Gravel pit gold

[lonesomebob]

I have heard tell of gravel pit panning for gold on a small scale. Like a wheelbarrow at a time . Does anyone know anything about this?

[Hoser John]

Only on bedrock,otherwise it's harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack!! If they're draglining off bedrock ya might do pretty good??Who,what,and where are also biggies !!Tons a au 2 u 2-John

[lonesomebob]

Thank you Sir !

[ChuckNC]

I have a book, written in the late 70's, that details how a gravel pit owner captured gold as a secondary product. He would capture the gold in washing and classifying the gravel and sand.

Is it doable, yes, but probably only on a large scale as a secondary product.

Good luck.

ChuckNC

[nebraskadad]

I believe this is how "Felix's paydirt" was started, as an aftermarket product of aggregates.. location, Location, LOCATION!!

I've got a buddy with a gravel pit in Central Nebraska, with unknown depth of overburden and aggregate, I don't know that it would be a winner 

I should him if I could fit a sluice at the output end of his his trommel, his gravel trommel is huge.. Would be worth it in Nebraska? Probably not, would it be work in the Eastern Gold Belt, Colorado, CA, AZ, or AK? More then likely..

[bakergeol]

I live in Colorado. Most of the sand and gravel operators  here have "rag" plants to catch the gold while processing for sand and gravel . Visited a couple and found most gold was going out with the sand to their customers as their gold plants were inefficient in catching most of the gold. Operators didn't seen to care as they were making a fortune in sand and gravel. What was interesting also was all their settling ponds where gold below 100 mesh would settle out.

George

[aarthrj3811]

Here in California most gravel pits recover the gold. The gravel pits accross from where I use to work had one building that was guarded day and night...Art

[SomeGuy]

Don't know for a fact, but I've heard that the local gravel pit here in Georgia recovers enough gold to meet its expenses, leaving the gravel for pure profit.

[aarthrj3811]

Just think about it. When you go to a gravel pit what do you see. Large piles of round rocks. Piles of sand. When you go down to the local river, what do you see. Round rocks and sand. The odd's have to be that if your in a gold area there is going to be gold in those old river rock....Art

[cm5838]

there is an aggregate company operating out of the yuba goldfields in marysville california. I have no personal knowledge of this, but have been told by a person i know that used to work in there refining shop, supposedly that plant takes better then 12 pounds a day on a low end, but they move tens of thousands of yards of material a day too.
 Charles

[aarthrj3811]

There is a couple of new Gravel Pits here in Sacramento. These new gravel plants are located in the old Dredger Tailing Piles. My son is working for a mining company in the Artic Circle that is on the site of old Dredger Tailings. He tells me that the tailing piles insulate the ground below some what and are easy to remove. That means the ground below is not as frozen and can be dug up  much easier. He has not saw any gold as he is a heavy equipment operator but he is told they are getting over a half million dollars in gold per week. For those of you that have never saw Dredger Tailings they are piles river rock stacked as high as 50 feet above the land surface and full of rattle snakes and are miles wide and many miles long..Art

[cm5838]

I can attest to the rattlesnakes, oroville here is mostly on dredge tailings, except the old part. there are miles and miles of tailings here.
 charles

[nebraskadad]

Just think about it. When you go to a gravel pit what do you see. Large piles of round rocks. Piles of sand. When you go down to the local river, what do you see. Round rocks and sand. The odd's have to be that if your in a gold area there is going to be gold in those old river rock....Art

art,

you have to remember gold has a specific gravity of 19.8 where as most aggregates you see may top at an SG of 5 or lower.

Gold settles fast.. Unless it is pushed in a flood or by a glacial, gold will drop before nearly anything else.

[Tags:]

Treasure > Prospecting > Dredging/Panning/Sluicing (Moderators: Marc, jeff of pa) > Topic: Gravel pit gold