Where do you dig on a cobble stone bar?

[PurpleGold]

Forgive my newbness please. I'm just getting into this and absolutely loving it. There a few local spots to me near Denver Colorado that have cobble stone bars. When the water level gets low they are almost completely exposed. Where do you experienced prospectors dig when the cobble stone bar is exposed? I was thinking to dig at the furthest down stream point or just after the cobble stones. Please help point me in the right direction. Thanks! You guys

 

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[mytimetoshine]

You usually find more gold closer to bedrock, behind boulders or in exposed bed rock cracks. But if your area is anything like mine you should be able to find some AU in amongst the cobbles. Just toss larger ones to the side, shovel smaller material thru you classifier or straight into a BGT and you should get some color. Have you done any test panning?

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

I'm a newbie myself but i believe the most upriver or downriver points of the bar will pay the best. Also, identify where the larger cobbles are accumulating and that's likely where the heavy stuff (the gold) is dropping off. Best way to find out is to sample sample sample!

 

[huntsman53]

The Gold most often collects on the downstream side due to the stream flow slowing there which allows the Gold to settle and pull in behind the sand/gravel/cobble bar. However, there is likely some Gold through much of these as they usually build in size over time, so make sure to start on the downstream side (end) and work your way upstream through them.


Frank

 

[PurpleGold]

When the water was low a few weeks ago when I went out there were prospecting holes about 2 ft deep in numerous spots on the bar. I picked one about dead center in the bar, test panned it and found about 5 pinpoints of color. I want to find the good pockets of Au.

 

[et1955]

Hi, if you could post the coordinates so I could look at the bar on google earth I should be able to help you out, all rivers are different and also have you researched on where the gold is coming from, Ed

 

[Asmbandits]

Or mabey a pic from Google earth with no coordinates might be better..

 

[Bonaro]

I start at the downstream end and continue until I am out the other end... Everything goes up the hose and my dredge decides what to keep

 

[et1955]

Hi Pg, Pm me the info and I will help you, It is easy once you know how to read the gravel bar. You need to learn flood lining, Ed

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Or mabey a pic from Google earth with no coordinates might be better..

Look up Steele St and 78th Ave, Denver. Just east of the railway bridge is a large gravel bar. This would be a good one to analyze.

The bar to the west and south of the bridge is difficult to get to but many do work the bar to the east of the bridge.

 

[russau]

You usually find more gold closer to bedrock, behind boulders or in exposed bed rock cracks. But if your area is anything like mine you should be able to find some AU in amongst the cobbles. Just toss larger ones to the side, shovel smaller material thru you classifier or straight into a BGT and you should get some color. Have you done any test panning?

and when tossing the bigger boulders , DONT FORGET to look them over for gold BEFORE you toss them!

 

[johnedoe]

and when tossing the bigger boulders , DONT FORGET to look them over for gold BEFORE you toss them!

Better yet is to give them a quick rinse in a bucket or pan before ya toss'em......

 

[allenkeeton]

just my 2 cents, do some test panning at the front of the gravel bar where the big rocks fell out of the flow. By the way, what equipment will you be using?

 

[63bkpkr]

Gold being carried by the flow of a river drops out just as soon as the flow can no longer keep the gold moving. The heavier pieces of gold and other heavy rocks tend to drop out first with the finer materials dropping out last as the flow or the pressure of the flow diminishes to the necessary amount. Now that's real nice however the reality here is that many things cause the water flow/pressure/velocity to change such as deep sections of water, obstructions (trees, Big boulders, crashed UFO's, etc.). Some of these obstructions to the flow change yearly along any given river location while outcroppings of hard bedrock take a long time to wear down so one might be able to count on what happens each year along any outcropping.

All of this movement depends on how many Cubic Feet per Second of water (CFS) has come down any given river way, the slope of the river bed along any given point of the river, how long the highest volume of water lasted and how quickly it drops. A lot of this is why gold is found in what seems like an odd or unusual location and, as well, why gold is not found along all parts of any given water way. "Gold is where you find it!" has been a phrase that sums it all up into one nice neat little package of words and why we prospectors must sample/test, sample/test, etc.

Persistence, learning and equipment all influence our finds. I started with a plastic cereal bowl and a T-spoon and now I'm up to a variety of gold pans and digging tools, a sluice box, a suction dredge and a prospector type metal detector and all of them have their uses. Prospecting is tedious hard work and sometimes it pays off. Kevin in CO has even gone through some of this though I suspect he's refined his tools to the minimum level and that is a real blessing as it limits what one must carry in to their own particular spot.
The best of success to your searching for the yellow metal!...........................63bkpkr

 

[kizzmo]

A wise man once told me , "it will be where you find it" lol, so I second the sample sample sample sentiment

 

[steveh2112]

so, 63bkpkr, it sounds like you are saying, 'it could be anywhere' so don't just sample a couple of hot spots like an upstream end of a sand bar, or by the alien ship wreckage. sample many spots all around the area you think there might be gold, is that right?

 

[goldog]

The obvious spots some not so obvious spots. Remember gold is pulled by gravity.

Or just look for Kevin's holes...

 

[KevinInColorado]

Like goldog says: remember that in popular locations, other newbies have probably hit all the classic/obvious spots pretty hard so often the third best looking spot has the very best gold now.

The existence of a cobble bar in metro Denver is pretty much a guarantee of gold. Take a little time to find the hot spots and streaks. I always like to test the high point of the bar or just down stream of the high point. Remember that high fast water moves flood gold and that small high area of the bar is disrupting the high water's flow during high water events.

Also dig parts of the bar that are under water when you visit. There's no rule saying the dry part of the bar is the good part. Lots of people focus on digging above water level and hauling material around. Try sampling right next to your likely sluice setup spot too.

 

[KevinInColorado]

When the water was low a few weeks ago when I went out there were prospecting holes about 2 ft deep in numerous spots on the bar. I picked one about dead center in the bar, test panned it and found about 5 pinpoints of color. I want to find the good pockets of Au.

Btw, five colors in a pan is pretty good. Move a bunch of that material and you'll do well. Still I like the fact that you are sampling and are NOT just digging the first place you find color. Sample smart then dig hard

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

What is: "where the gold is"?