On November 17, 2025, American Aggregates of Michigan, Inc., applied to Norvell Township to operate a gravel mine on 625 acres acres that border Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve, a recreational resource for all Michiganders and an MDNR-designated Waterfowl Refuge.

According to the application, the gravel mine is being proposed as:

• establishing a mine and processing plant on 625 acres next to the Park
• mining a large portion of that area with bulldozers and other heavy equipment
  
• operating 5 days a week, and Saturday mornings, for up to 20 years
• An average of 18 trucks per hour, up to 104-130 trucks per day [operations go 13 hours, from 7 am to 8 pm in the summer]
• a haul route that runs through rural roads to Wamplers Lake Road and then past Hayes State Park

Because of the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, the township may not deny mining unless very serious consequences would result. However, it is the burden of the applicant to show this and the applicant (American Aggregates of Michigan, Inc.) does not believe that “very serious consequences” would result from an environmental incursion of this magnitude.

Visit our “Learn More” page to gain further understanding of the value of our local natural resources and to better understand the law pertaining to mining in the township. We will continue to update this page with additional pertinent resources, especially concerning the impacts of gravel mining.