At our Vagneur Pit in Woody Creek, outside Aspen, all operations take place within the pit created by mining the gravel. This provides a visual and noise barrier to minimize impacts on neighbors and the community. The Vagneur Pit provides crushed products, asphalt and concrete for all of Pitkin County, and has received accolades from the community for being a good neighbor and for the quality of our operations.

At our reclaimed 29 Road Pit in Grand Junction the resulting lake has become a favorite for migrating birds, including the Canada Geese seen here. This pondhas also been used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for growing endangered fish species for re-introduction into the Colorado River system.

Every road we drive on, every sidewalk we walk on, and every house or building we walk into relies on gravel as a major component in its construction. Elam's primary business is asphalt paving of roads, driveways and parking lots. In asphalt paving, 94% of the material is gravel, so having a reliable and close source of gravel is critical for Elam to serve our customers with quality and economy. To further lessen the impact to our environment, Elam recycles the gravel it uses – asphalt is 100% recyclable.

Before Elam mines an area, great care is taken to make sure there will be minimal impacts to the environment. We also ensure that a reclamation plan is in place.

Once an area has been mined, Elam develops it to provide the habitat most appropriate for the surrounding area. Most of the time a gravel pit is turned into a lake by allowing water from a nearby river to fill the pit. Elam then helps bring the area back to its natural state by planting grasses and trees. Oftentimes, the resulting lake becomes a valuable resource for wildlife habitat, including endangered fish native to Colorado and migrating birds.