Tips When Prospecting
Backpacking my 2" dredge into Wolf Creek
- Equipment I carry in my backpack:
Prospecting Exposed Bedrock
Gauging Station Horseshoe Bar, Middle Fork American River
I really enjoy cleaning out cracks and crevices in exposed bedrock. I try to stay away from the smooth surfaces on bedrock, unless it has a nice horizontal crack that is loaded with material. If the crack is in line with the water flow, good chance any heavy material will be blown out by the water. The cracks that are facing horizontally to the water flow, like a riffle in your sluice will trap heavier material. Large decayed sections of false bedrock is a prime place to pry away and look for red clay, small round pebbles, compacted material. All of these are good signs that gold may be present. In some cases if red clay is stuck on the sides of the crack, There have been times I've seen scars and or trails of a nugget making its way to the bottom.
You can use the 5 gallon bucket with your classifier to separate the razor sharp slate from the gravels. Broken slate is like picking up razor blades. I've got the scars on my finger tips to prove that. Note: If you do get sliced, let it bleed for awhile. This helps clean out the wound. A Backpack Vac is a wonderful piece of equipment to have. It saves time and cleans those bedrock cracks great.
When breaking cracks in bedrock make sure you make a clean bed for the rock and dirt and hopefully gold to fall on. Clean off an area below where you are working, so you can see what has fallen out. Keep your piles in neat piles until you pick them up and put them in your bucket or pan. If you don't you can be panning worthless overburden. This wastes time and energy.
If working high on the bank, if the gold you find is course, and or you find crystalline gold, you might not be far from its source.
You can use the 5 gallon bucket with your classifier to separate the razor sharp slate from the gravels. Broken slate is like picking up razor blades. I've got the scars on my finger tips to prove that. Note: If you do get sliced, let it bleed for awhile. This helps clean out the wound. A Backpack Vac is a wonderful piece of equipment to have. It saves time and cleans those bedrock cracks great.
When breaking cracks in bedrock make sure you make a clean bed for the rock and dirt and hopefully gold to fall on. Clean off an area below where you are working, so you can see what has fallen out. Keep your piles in neat piles until you pick them up and put them in your bucket or pan. If you don't you can be panning worthless overburden. This wastes time and energy.
If working high on the bank, if the gold you find is course, and or you find crystalline gold, you might not be far from its source.
Dredging
Indian Creek off Klamath River
Note: Dredging in California is suspended until further notice. You can thank the Sierra Club, Friends of the Rivers and other environmental protesters and politicians who don't give a damn about us recreational miners.
New Law:
All dredge tenders no matter if they operate the suction nozzle or not must also have a permit from Fish and Game.
Tending the dredge:
The first thing you teach your tender is, If you as the nozzle operator get stuck or pined down from a rock slide is to make sure the dredge has a full tank of gas! Keep in mind, if the dredge engine stops running so does your air. This can ruin your whole day. I like to know there is always a full tank. Don't let it run all the way down before refueling.
If you appear to be pined down don't panic. Figure out what rocks to move to dislodge yourself. Use your suction nozzle to dig a hole or to free other rocks to escape. Don't panic, panicking will make you lose your ability to think straight and matters might get worse. Be aware of all your surroundings. If you move this rock what will it make the rocks above do? Don't take unnecessary risks unless you know you can escape a landslide. This is why we wear a quick release on our weight belt. Easy to drop the weight and head to the surface. I have a line tied to my belt to retrieve it if I need to release it. The line is a pain at times but worth it if you are in a deep hole.
Unless there is a large rock stuck on the riffles, Keep your flippen fingers out of the sluice. It disrupts the eddies and you will loose gold. Don't .pull the rock up from the sluice, but lift it up and out following the flow of the water. If the gold is disrupted it stands a better chance of dropping on the next riffle.
At the end of the day or if your taking a break, tie up your suction hose and nozzle. It's a big hassle to have your hose drifting down stream.
I like to have a small tool box with special tools only for your dredging attached to the frame of the floatation. Have a special place for your rubber gaskets for your jet hose and foot valve hose when you are disassembling the dredge. Lose any of those and you will be losing pressure, and the engine will be getting wet. I like to keep a spare in my tool box along with spare hex keys if used and hose clamps.
New Law:
All dredge tenders no matter if they operate the suction nozzle or not must also have a permit from Fish and Game.
Tending the dredge:
The first thing you teach your tender is, If you as the nozzle operator get stuck or pined down from a rock slide is to make sure the dredge has a full tank of gas! Keep in mind, if the dredge engine stops running so does your air. This can ruin your whole day. I like to know there is always a full tank. Don't let it run all the way down before refueling.
If you appear to be pined down don't panic. Figure out what rocks to move to dislodge yourself. Use your suction nozzle to dig a hole or to free other rocks to escape. Don't panic, panicking will make you lose your ability to think straight and matters might get worse. Be aware of all your surroundings. If you move this rock what will it make the rocks above do? Don't take unnecessary risks unless you know you can escape a landslide. This is why we wear a quick release on our weight belt. Easy to drop the weight and head to the surface. I have a line tied to my belt to retrieve it if I need to release it. The line is a pain at times but worth it if you are in a deep hole.
Unless there is a large rock stuck on the riffles, Keep your flippen fingers out of the sluice. It disrupts the eddies and you will loose gold. Don't .pull the rock up from the sluice, but lift it up and out following the flow of the water. If the gold is disrupted it stands a better chance of dropping on the next riffle.
At the end of the day or if your taking a break, tie up your suction hose and nozzle. It's a big hassle to have your hose drifting down stream.
I like to have a small tool box with special tools only for your dredging attached to the frame of the floatation. Have a special place for your rubber gaskets for your jet hose and foot valve hose when you are disassembling the dredge. Lose any of those and you will be losing pressure, and the engine will be getting wet. I like to keep a spare in my tool box along with spare hex keys if used and hose clamps.
- Securing Dredges With Lines - Line Up For Safety
Make sure cables and ropes don’t block passage for boats and rafts; lines spanning the river should be at least 6 feet above the water surface.
Flag lines to make them easy to see. When anchoring a cable to a tree, protect the tree by wrapping it with an old inner tube, or by covering the cable with a piece of old hose.
Remove all cables, ropes, and inner tubes when dredging is completed.
- Using Gasoline Engines - Fuel For Concern
Other stream users often express concerns about the gasoline engines on dredges, complaining, for example, about noise and fumes. An additional problem can be leakage of petroleum products from engines or storage containers.
Install a muffler on engine to minimize noise. Prevent fuel and oil leaks into water or riparian areas, from the engine as well as from storage containers.
Outfit the suction dredge with an oil pan. To prevent gasoline from entering the water, place a polypropylene pad around the has tank when refueling. The pad absorbs petroleum products but repels water. In case of a leak, do not disperse oil or fuel with detergent. This makes spills harder to clean up and increases the damage to aquatic wildlife.
- Leaving Boulders and Large Woody Debris - Best Left Alone
Large boulders and woody debris are important elements in the creation of fish habitat because large pools form adjacent to them. During periods of hot weather, the cooler deep sections of the pools are essential for fish survival. Fish use large woody debris for cover. So please leave them be.
Do not remove large boulders and large woody debris from the stream.
- Preserving Overhanging Banks - Watch Out Above
Destabilization of overhanging banks by undercutting often causes banks to collapse into the streams. This increases sediment in the water and decreases habitat for fish, which often seek cover under banks.
Do not undermine overhanging banks with the suction dredge. Do not remove protruding boulders or woody debris from banks. Make sure gravel piles do not deflect high water against banks.
Cobble and tailing piles can obstruct passage for boaters and rafters. Another problem can be cobbles and tailings left on or near the bank. During dry periods, when the water level drops, the piles become exposed. Unlikely to be flushed away by high waters, these piles can remain for many years, particularly during periods of drought.