The reclamation concept in regulation of gravel mining in California

Mining of gravel for construction aggregate in California is regulated under the concept of ‘reclamation’, borrowed from open‐pit coal mines, which are recontoured and returned to productive use (such as agriculture) after mine closure. The concept works for dry terrace pits and can be adapted to creation of wildlife habitat in wet terrace pits. However, the state's regulatory structure also applies the concept to gravel extraction in the active channel, a dynamic system where the extraction site cannot be isolated from the surrounding environment. In this paper, I review reclamation in terrace and floodplain deposits but question the appropriateness of extending the traditional notion of reclamation to instream mining operations.