ABSTRACT
Riverine Sand and gravel are of the main construction materials in civil projects in Iran, due to availability, easy processing and low costs. While an effective mining can enhance the river functionality, regional water authorities in Iran have always been concerned about potential damages to river beds because of excessive mining. In this regard, a feasibility study was conducted on four rivers in Bushehr Province to identify reaches for regulated sand and gravel mining. Five sub-disciplines of geology, socio-economy, morphology, hydraulics, and sedimentation-erosion were elaborated and the pertinent data were entered into GIS, processed and weighted. Using an integrated model of GIS and a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, the scores of each reach were calculated and the potentially suitable reaches were selected. Finally, the results were verified by field visits and validated with national guidelines and regulations. The desktop results showed an average of 82% compliance with the field results.
