Runoff blues

[3xflyfisher]

I was able to sneak out of work early yesterday and went down to Clear at the I-70/Youngfield area. I was excited to use my prospector again but walked to the creek and saw this;
As a result of the recent rains and finally warming up here run-off has started in earnest. I did sluice for about an hour and a half, but it was tough. Water was surging dislodging my sluice once, the area I wanted to dig was submerged and the water was cold! I did find some gold so all was not lost. I got home and finished a project I started this past weekend - a Miller Table. I picked up a piece of slate of ebay (shipping cost more than the slate!) and every thing else I had laying around. It was a fun project and will hopefully be able to test it this afternoon/tonight!

It is approximately 12"x20" and came out pretty well if I do say so myself!
Have a great day everyone!

 

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[bakergeol]

Yeah- sure looks high to me. I recognize where that picture was taken. I have not
been down there this year.

Good Luck
George

 

[KevinInColorado]

That run off will drop in just a couple weeks I promise. All the snow from Loveland ski area and all the way down from the continental divide is running right thru there and there's no dams from Georgetown down to control the runoff surge. It is moving the gold around and refreshing that whole area from the gold on private (Coors. Brewing) creek bed just up stream. That's part of what's great about that prospecting park - it gets a do over every year :-)

Until the runoff drops, go find a smaller creek, they are all around Denver and lots of em have gold ...but don't tell

PS maybe you know all this. Taking the opportunity to share the info for others who are newer...

 

[Fullpan]

Just curious, Kevin - has Denver experienced any severe drought (like calif) ? You say there is relatively few dams up above for water storage, recreation ?

In Reno we are situated in the shadow of the Sierra, like Denver,and 20 miles east of us is high desert. We have Boca, Prosser, Stampede, Frenchman's, and lake Tahoe
above us for water storage, so the general drought here won't affect the city for another year.

 

[3xflyfisher]

Hi all,
Kevin, I know runoff is a temporary set back and that it also reworks and replenishes the gravels. Any one have any cheese for my whine?! Up until this year I have never prospected in Denver or the suburbs so I am slowly exploring/researching other tributaries of the Platte and determining access, jurisdictions and rules. It is a time consuming but rewarding project.
Fullpan, This year has been very good for precipitation and snowpack in the mountains here. The particular drainage Kevin refers to (Clear Creek) has no flood control dams, it is mostly free flowing with alternating private and public access. The Denver area has quite a complex system of water storage both for local use and also downstream users. There are many reservoirs in other drainages including on the west side of the continental divide that water is kept in. Water is then pumped through the mountains into the storage reservoirs on the east side of the divide for our use. Water laws obviously directly dictate how much and where the water is directed (whether it is used here or allowed to flow down to L. Powell and further).
We do have our fair share of "drought" years and have faced fairly strict restrictions but this year is looking good.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just a few years ago we had a spring where Clear Creek had no runoff surge due to drought...that was even harder to see than the big flood this year really. That was also hard on the farmers...there's no upstream dams on clear creek due to all the water being owned by cities and ag districts downstream of the mountains and even of Denver. Their water storage was mostly built 100 years ago close to their points of use out on the plains east of Denver or in the Denver suburbs.

 

[Prospector70]

I just drove by the Platte at Alameda (Where there is a small 4 foot drop) and that river is definitely thundering on through.

I always wondered why clear creek water rises and falls during the day, I just thought it was coors taking their sip haha!

 

[3xflyfisher]

Prospector,
Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water!!