The Do’s and Do Not’s of Placer Mining

[GPEX admin]

Let’s hear all about your experiences?

[willy]

 Well, given that the environmentalists have all but shut down small scale placer mining, there's not much in the way of do's. It's a crying shame 'cause there's a lot of gold here and the B.C. government could make a whole lot of money from tourists that would like to find a dab of gold. Take Arizona.. they make untold millions from old folks in R.V.'s that stay there during the winter and spend a heap of money (gas, food, you name it) in order to find a miniscule amount of gold. A 65+ year old codger isn't going to be able to do much in the way of environmental damage; lucky to move a yard a week. On the other hand, we've got big companies tearing up the landscape with the government's blessing. It really makes me sick. The little guy always gets the shaft. ..Willy.  

[ClickTheYellowChick]

Let’s hear all about your experiences?

Well, sir, Larry, I have to share one experience out of multiplied hundreds...

One evening, on a gold circuit vacation about oh, 7 years back now I guess, I was on one of the
backroads in SW Oregon, following a rabbit trail, in my Minnie Winnie.  After much bouncing and
jostles, I ended up on a rather large gravel bar on the Rogue River, right next to where the sightseeing power boats haul tourists up and down the Rogue.  I was basically parked on a
corner where they slowed but NOT BY MUCH, and roared around the corner with their passengers,
heading further up river.

I dispaired of finding any gold in that situation, since there wasn't much but round gray river rock and that gol-durned noisy boat of sight seeing folk.  Just beyond me, down river, was a quiet fisherman type, pulling in one bass after another, FROM THE SAME GRAVEL BAR I was parked on.

So, anyhow, I decided to do some sample panning, and to my amazement, just right at where the
boats roared around the bend and headed up river, I found all kinds of placer gold, in the silt churned up to the side of the gravel bar.

What I considered a noisy pest, turned out to be a weary traveling prospector's friend.  That ole boat and its umpty runs up that section of the river with the tourists, was a churning up the bottom of that bend, and sending placer in waves to the very edge of the gravel bar I was parked on. 

I stayed an extra day, I was having so much fun.

So, y'all...please learn from my mistake about assuming there was no gold there to be found, and CHECK ANYHOW.  You just never know who (OR WHAT    ) has been a thrashin' about in your creek or pond or river or stream, and sending the fun gold to the edges where you are a'standin'.

[bushguy]

Oh ya, I like that story YellowChick!  Good lesson there...

later,

[rockpup]

Yeha unless you bend the rules in bc.You cannot do squat.You have to apply for a permit to sluice in stream,kinda a joke.The americans are much smarter about there gold prospecting,this may stem back to there constitution.I read a thing about that once.

I thought our legistator included something about mining,its always a fall back measure to make money in hard times?It sure hard to make money with all the rules and regulations.Unless your large enough to get the money to back your operations your not going to move much gravel.Even handmining is a joke,I can move enough gravel that a mining inspector would think I was using a machine and most likely freak out.

I think the rules are there for a reason.Bc does make alot fo money related to there amazing fisheries.
There si alot fo hype to help protect these prime fishing grounds,I also support this movement.But they need to realize that mining can be done with no impact the the enviroment.

Even dredging helps the enviroment,there is just not enough research done by canadian goverment agencies to realize that,The washington goverment I do beleave has founded a whole research project dedicated to study the effects of recreational dredging,correct me if I am wrong,it was one of the westren american states.
I do beleave it was a fairly lengthy study nad concluding it was more benefital than harmfull,removing heavy toxins from water ways.

Bc and Alberta both need to slack up.The price of gold is real high nad are economy is weak.Allowing mroe tourist dollars and gold produciton would benfit more than these harsh regulations that cost more to enforce.
Imagine how much money it takes to police theses rules and how much it would save be allowing  few changes in the rules.Dredging permits I think are nesssary,so people follow guidelines,the goverment gets there cut,but why not allow more dedging,weekend permits in the dredging season,allow out of towners to dredge on private claims.There could be alot of rule changes with out impact on the enviroment,it would cut down on the cost of inforcing these rules and bring in more tourist dollar.

Anyway I hope the goverment slacks up on some regulations,be nice to use a dredge.

[sluicemonkey]

Well, we lost a good area in our neck of the woods due to abuse by miners. Had a great bench deposit that was on BLM land that was exempt from mineral entry. Lots of guys were setting up highbankers on the hill or sluices in the river. Had a lot of miners that were digging into the river bank or leaving large open pits in the hill side. A lot of them were undercutting the overburden leaving a 3' thick shelf above pits waiting to crush some unsuspecting miner. BLM warned people that they would shut the area down if it did not stop. Now the area is shut down to all mining except to the river gravel in the river with a gold pan only. At least they didn't shut it completely down, but people being inconsiderate ruined it for everyone at this location 

[garnetsootheran]

Just a few of a long list..............

DO - pan on the side of the stream where all the books say there is no gold - prove em wrong.

DO - have fun whether the rules are too strict or not - there have always been rules

DO - try and pass on your meger knowledge to others - we all were newbys once

DO - try not to think DO NOT !

GS