laska’s role in the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century provides a fanciful impression of mining. Eager prospectors rushed into the state in search of golden treasures with the hopes of striking it rich. But sometimes the riches come from things that are less shiny. Gravel, rock, and sand sources around Alaska are key to numerous infrastructure projects. In the present day, utilizing Alaska’s abundance of natural resources yields its own set of riches.

In the construction and mining industries, aggregates include any gravel or sand-based product. Aggregates are used on every construction project in the state, but especially by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) and municipalities.

Sand and gravel are used for road construction, for mixing with asphalt, as construction fill, and in the production of construction materials like bricks, concrete blocks, and pipes. They’re also used on icy roads in the winter, for railroad ballast, for making roof shingles, and for water filtration.

The largest gravel and sand projects are runway construction and maintenance, road construction and maintenance, and pad/foundation construction. The size and scope of any project or the number of projects in each category can affect which category will use the most gravel or sand in any given year.

“Each project has slightly different grades/specifications of materials depending on application and location,” says Larry Pederson, vice president of Nome operations for Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC). “Examples include gravel classified as crushed E1 and D1, which are utilized for road and runway surfacing. Other types of subbases and base course gravel [are] typically utilized for filling roads, runways, and construction pads. Engineered or screened/sorted gravel is generally larger in size and used with fine materials added to allow for compaction and drainage.”

BSNC, its subsidiaries, and outside contractors use gravel and sand from sources in Nome and the surrounding region. Gravel and sand are used for building foundations and pads for the construction of private homes, commercial buildings, and industrial infrastructure. Gravel and sand are also used to level uneven foundations that settle due to permafrost thawing—a concern for 85 percent of Alaska’s land area. Uses within the transportation industry include construction of new roads, maintenance of existing roads, and reconstruction of roads affected by storm damage.

“Gravel and sand can be taken from any source in our region with landowner permission,” says Pederson. “Each community generally has a gravel or sand source that is utilized for community projects. As a result of the gold mining history of Nome, there is no shortage of gravel in the Nome area. Gravel from Nome is exported to other communities that do not have access to a reliable source.”

While contaminants in gravel sources are a concern in some regions, Nome rarely deals with that issue. “Contaminants are generally not found in natural gravel sources such as glacial till, alluvial, or fluvial deposits, which are most of the sources throughout our region,” says Pederson. “Manmade sources from mining, like in Nome, mostly contain manmade debris from mining, like scrap metal or wood debris. The debris must be removed before the gravel can be processed. If petroleum contamination is encountered, it must be reported to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, which will determine appropriate actions for dealing with the contamination.”

BSNC subsidiary Sound Quarry, Inc. (SQI) independently operates the Cape Nome Quarry approximately 12 miles east of Nome. It is the only commercially viable rock quarry in Northwest Alaska. SQI produces rock and aggregate products, including industrial-grade armor stone and riprap, for projects across western and northern Alaska such as seawalls, causeways, and breakwaters.

Although sand, gravel, and rock are seemingly everywhere, locating construction-grade aggregates can be challenging. According to reports from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in some areas these materials are rapidly depleting or possibly not economically accessible, so the department’s Division of Geology & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) must locate new sources. DGGS maps the character and distribution of construction materials, and the geological mapping focuses on areas with state-identified needs which are often adjacent to existing or planned infrastructure corridors. Gravel bars and streambeds are typically easily located in most regions, but these commodities are more scarce further north.

On the North Slope, identifying potential gravel locations requires satellite imagery and filters to determine what type of vegetation is in the area. Initial evaluations and mapping are followed by observation from helicopters. Once an area is identified as possibly having gravel deposits, subsurface exploration with geotechnical drilling equipment begins.

Geologic mapping and materials investigations by DGGS have aided in numerous projects in the Arctic. For example, on the Dalton Highway, mapping by DGGS and cooperative work with the Alaska Division of Mining, Land & Water helped with the location of sand and gravel necessary to repair the haul road after significant flood damage from the Sagavanirktok River in 2015. Communities in Western Alaska facing coastal erosion problems also benefited from the geological mapping to locate sand and gravel resources.

Located at Shakmanof Cove on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Granite Quarry (formerly known as Granite Cove Quarry) is part of the Koniag family of companies. Kodiak Granite Quarry is a long-term source of high-yield products. The mine yields 250,000 tons of product per year and has a minimum estimated mine life of 100 years.

“The large granite stones that come out of our quarry are ideal for marine construction in the Kodiak archipelago,” says Jesse Kreger, director of operations and risk for Koniag. “One benefit to our quarry is our close relationship with Brice Companies as operators for the quarry.”

Through a multi-year contract with Brice Companies as the quarry operators, Kodiak Granite Quarry has access to a multitude of high-yield products including super armor stone, armor stone, riprap, and filter rock.

“Our unique location adjacent to an ice-free deep-water port also allows us to readily transfer materials year-round, accommodating tugboats and barges capable of efficiently moving the mined granite to customer locations,” says Kreger.

Granite from the Kodiak Granite Quarry has been used for the Chignik Ferry Terminal, the Homer Spit, the Kodiak Airport runway extension, Kodiak Pier III, the Port Lions Breakwater and Ferry Dock project, the Seward Breakwater project, and the Sterling Highway, among others.

With gravel and rock mining operations across the state, the logistics of moving construction products to various worksites can be a significant determining factor in the cost.

“If the location of the gravel or sand is close to the project, then costs are relatively low to transport,” Pederson says. “If the gravel or sand comes from 10 or 100 miles away, then the logistics of getting the gravel or sand to the project drive the cost up exponentially.”

Another factor is processing. Pederson explains, “If gravel or sand from a source requires minimal or no processing to meet project specifications, then the cost can stay very low; however, this rarely occurs. If the gravel or sand must be screened or crushed, then processing will drive costs up.”

Material availability can also play a significant role in the budget of construction projects.

“If material isn’t readily available in a community, the cost will increase drastically, especially if the community is off the road system, as this often means that material will need to be barged in for a project,” says Andrew Tunnell, lands and natural resources specialist for Doyon, Limited. “This is often prohibitively expensive for local projects, meaning in some places the only time new rock can be made available is when state or federal money is involved to fund it. This challenge can further be seen in mining practices, where, in some cases, material sites may be too challenging to produce rock from with local equipment. This is often the case with quarries where the rock is harder, requiring large excavators, crushers, and sometimes blasting to mine, which may not be doable utilizing local resources.”

Doyon charges a flat fee for most sand, gravel, and rock uses that are standardized across the region. An exception is riprap (also called armor rock, used mostly to control erosion control on stream embankments), which is charged at a premium rate due to the large amount of waste generated from its creation.

“Although Doyon does not mine gravel, in many cases we are the primary owner of gravel resources in and around villages throughout Interior Alaska,” says Molly Redilla, vice president of lands for the Fairbanks-based Alaska Native regional corporation. “Our Lands and Natural Resources departments manage sales and donations in which other organizations will mine for gravel.”

Doyon material sites are available for large-scale projects, community projects, and individual shareholder projects. “Community members will typically rely on what is available, which may not be ideal,” says Redilla. “This often creates challenges for Alaska Department of Transportation projects requiring materials to meet certain specifications.”

Doyon will donate a fixed volume of sand, rock, and gravel for most shareholders’ personal uses on a case-by-case basis. Doyon will also donate material to local projects that will benefit the communities. “It is still the user’s responsibility to conduct the mining in a safe, legal, and practical manner that will leave the material site usable for the next user,” says Redilla. “Making these resources available for local projects without charging a royalty makes these highly beneficial projects more affordable, which is often necessary to ensure that these projects can happen, as costs for most things are incredibly high.”

Maintaining the focus on community is key for Doyon, and that is evident in a recent project along the Koyukuk River. “One project that we are very excited about is the construction of Sunny Lane Road in Hughes,” says Redilla. “This project was done in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Transportation, the City of Hughes, and the Hughes Traditional Council, funded by [DOT&PF] and orchestrated by the City of Hughes. The project brought together young people from Hughes, Huslia, Alatna, and Allakaket who were eager to learn construction.” The project trained the young people in road construction, providing employment and the development of skills while constructing a much-needed road to the Hughes Cemetery, which had previously been difficult to access.

Humble rocks and sand literally pave the road from Alaska’s past into its future. Riches like these are truly golden.