Feds close source of sand pits' name

Would the sand pits still be the sand pits without the actual sand pits?

The Dresslerville Pit, which gave the popular recreation area its name, was closed by the U.S. Forest Service on Good Friday.

The March 21 closure affects only the actual pit, which has never been open to the public while it was being mined.

Forest service spokeswoman Marnie Bonesteel said the pit has been open for two decades, providing decomposed granite for roadways, walks and gardens.

From 1986 to 2001, about 55,000 cubic yards of decomposed granite, 1,200 tons of boulders and 5,000 cubic yards of top soil have been removed from the pit.

Bonesteel said some of the top soil had to be returned to the pit, so it could be seeded.

"Right now we're just trying to control the amount of erosion and to get some vegetation established," Bonesteel said.

It will be years before vegetation is fully re-established in the area, but in the meantime the pit itself will be closed for both the safety of the seedlings and users.

"We don't want anybody using the area because of the large boulders at the base of it," she said. "It's a mine and it is not a place where we want to encourage recreation. We don't mind if people love the area, we just want them to stay safe."

The actual pit is being fenced off and posted. The recreational use around the pit will remain the same as it always has.

"The need to reduce any level of disturbance in this area, coupled with the potential for rock fall is the main reason for the closure," said Acting Carson District Ranger Michael Diem said in a statement. "Equally important is giving the landscape a chance to heal. Keeping both people and vehicles out of this area is critical to the long-term success of this reclamation effort."

The sand pits will be patrolled by the forest service and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office to enforce the closure and keep an eye out for illegal dumping. A community clean-up of the area is expected in May.