Has anyone ever prospected corrugated storm tubes?

[mr_larry]

I know a place that had two gold mines in the 1850's. They shut it down because it wasn't particularly profitable, especially since there was all of that gold in the Sierra Mountains.

Anyhow, I know this place holds some gold, and there are a lot of creeks that come down off the mountain. As you drive along the road, there are a bunch of these corrugated tubes that pass under the road to let the streams flow through. I was thinking that they are like a sluice box that has been operating for the last 150 years or so. I'm sure people clean out the tubes of branches and debris, but I really doubt they scrape out the deposits in the riffles.

All of this land is part of a State Park, but I was thinking of sticking my head in some of these tubes and pulling out the concentrates to refine at home.

I was thinking of taking samples from the first few upstream riffles from each tube and putting them into a one-gallon ziploc bag, each labeled individually. I'd label each and attempt to find the gold later from home using methods for separating fine gold.

Is this idea totally crazy or is it worth a shot?

I'm talking about tubes roughly 3-5 feet in diameter, much like the ones pictured below.

 

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[ok2raise]

Great idea butttttttttttttttttt check with state park first, here in GA. your not allowed to even pull up a weed on a state park,some parks let you only pan for gold ,also even if its a main rd. is through a park. their is still no right of way like a regular state rd. its considered state park grounds . This is true on corp. of engineers they even consider it their land under a road. again some states are differant

 

[Bumpstick]

Sounds like a plan Gold is where you find it.
I tried sucking the dirt out of the cracks or seams.

 

[Shortstack]

That's one of the best kept secrets used by prospectors for years. Many hobby / full time prospectors make regular rounds to clean out culverts all over their area. They do this in dry weather so that they can dig out the material with a trowel and sweep up the last bits with a whisk broom. They pan out the material at their homes.
As far as "the man" objecting. Why should they?? You are helping to keep the drainage culverts cleaned of material that restricts the flow of storm runoffs.
Just be careful of snakes.

 

[mr_larry]

I guess if I were really smart I would submit a proposal to CalTrans (the people currently responsible for road maintenance in California) and have them pay me $200 a visit to clean out the tubes, twice yearly.

Either that or I get some of those magnetic door stickers that says something like "NorCal Irrigation Maintenance." That, along with some red cones and a red vest would probably get me past the Sheriff and CHP.

Either way, I plan to do some sampling in the next few weeks.

 

[ivan salis]

good out of the box type thinking

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI: Down here individual culverts are considered as being unofficially owned by prospectors, they return to them several times a season. heheheheh

Don Jose de La Mancha (I exist to LIVE: not live to exist)

 

[kuger]

Been doin it for years,not much in this game that hasnt been done!

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,321526.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,325636.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,77439.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,311568.0.html

 

[extractor]

 

[mr_larry]

Been doin it for years,not much in this game that hasnt been done!

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,321526.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,325636.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,77439.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,311568.0.html

Thanks for the links.
The reason I'm anxious to prospect this particular road is that it is not considered traditional "Gold Country" even though some gold was found in the area back in the 1850s.

 

[kuger]

Good luck!!Could be the next big strike!!

 

[Okiedigger]

Found a few specks in one in the mountains of New Mexico. Placer areas would be better for it. I was in an area where most of the gold was found by hard rock mining so there wasn't much.

 

[golddust77]

in older tubes ive got lucky to find a flake or two ive even tried some old concreat water ways under old roads . but very slim pickins

 

[Seamuss]

They work just like a sluice box. All that is needed is a little work on your part to collect material out of them with containers(buckets and scopes) to proccess near a water source.
Be sure to do it on a hot and dry day so the rain does not catch you by surprize like it did to a friend of mine. He got scraped up a bit with a minor fracture out of it when the rushing water raced through the culvert. Use the buddy system for safety also.

 

[aa battery]

 

[Bunk]

I guess if I were really smart I would submit a proposal to CalTrans (the people currently responsible for road maintenance in California) and have them pay me $200 a visit to clean out the tubes, twice yearly.

Either that or I get some of those magnetic door stickers that says something like "NorCal Irrigation Maintenance." That, along with some red cones and a red vest would probably get me past the Sheriff and CHP.

Either way, I plan to do some sampling in the next few weeks.

Larry, I like the cones and vest idea. I looked at one years ago at Rich Hill, and there were dozens of rattlesnake rattles and lots of bones. We decided not to dig at that spot. I have found a little color at other culverts around AZ.
Bunk

 

[GooniePirate]

I ran across a video of this a couple years ago. If I find it I'll post the link.

 

[FiresEye]

I for one USE a corrugated drain to TO prospect. Makes a great modifiable sluice for on the cheap.. Lightweight and great... I prefet plastic but will probably mod an aluminum to catch more fines and move more volume.

 

[Sierra Sam]

The pipes look promising.
You know that old saying... Easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

I say go for it.

If you were a kid you'd be crawling in there without a thought. Just cuz you're all grow'd up doesn't mean you gotta stop explorin'.

SS

 

[FiresEye]

It all depends on the angle, water flow, debree concentraion and saturation point of the water flowing through the tube at any given time for any length of time, becore getting checked. Also, I'd say given the right conditions, one could just set up one themselves in the godl country and sort of try to hide it and jsut check back on it after the big rains.