Claim Boundary Etiquette

[monte_rivers]

Hi All,

I have been looking for good spots to do some panning near my home. I found a nice location that looks promising, and there is even an active claim along the stretch of creek I am considering. The claim is well marked, which is super cool by the way. My question is, how much buffer should I give the claim to be a good neighbor. I imagine that you want to avoid sending sand onto the claim, so I was thinking maybe 20 feet. Sound reasonable?

Thanks!
Lamont

 

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[Phil]

When it pertains to two active claims side-by-side, it is measured to the inch. In your situation, 20 feet is more than reasonable.

And thank you for being respectful and considerate of your neighbors. That is a rarity these days.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Lamont, I’d suggest contacting the owner(s) and meet them on the creek. You may learn some useful information about where the gold is hanging up.

You could offer up a bbq and community effort to mine out that 20’ that straddles the claims. This would eliminate the potential conflict and possibly result in friendship.

If nothing else you could say HI and have some comfort knowing your neighbor.

Not everyone is concerned with inches of bedrock (some are so beware).

If nothing else you can find out if they are going to be surveying the creek to make sure you didn’t steal their gold by inches...in which case you can ask them where the line is exactly...then start mining EXACTLY 1” from that mark or as close as you feel comfortable from a liability standpoint.

This was actually quite the issue when placer claims were measured in 10’x10’ plots.
There was always a wedge of material between claims. It required coordination and reasonableness. That has not gone out of style.

 

[monte_rivers]

Thanks for the advice, all.

 

[Goldwasher]

Keep in mind that just because you don't see signs on the ground you are on open ground.

Not sure about Colorado but, in Ca if you are in a surveyed area and stake a placer claim by legal subdivision. You are only required to put up a location monument.

You do not have to put up corners or signs. You are never legally required to put up signs on youe boundaries.

It is your duty to make sure ground is actually open. You need to research areas very well using county recordings and BLM files.

Also keep in mind that people will pay maintenance fees for years and never set foot on the claim the whole time ..signs get pulled down corners and monuments are lost and/or destroyed.

That doesn't close the claim for the owner.

Hopefully Kevin sees this and will chime in on claim marking in CO.

I would be very surprised to find open ground right next to a claim on a creek or river that is easy (ish) to access in CO.

 

[monte_rivers]

In CO, you need to mark each angle for a placer claim with sunk posts or rock piles or similar. Signs are not required, aside from possibly one when the claim is being initiated, and yellow signs that people put up often dissapear. This is a 20 acre claim, well marked with yellow signs and rock piles. There is not much room for an adjacent claim because it is very close to county land. And, thankfully, I was able to find the only other claim on this quarter section, so I think I am safe. Not too many claims packed in here because there are lots of different property owners and the gold is not particularly good. Thanks for the insight!

 

[russau]

My friend in Co. has a hard time keeping his post's erect ! It seems some jerk keeps removing them and throwing the posts into some pile of weeds. and we would keep putting them back!

 

[monte_rivers]

My friend in Co. has a hard time keeping his post's erect !

I think there are medicines for that.

It seems some jerk keeps removing them and throwing the posts into some pile of weeds. and we would keep putting them back!

 

[Mine Shaft]

My friend in Co. has a hard time keeping his post's erect ! It seems some jerk keeps removing them and throwing the posts into some pile of weeds. and we would keep putting them back!

Same thing here lol, our monument marker and paperwork were pulled out of the ground and broke in half. I will be putting up a 4 X 4 aluminium or steel post this time i will pour some cement for good measure lol.

 

[monte_rivers]

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of meanness out there. I hope your sign bandits find something better to do with their time and energy. Regardless, thanks for the continued effort you put into marking your claims. It helps us all.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

My comments were directed at one claim owner to another.
I doubt your neighbor would be interested in splitting proceeds between their claim and open ground.
I’d still try and meet up. If nothing else to clear up the air if you are parked in their spot mining near their claim.

 

[monte_rivers]

I’d still try and meet up. If nothing else to clear up the air if you are parked in their spot mining near their claim.

Thanks for the suggestion. I agree it would be nice to give them a heads up.

 

[russau]

I think there are medicines for that.

YEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT you got to catch them at it !

 

[KevinInColorado]

E

Same thing here lol, our monument marker and paperwork were pulled out of the ground and broke in half. I will be putting up a 4 X 4 aluminium or steel post this time i will pour some cement for good measure lol.

Yeah sign bandits suck. On my prior claim, the USFS guy suggested I don?t replace the post but instead nail the signs to trees ?like the USFS does?. Here in CO there?s no requirement to replace signs that go missing but putting one on a tree ended the problem anyway.

On my current claim, my discovery marker has been up for a year, the rest only since spring snow melt so we shall see if I have an issue with replacement or not. Meanwhile, I was on the claim last week and found a new hole dug by an interloper. Frustrating.