The history of aggregate development in the Denver, CO area

W. H. Langer

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USGS · 70037341

The history of aggregate development in the Denver, CO area

W. H. Langer

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Abstract

At the start of the 20 th century Denver's population was 203,795. Most streets were unpaved. Buildings were constructed of wood frame or masonry. Transport was by horse-drawn-wagon or rail. Statewide, aggregate consumption was less than 0.25 metric tons per person per year. One hundred years later Denver had a population of 2,365,345. Today Denver is a major metropolitan area at the crossroads of two interstates, home to a new international airport, and in the process of expanding its light rail transit system. The skyline is punctuated with skyscrapers. The urban center is surrounded with edge cities. These changes required huge amounts of aggregate. Statewide, aggregate consumption increased 50 fold to over 13 metric tons per person per year. Denver has a large potential supply of aggregate, but sand and gravel quality decreases downstream from the mountain front and potential sources of crushed stone occur in areas prized for their scenic beauty. These issues, along with urban encroachment and citizen opposition, have complicated aggregate development and have paved a new path for future aggregate development including sustainable resource management and reclamation techniques.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 39.45316112807394° to 40.07807142745009° latitude; -105.5126953125° to -104.43603515624999° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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W. H. Langer. 2009. The history of aggregate development in the Denver, CO area. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70037341

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