Is cobble size and pattern an indicator?

[MinerFortyNiner1952]

We have twice mined a cobble bar that is on the slight inside turn of our creek and found decent amounts of fine flour (flood) gold. Still trying to wrap my head around how this area behaves when we have an extreme high water event. Have discovered that the flour gold is best at the back end of this gravel bar, an area where the cobbles are the biggest. And if you look into the water, you can see that near the turn, the cobbles are very small and as you approach the area we are now digging, the cobbles get larger and larger with the largest being the area we are digging in. So far have only found good gold in the very top layer but am now wondering what lies beneath.

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

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[Lanny in AB]

We have twice mined a cobble bar that is on the slight inside turn of our creek and found decent amounts of fine flour (flood) gold. Still trying to wrap my head around how this area behaves when we have an extreme high water event. Have discovered that the flour gold is best at the back end of this gravel bar, an area where the cobbles are the biggest. And if you look into the water, you can see that near the turn, the cobbles are very small and as you approach the area we are now digging, the cobbles get larger and larger with the largest being the area we are digging in. So far have only found good gold in the very top layer but am now wondering what lies beneath.
Anyone have any experience with this?

Yes. That's how it should be. (The cobbles, fist-sized and larger will drop with the gold. The smaller rocks are too light for the gold to drop with them.)

Are you in an area that's shallow to bedrock? Is it an area that's known for coarse (thick flakes, pickers, nuggets) gold?

If so, then you'll want to test the layers all the way to bedrock.

If the area is only known for fine or flour gold, then most of the flour gold will be in the top six inches or so (unless there's been some kind of event that layered it deeper).

All the best,

Lanny

 

[MinerFortyNiner1952]

Thanks Lanny for your input. In other areas we have prospected, bedrock hasn't been too far down so our next time out, we plan on digging down deeper and testing as we go. Not sure if this area has chunky gold. . .YET!!

 

[Lanny in AB]

Thanks Lanny for your input. In other areas we have prospected, bedrock hasn't been too far down so our next time out, we plan on digging down deeper and testing as we go. Not sure if this area has chunky gold. . .YET!!

Do some research if you can as it will save you a lot of digging. For if the area is only known for flour gold, you'll move a lot of dirt and go right past the gold.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[goldhog]

Agree with Lanny.
You can watch our video on Hydraulic Equivalence or just Google the term and read up on it.
Two phases of thoughts.
What happen within the past year... floods etc.
And what happened over the past 3000 years.
Upper layers will show you the past year or so.
Bedrock will show you the WHOLE history.
Doc

 

[Fullpan]

As I recall, forty-niner, you are upstream from Nev. City/Grass Valley somewhere. If you are not too high in elev. (batholithic granite), you have potential for lots of chunky stuff - HH.

 

[golden sluice]

That bed rock is where you will hit all or nothing! I bet.

 

[MinerFortyNiner1952]

As I recall, forty-niner, you are upstream from Nev. City/Grass Valley somewhere. If you are not too high in elev. (batholithic granite), you have potential for lots of chunky stuff - HH.

Yes Fullpan, you recall correctly and the elevation where we mine is around 2300 feet

 

[MinerFortyNiner1952]

That bed rock is where you will hit all or nothing! I bet.

Golden sluice, I'm hoping for the 'all' cause I've had lots of the 'nothing' in the past. But I guess that's what this game is all about.