suction dredge question

[605dano]

I have never dredged before but I have a piece of ground that is in a gulch below some old mines on an inside corner. The creek doesn't run except during flood. I was going to dig a hole to bedrock but I have ground water to almost the surface. Two ridges below the spot look at one time they were joined and the creek has eroded thru them and created a bedrock dam and the water and rocks and gravel have deposited behind in a underground pond.It is about a half acre in size. I was thinking a dredge might be the way to clean out the bedrock by digging a hole and working the material up the gulch. There are some large boulders embedded in the bottom. The gold from the mines upstream was free milling but fine. Is this feasible and what size and setup would be the most efficient and cost effective?

 

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[russau]

I saw a similar way of making a gold trap like what your wanting to do in Villa Rica Ga. about 15 years ago. this man had his motor/ pump/ and suction nozzle set above this stream and he had a trench dug across the stream and he would suck everything out of that trench after each rain. Yep theres always a smart way of doing things.

 

[Hoser John]

Your water flow predicates the dredge size AND whatever state your in also has regs----o god soooo many regs. Be sure prior to investing. John

 

[NeoTokyo]

South Dakota boy?

 

[605dano]

Yeah, I'm from SoDak. Not sure what the regs are here on private property. Since the stream is mostly dry I would not be discharging any water downstream. I doubt if the states regs are more stringent than my wifes. Thinking of digging a pond and working it up the gulch on bedrock. Would like to retain the gravel for my roads. Do you think a highbanker/dredge combo would be effective for doing that? Also not sure if ground has been worked before. We had a flood here in 1972 that rearranged the landscape. I believe there was some ground sluicing done in the 30's, but don't see signs of it in this spot. Also some huge boulders are sitting in the bottom, I doubt if they have been moved. The mines above me were high grade but the gold is fine and with the bedrock dam and the inside corner I think the potential is there. The ground is hard to sample because of the standing water. I have not been able to dig to bedrock by hand. Just trying to formulate a plan before I invest money capital and marriage capital.

 

[Hoser John]

Dredge only as silt/clay/visibility are the main concerns in any pond as you must discharge to see what your doing. If you have found gold there then dredge. You can just clean out that pond much easier and faster by running just hose,nozzle pump engine combo and forget the box. Height you lift and where you want to remove your gravels too is important factor also. You can move a great distance with multiple jets but again who,what and where most important as both require massive amounts of water-John

 

[Armchair prospector]

Funny Dano, here in the west we are in a severe drought and the river here(middle fork Cosumnes) has got to the point that they have started trucking in water for the residents that live here. The river where we get our water is not flowing, but ponding. Even though it is illegal to dredge in CA. Dredging now would not pose any significance now. Although it never did. I wonder how they would treat someone in court under these circumstances?

 

[Hoser John]

Even worse treatment as you have thusly contaminated the remaining urgently needed water supply. I know I know not me but shoe on other foot logic. John