep you updated if Lane County makes a decision. For more information, visit oakridgestrong.org.