Gravel Mining in McHenry County and Resident Concerns

​Sand and gravel mining has become a highly contentious issue in McHenry County, Illinois. As reported in the Northwest Herald in February 2023, gravel sites have caused complaints among residents, raising several issues about related future developments.

One unincorporated Val-Mar County Estates resident near the McHenry Outdoor Theater described a pit some distance from his home as loud, dusty, and impacting real estate values: “We can feel and hear everything.” In response to the planned opening of a new Super Aggregates mine, residents of the Sundial Farms subdivision between Fox Lake and Spring Grove launched an opposition campaign in 2022.

The CEO of Super Aggregates held that, sometime in the next two decades, the property could become a housing development with a lake similar to other past mines that have become local parks and subdivisions, such as The Hollows in the McHenry County Conservation District, Three Oaks Recreation Area in Crystal Lake, and the Silverstone Lake subdivision in Carpentersville.

Establishing new property developments near gravel mines after depleting their aggregate avoids the significant cost of creating new road access and other infrastructure. However, residents must live near noise and dust (and potentially sell sites at a steep discount) until the developments come to fruition.

Speaking with the Herald, Illinois State Representative Jack Franks, formerly McHenry County Board chairman, described this conflict of interest as rooted in the early 2000s when “we were not growing corn, we were growing housing.” Franks helped establish the McHenry County Gravel Advisory Council to address disputes in one of Illinois’ fastest-expanding regions. Rather than impose top-down solutions, the Council brought together stakeholders such as mayors, trustees, industry representatives, and members of the public.

Legislative solutions included the state providing incentives for land reclamation after mining out parcels. Upon opening any mine, owners must purchase letters of credit or bonds that ensure future productive land use. Mining companies must also raise earthen berms that ensure the quarry is not visible from nearby homes or roadways. On-site clay and silt can fill the quarry and prepare it for other uses as mining progresses. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources ensures compliance, with the Department of Health checking water well quality.

Contentious conversations on proposed mines have continued into the present. In February 2025, the McHenry County Board overrode residents' objections in approving a Maple Valley Materials gravel pit operation near Marengo. The site, presently agricultural land, is adjacent to an existing Ozinga mining operation and has existing homes to the north and east.

The plan to move forward came despite residents collecting 900 petition signatures. The 11-6 board vote set strict rules on the project, including an increased berm height, a home-value guarantee for a property surrounded by the gravel pit on three sides, and a reduced Saturday work window. In addition, the board rejected a proposal for a ready-mix plant on site, which would have added to the noise and environmental toll. Locals described themselves as proud of their efforts, which they considered a partial victory.

Jack Franks

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