Prospectors Research Tools

[Clay Diggins]

Prospector's Research Tools

I haven't been around much this summer and with the desert prospecting season just starting it's a good time to show off what I did this long hot summer. I have been working with a few friends on a new non-profit organization to give you a single place for all your land research.

The result is MyLandMatters.Org. This is the gateway to your land information repository. Maps, books, tutorials, community resources and quality, easy-to-access information about the land around you.

No ads, No memberships, No log-in required.

This past spring while sitting around with some friends we came to the conclusion that most of the important and useful things that we want to know about the land around us was difficult to locate and tough to understand. Despite the many sources of information there was no single place to find the information available.

We decided we could do something about that. We agreed to put our time and energy into creating a single place that anyone could find the answers to questions about the land.

It's a big project. It has taken a lot of work, learning and resources to get things started. But after six months of long days, and more than a few nights, the Land Matters repository is ready for you to use.

Land Matters is all about the land. You can find Land Status Maps, Active Mining Claims Maps (with live direct links into the current LR2000 claims database), A great collection of mining books, Land Laws, Geology books and maps, Forest Travel Plans and a whole lot more.

Land Matters is for land users. Our collections are guided by community input. That's you. Let us know what kind of material you would like to find in our Library or a particular map you would like to see. Help us build Land Matters to best serve the community.

We've already got a lot of things that prospectors have been asking for - the claims maps alone were almost universally requested. Land Matters isn't just for prospectors and miners. But you can help prioritize our efforts and drive the content of Land Matters. Prospectors now have a unique opportunity to help guide and build an information resource designed by prospectors and for prospectors.

We are just getting started filling the Library but there will be hundreds of books, maps and items added in the next few weeks. We've even got a Newsletter so you can get regular updates about new additions to the Land Matters repository.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Here are a few good places to start:

Tutorials - the current focus is on understanding Land Status.
Maps - We all like maps and we've got some you will love.
Library - search for something.

Heavy Pans
Barry & Leigh

 

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[okbasspro]

Wow Clay this is a great resource many thanx for your countless hours to bring this info.

 

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[goldenIrishman]

Just test drove the new and improved Arizona claims map and all I can say is...

What a huge difference!!!!

I was able to zip through placer claims near the house I'm looking at buying in a matter minutes! Checking out other sections in that part of the state will be a piece of cake now!

The place I'm looking at buying is located on the south end of the Bottleneck Wash map and the nearest placer claims are only a few miles south in Deluge Wash which is on the GunSight Wash map sheet. (Two sheets south) The claims along that wash are all owned by two companies. Kings Nobel Metals Inc. out of New Jersey and Mountain Mines out of Lost Wages, NV. It looks pretty much like they've claimed the entire wash between them, but until I can do a little more research and get the proper descriptions of the claim boundaries I can't say for sure. I was able to find all this information in a matter of minutes.

Being able to select either placer or lode claims on the maps really cuts the time needed for researching an area way down. This should be a feature on all the claims maps if it's not already.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Tennessee Geology update!

Thanks okbasspro!

Glad it's working for you GI! We will be making that change in the claims maps for all the BLM LR2000 maps soon.

We've got a new geology layer for the folks in Tennessee. The Tennessee Geology map just got a faults layer. Now you can see where those fault lines dive below the hollers.

Much Much More Coming Soon!

Heavy Pans

 

[BurntBear]

Thanks okbasspro!

Glad it's working for you GI! We will be making that change in the claims maps for all the BLM LR2000 maps soon.

We've got a new geology layer for the folks in Tennessee. The Tennessee Geology map just got a faults layer. Now you can see where those fault lines dive below the hollers.

Much Much More Coming Soon!

Heavy Pans

THAT is awesome! I just checked out the faults layer and I think it just explained some things I've been pondering.

What do the colored zones represent? I may have missed it somewhere. -Luke

 

[Clay Diggins]

THAT is awesome! I just checked out the faults layer and I think it just explained some things I've been pondering.

What do the colored zones represent? I may have missed it somewhere. -Luke

Oh... BurntBear. Dude you are missing the best parts of those maps!

Try this. Zoom into the area you are interested in. Switch to the tool on the right by clicking on it. Click on one of the colored areas. Now you will have a pop up "Result" window with information about where you clicked. There will be a set of boxes titled "Tennessee High Resolution Geology" and the basic information about the type of rock in the area you clicked on.

To get a whole bunch more information about those particular rocks click on the "Click for detailed geological classification" underlined text in the right box in the "Result" window. Another window will open with a huge bunch of information about the local rock type you clicked on. There will be more links inside that window - this stuff goes deep.

When you get used to that process move on over to the area due East of Tusculum/Greeneville near the border - a little town named Erwin. Look just southeast of there where the deep purple rock is with the faults running through. Click on that rock type for info. You might want to get to know some of the folk there.

Think of the map as a different way to search for information - kind of a big visual search engine that always knows where you are looking at when you ask a question.

You can make that "result" information window any size you want. You can move it where you want. It will stay there - if you close it, it will open again at the size and position you left it in last time. You can roll up the information window by double clicking the top bar and unroll it by double clicking it again. You can click around the map while you have the information window open and the contents will change depending on where you click.

The button is magic. It's your friend. It's the heart of the mapping engine. It will rock your world. ("Rock" - get it? I "crack" myself up - OK it's late I'll edit this later )

Play around with the map. You can't break it. If you get confused or want to learn all the tricks it can do click on that little HELP button on the upper right of the mapping window. Follow the links in there. Have fun. Learn something and go Ohhhh... THAT'S COOL/SICK/RAD/AWESOME when you finish.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

Yeah Luke.... Those different layers are all your friend! Take some time to learn what each one does and you'll soon be learning more about geology than a lot of miners ever learn. The maps on the site are set up very much like those in Clays "FootPrints" map series so I've got quite a bit of practice in using them.

 

[BurntBear]

Maybe I should have clicked that "I" button a little sooner!! I've used so many online maps that I think I was accustom to the bare essentials. This is so much more than a map; it's a tool.

Now, if you don't hear from me for several days; it's because I clicked that little "I" button and found something that sparked my interest and I'm out hunting for it!

I can't thank you enough. I feel like an idiot; but now I know how it works and that could be dangerous,lol. -Luke

 

[goldenIrishman]

Well let me give you an idea of how I've been using the maps on the site to do my research and I think you'll have to agree that this is the best free tool for miners that has ever hit the web.

1. Go to the site and open up the AZ mining claims map.

2. Zoom in to the area I'm currently researching. Once you get to the point that the boxes that mark the claims are the size you want them, switch to the "I" control and click on the box of your choice. If you're zoomed in close enough that you see numbers in the boxes, that number is how many claims are in that particular box. Clicking with the "I" button active will bring up a list of all the claims within that grid. The grid is the same as a std topo. From that list you can click on links that will take you directly to the LR2000 report page for that claim. Not having to enter the info yourself on the LR2000 page is great because it's a picky mutha on typos and case when doing a manual search!!! once I've got the claims info I look up the geological info as well.

3. Now that I know the current status of claims in an area, I go to the USGS site and get digital copies of the topos for that area. The new topos come as PDF files and also include an aerial view layer that can be turned on and off. The elevation lines are still there with the aerial view active.

4. In cases where I can find a listing for a particular claim in the AZGS mine data pages, I'll download those as well. This will give me things like past history, production reports, assay reports etc etc etc. Unfortunately only mines that require permits from the state have to report to AZGS. Reports from all the others are strictly voluntary and very few want to advertise their finds.

5. Once I've established that an area has possibilities, I go to the County recorders office and look up the actual claim description as filed. The BLM LR2000 records don't have that detailed info and as part of due diligence you have to know the EXACT boundaries of the other claims in the area. While Arizona mining law requires that all claims be clearly marked, not every miner does it. better to have the info on boundraries with you than to rely on there being markers up to guide you.

6. Once I've gotten that far, it's time for "Boots on the ground".

That's a "Readers Digest" explanation of how I go about locating areas to prospect here in Arizona. I could go into more detail... But then I'd have to kill everyone that read that version and I'm just not up to that.

Without the tools available on Clays site this process would take a LOT more time to get accomplished. I've also gotten a copy of the Armys Land Navigation training manual so I can use it to teach Robi how to read maps and navigate from a topo as well as brush up on my own skills. Again, available from Clays site.

 

[AlaskaGold]

Did that just happen? I thought all you had was television drama?

What in particular would you like to see in Alaska?

There is a whole bunch of Alaska gold with available State leases. Not so much federal lands to claim.

Have you been to Alaska Maps Plats and Data? Alaska already has online maps of land status and claims.

Heavy Pans

Don't tell anyone there's still gold here! Haha

I have used the state mapper quite a bit, good resource if you have hours to wait for the program to time out every time you try to select a claim to find ownership and or if it is still active. I am more interested historic claims and mining activities. Alaska mapper the state created does not show any of the older mines and claims or any of the old survey work that has been done in years past. Not even sure if that is possible. I have spent sometime looking over old bureau of mines data and there was a lot of survey work that was done to show what each mine had in regards to production. Maybe I'm just dreaming of what else there could be. Any additional resources would be great!

And yes we have to many tv shows, drama that is made up and does even show what alaska or its people are really like. They portray us as a bunch of fools. Can't even go to the gunshop with running into cameras these days.

I know you are plenty busy with what your site is currently doing so if you think what we have for mine resources is the best it can be thanks for even considering it. What you have done for other states is really amazing, keep up the good work!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Well let me give you an idea of how I've been using the maps on the site to do my research and I think you'll have to agree that this is the best free tool for miners that has ever hit the web.

1. Go to the site and open up the AZ mining claims map.

2. Zoom in to the area I'm currently researching. Once you get to the point that the boxes that mark the claims are the size you want them, switch to the "I" control and click on the box of your choice. If you're zoomed in close enough that you see numbers in the boxes, that number is how many claims are in that particular box. Clicking with the "I" button active will bring up a list of all the claims within that grid. The grid is the same as a std topo. From that list you can click on links that will take you directly to the LR2000 report page for that claim. Not having to enter the info yourself on the LR2000 page is great because it's a picky mutha on typos and case when doing a manual search!!! once I've got the claims info I look up the geological info as well.

3. Now that I know the current status of claims in an area, I go to the USGS site and get digital copies of the topos for that area. The new topos come as PDF files and also include an aerial view layer that can be turned on and off. The elevation lines are still there with the aerial view active.

4. In cases where I can find a listing for a particular claim in the AZGS mine data pages, I'll download those as well. This will give me things like past history, production reports, assay reports etc etc etc. Unfortunately only mines that require permits from the state have to report to AZGS. Reports from all the others are strictly voluntary and very few want to advertise their finds.

5. Once I've established that an area has possibilities, I go to the County recorders office and look up the actual claim description as filed. The BLM LR2000 records don't have that detailed info and as part of due diligence you have to know the EXACT boundaries of the other claims in the area. While Arizona mining law requires that all claims be clearly marked, not every miner does it. better to have the info on boundraries with you than to rely on there being markers up to guide you.

6. Once I've gotten that far, it's time for "Boots on the ground".

That's a "Readers Digest" explanation of how I go about locating areas to prospect here in Arizona. I could go into more detail... But then I'd have to kill everyone that read that version and I'm just not up to that.

Without the tools available on Clays site this process would take a LOT more time to get accomplished. I've also gotten a copy of the Armys Land Navigation training manual so I can use it to teach Robi how to read maps and navigate from a topo as well as brush up on my own skills. Again, available from Clays site.

Thanks for the explanation Jeff. I think you've got it figured out!

I'm glad you found the Land Navigation Training Manual it's a great resource and probably the easiest way to lean a very useful skill. Batteries don't last forever and your GPS can't think for you.

Thanks for all your support Jeff.

Heavy Pans

Barry

 

[Clay Diggins]

Don't tell anyone there's still gold here! Haha

I have used the state mapper quite a bit, good resource if you have hours to wait for the program to time out every time you try to select a claim to find ownership and or if it is still active. I am more interested historic claims and mining activities. Alaska mapper the state created does not show any of the older mines and claims or any of the old survey work that has been done in years past. Not even sure if that is possible. I have spent sometime looking over old bureau of mines data and there was a lot of survey work that was done to show what each mine had in regards to production. Maybe I'm just dreaming of what else there could be. Any additional resources would be great!

And yes we have to many tv shows, drama that is made up and does even show what alaska or its people are really like. They portray us as a bunch of fools. Can't even go to the gunshop with running into cameras these days.

I know you are plenty busy with what your site is currently doing so if you think what we have for mine resources is the best it can be thanks for even considering it. What you have done for other states is really amazing, keep up the good work!

Sorry about the TV crack AlaskaGold. It was a cheap shot.

I know it's the lower 48's idea of, and fascination with, Alaska that brought the TV pox on you, it really isn't your fault. I'm guessing no more than 30% of the population of Nome are actual TV stars?

The State mapper is about the only way you are going to get the land status for those State claims - we've looked at it and I'm not seeing any way to improve their service from anything we could do. I'm sure you know there isn't all that much Federal Public Lands open to claim in good gold territory either.

One of the issues we have with serving Alaska is the sheer size. You guys are making Texans look like midgets. You've practically got your own continent going on there! To give you an idea of how much work the simplest maps of Alaska are going to be consider that for every state geology we put up there is just one set of 12 different files to create the map. For Alaska there are 28 sets of 12! That's more work than we have done so far for all the continental United States. It's going to take months to build a grid to put the Alaska BLM LR2000 claims on too.

We will be doing all of Alaska and eventually the whole world. Right now for making maps it's just little ol me - and I still have to make a living on the side - I'm just an unpaid volunteer at Land Matters.

It probably has to do with Alaska's lack of population and limited internet service more than anything but we just don't get much call for Alaska research materials. Right now you are about it. I'll tell you what, let me know what area and what type of materials you would like to see and I'll try to get it on the list at next Monday's meeting.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

The folks at Land Matters have several requests coming online in the next few days as well as a surprise.

In the meantime I hope everyone has a peaceful and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday.

Heavy Pans

 

[BurntBear]

If I had a tail; I'd wag it.

 

[delnorter]

Thanks Barry, a great Thanksgiving to you folks as well. WE are truly thankful for all of you.

Mike and family

 

[KevinInColorado]

Thanks Barry, a great Thanksgiving to you folks as well. WE are truly thankful for all of you. Mike and family

yes!

 

[goldenIrishman]

Clay... I do have one question for you here.

On the window that opens up when you click on a section with claims in it, is there any way to save that information? Being able to save that info would allow me to print it out for when I'm heading up to the county recorders office to look up claim descriptions to get the actual footprints of the claims in an area. With the actual descriptions, I could plot them out on my field maps to make sure I'm not stepping on any toes while out prospecting.

I see that the locations in the pop up window give the section number and the quarter section but getting the full description is important for me to have as part of my due diligence process. Just trying to stream line that process is all.

I'll e-mail you the details on the area that I'm really interested in right now so we can be on the same page.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Never mind on that last question Clay. I got it figured out. I did a simple cut and paste into a word document and it came out just how I wanted it to. Now I can print it out to take with me to the County Recorders office.

 

[Clay Diggins]

California Mining Claims!

By user request Land Matters has finally finished the California Claims map. We've also added a cool Gift for our donors to enjoy.

This thing was a bear, it took more than a month for Ruby to get the Township Range and Section grid straightened out. Less than 1/3 of California has been surveyed and the Federal, State and County governments have used that as an opportunity for land grabs. As a result there is no single complete Land Survey grid in the State.

Now that the grid is built it's relatively easy to update the claims. The current map was updated from the BLM on November 23, 2014.

The big advantage of these maps is the ability to see the Land Status and get the current claims status for any claim right from the BLM LR2000. No need to fill out confusing forms on the BLM site anymore. Just use the [font=georgia, serif][/font] tool and click on the results window and the BLM report for that claim will be generated for you automatically!

Be sure to check out the County Recorders map layer. After you have pulled the BLM LR2000 report you can look up the County records too.

Heavy Pans

 

[TheGoldProspector]

You are an amazing soul ClayD

 

[BurntBear]