NONMETALLIC MINING IN WAUKESHA COUNTY

Waukesha County has an abundant supply of sand, gravel, and stone. The soils around and in the Kettle Moraine are the most likely source areas for sand and gravel. In this area, the melting waters of the glacier were most active in sorting and depositing high-quality sand and gravel as kames, eskers, and outwash terraces. Ground moraine, common in other parts of the County, typically has not been sorted, as has the glacial outwash and is generally not as well suited for commercial sand and gravel. Potential sand and gravel deposits comprise 210 square miles, or 38 percent of the total land area of the County - See Map (PDF) These areas are concentrated in the western half of the County along the Kettle Moraine and on outwash plains, although many other small deposits are also scattered throughout the remainder of the County.

Soils with a depth to bedrock of two feet or less in Waukesha County indicate areas most suitable for quarrying stone - See Map (PDF) These soils cover approximately 8.3 square miles, or 1.5 percent of the total land area of the County. The largest areas are concentrated near the Villages of Lannon and Sussex, with smaller areas in other parts of the County.

In 1990, extractive land use in the County totaled about 3,400 acres, or about 1 percent of the area of the County. In 2000, extractive land use in the County totaled about 4,000 acres. It is projected that by 2010, extractive land use will total approximately 6600 acres.

There are currently 15 nonmetallic mining operations that applied for "automatic permits" under the County's nonmetallic mining reclamation ordinance. All of these operations either have an approved reclamation plan in place or are in the process of finalizing their plan - See map (PDF).

An example of  nonmetallic mining reclamation is the Waukesha County Compost Project, which received the 2006 "Good Government Award" from the WI Counties Association.  This site processed 8,040 tons of yard waste for 10 municipalities and the county highway department during 2006, the second full year of operation.  To view a video of this project, please click here.

For those other areas around the county where a local municipality has adopted their own nonmetallic mining reclamation ordinance, quarry and gravel pit operators must have reclamation plans approved by the local regulatory authority.

You may view the County's Nonmetallic Mining Reclamation Ordinance (PDF), and see a schedule of nonmetallic mining ordinance fees.

For current permit holders, you may download the "Waukesha County Permit Renewal & Annual Report Form (PDF)".