Massive Tailings

[Aufisher]

Took a ride around Folsom today. Here is an example of the many tailings piles that were dredged from the American River . Nice place to explore. You can also see hydraulic diggins along the North side of the river.

 

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[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Winter is a great time to sample old tailing piles. Thanks for sharing!

 

[CApicker]

Love that stuff... I think some of those tailing are from the old Natoma Dredge that I believe is stuck in a self made lake near Beale Air Force base in lake Marigold... Think I remember she was moved up to the Yuba Gold Fields after she dug Lake Natoma near Folsom. Here she sits still today on private property.

 

[CApicker]

From Google Earth...

 

[rodoconnor]

An other impressive tailimg site is Sumpter Valley Oregon

 

[Aufisher]

Awesome shots CApicker!

 

[mytimetoshine]

Wow! Now that's a tailings pile.

 

[Aufisher]

4 sure! I believe they dredged upwards of 10 miles to the south and east down here. Amazing machines no doubt, a boat the makes its own lakes!

 

[Oakview2]

Snelling Ca, There are miles of piles where the dredges worked the Merced River

 

[Hoser John]

Great gold on the UPS property as buds' been detecting breaks/lunches for many years and righteous nuggets for sure BUT private property with armed guards ...John

 

[Aufisher]

They probably classified to 3/4" so keep your eyes peeled for golden potatoes!

 

[CApicker]

Wow that Merced area is huge. I gotta get down South sometime... I spend all my time in NorCal.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

We have some pretty good tailings around here in Colorado also. This is a bit southeast of Fairplay. The extreme NW corner is trailer/mobile home park. I have done a close-up below so you can see how large this is (and it is just a part of the dredge tailings).

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Here is a picture of the dredge from the 1940's. The dredge was forced to stop working in 1952. It was eventually moved to Alaska I think (from memory, which means it is not guaranteed).

 

[KevinInColorado]

That dredge is currently running in Columbia from what some locals told me 3 years ago!

Sadly all those pretty rock piles are on private land so no-touch. :-(

Happily there's more piles just upstream on the other side of the highway that are owned by the town. $5/year permit from FairPlay town hall gives you full access (no gasoline engines there though).

 

[cazisme]

Walmart in Folsom California and homes around it all on flattened out tailings piles. My dad told me that from Bradshaw road to Folsom used to be all tailings in the 40's and 50's his friends let hundreds of acres go back for taxes as it was useless ground! My grandfather worked on that dredge in the Yuba gold fields he came from Pennsylvania in 1906 a machinest he made bearings for them on the dredge. Until the 30's when he went to work for the City of Sacramento water treatment plant. I have seen that dredge in the Yuba gold fields it is a monster.Looks like it could be fired up and start dredging easily.

 

[cazisme]

PS also freaking great trout fishing next to that dredge!

 

[GoldpannerDave]

That dredge is currently running in Columbia from what some locals told me 3 years ago!

Sadly all those pretty rock piles are on private land so no-touch. :-(

Happily there's more piles just upstream on the other side of the highway that are owned by the town. $5/year permit from FairPlay town hall gives you full access (no gasoline engines there though).

Yes, it used to be free at Fairplay and some of the dirt to make the original pool to float the dredge was not worked. With a sluice back then and a long day of digging, classifying and moving the dirt to the river to wash it, you could get about $50 gold/day. (Gold was about $300 an oz then). The other areas provided much less return.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

That dredge is currently running in Columbia from what some locals told me 3 years ago!

Sadly all those pretty rock piles are on private land so no-touch. :-(

Happily there's more piles just upstream on the other side of the highway that are owned by the town. $5/year permit from FairPlay town hall gives you full access (no gasoline engines there though).

Forgot to mention, it is now $5 a week or $35 a year instead of $5 a year.

 

[goldenmojo]

Walmart in Folsom California and homes around it all on flattened out tailings piles. My dad told me that from Bradshaw road to Folsom used to be all tailings in the 40's and 50's his friends let hundreds of acres go back for taxes as it was useless ground! My grandfather worked on that dredge in the Yuba gold fields he came from Pennsylvania in 1906 a machinest he made bearings for them on the dredge. Until the 30's when he went to work for the City of Sacramento water treatment plant. I have seen that dredge in the Yuba gold fields it is a monster.Looks like it could be fired up and start dredging easily.

I believe they missed dredging under Mather AFB as the land was taken over by the government in 1918.