Thinking about joining a GPAA

[Just_curious]

How goes it everybody? Hope everybody is having a good day/weekend...and finding that good ole color!

So I'm in Georgia and Alabama, where there's a good potential for gold (flour/flake), but not a good potential for accessing the land. I've driven all over, gone into the mountains, national forests, etc. I've either stumbled upon private property (most always the case), or very restricted on what I can/can't do (NTL Forest). When in the mountains themselves, there's been no luck, as all the past mines tend to be in the valley below the mountains.

Because of this, I've decided that joining a GPAA will be my best but. The problem is, we are talking about GA and AL where there's no BLM land, and no such thing as public land, so I fear that the GPAA lands accessible are probably very few, and far between. This means that the ones that do exist may be picked over pretty good (at least around the easy to get to areas). That being said, I'm not a member, so this is all speculation.

My questions to you GPAA members are: are there a decent amount of GPAA properties in GA and AL? Do I get access to the entire nations GPAA lands even if I sign up while living in GA/AL? Were there hidden fees and dues, severe restrictions and rules, and anything that made it unenjoyable for you to be a member? And lastly, was it worth it for you to join (do you wish you never joined and just winged it, or will you be renewing your membership?)

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

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[Bejay]

In Oregon there have been many battles by property owners adjacent to rivers/streams who do not want users "ON" the water and they contend they own the bottom of the river; or at least to the mid stream line. In such cases, where Oregon does have such property owners who do, people can drift and motor the waterway but not drop an anchor or set foot on the bottom of the river/stream. The Applegate River is one such river and even the lower Deschutes River has such conditions along the Warm Spring Indian Reservation....to name a few. The McKenzie River has often undergone such battles/contentions.

I have been witness to Land Titles that still say the property owner owns to a demarcation property line out into the river; only to be told by Oregon Division of State lands that the titles are incorrect. The State contends they took such submerged private property with a notification....many years ago. If the property owners did not fight the State taking, the property became the property of the State....according to DSL.

Bejay

 

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[Just_curious]

From what I understand, all navigable waterways (like am actually boat (not a little kayak or something) are fair game as long as you stay off the creeks. When it comes to innavigable waterways (creeks and streams), then it is the property owners land. They own everything but the water itself...(the water belongs to the govt).

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[russau]

River's and streams that once were navigable may not be that way anymore due to drought's or what ever. BUT once identified as "navigable" it still is classified that way even though you can't get a "kayak" or something similar to float it. Navigable mean's that it was used a transportation route ! Horse's ,walking ,boat's ETC.

 

[Clay Diggins]

River's and streams that once were navigable may not be that way anymore due to drought's or what ever. BUT once identified as "navigable" it still is classified that way even though you can't get a "kayak" or something similar to float it. Navigable mean's that it was used a transportation route ! Horse's ,walking ,boat's ETC.

That may be true in your state Russ but each state is different. In some states there are no public waters and in other states if there was once a dribble in a dry wash they declare it navigable.

In Georgia they consider very few waterways navigable no matter whether you can float a kayak or a 50 foot power yacht. That's just their thing but as a prospector you have to go with whatever the state laws say is open. In Georgia property owners own to their boundary line whether that's the middle of the stream or is the entire stream, the bed of the stream is their private property and they have a priority right to the water in the stream.

Heavy Pans

 

[Bills01]

You can pan the creeks feeding into Allatoona Lake. It is owned by the Corps of Engineers, but they allow panning in the creek bed only. You can only use a pan and shovel. Check out Allatoona Gold Panners on facebook.

 

[benny]

In order for Oregon to become a state, its navigable rivers had to be made public. But, in order to find a river navigable, the courts had to decide. I used to have a bookmark of Oregon rivers designated as navigable, but can't find it. Anyway, once beyond the point that is found to be navigable, the bordering property owners own to mid-channel. Here's some good reading:

http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/pdf/review/41-4/adams.pdf

And this:

https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/displayDivisionRules.action?selectedDivision=364

 

[Mgumby16]

Use google earth and overlays or other maps that can show you where old gold mines were, find one that interests you, pull up the website for the county that the mine is in and find that counties GIS site. From there you can find out who owns the land, where the approximate property lines are and where the owner lives. Print that info out or write it down and get in the car and go knock on some doors. I do this all the time and have had great success.

Do some research on the property owner before going and knocking on their door. Ive ruled a few properties out by doing this because it showed up that the property owner was an environmental activist, so i didnt even bother to try and gain permission for that property.

When you do gain access to a property get a good relationship going with the property owner. Having a good relationship with one property owner has led to me being able to gain access to other great properties which has added up to access to over 2000 acres of gold bearing land.

Hope this helps!

 

[B H Prospector]

I disagree with Laz7777 about GPAA claims pretty well picked over. The reason most people say that is that they are lazy and tend to only dig where everyone else is digging. They don't want to do the prospecting to find new dig sites. They expect someone to point and say "dig here" and then find gold. If it were that easy gold would be worthless. There is a lot of gold out there but you have to do the work "prospecting" to find it. I have a claim I lease to the GPAA. It has not been properly prospected yet and I hope to spend some time with my chapter to do just that so we can point for the lazy miners and say "DIG HERE!".

 

[KevinInColorado]

If you dig where others point, you can’t call yourself a prospector. You are a day laborer and nothing more.

If you get out there and search you’ll find there’s plenty of gold and adventure waiting!!

 

[brianc053]

If you dig where others point, you can’t call yourself a prospector. You are a day laborer and nothing more.

If you get out there and search you’ll find there’s plenty of gold and adventure waiting!!

Totally true Kevin.
But - some of us aren’t retired (yet) and only get to visit the field a few times a year, so it’s nice when someone points and says “dig there”!
I think that’s why I bought your book Kevin! (On the off chance I get to come out to Colorado).

I mean that all lightheartedly, of course, but I would say: I still consider myself a prospector even if I’m going to a “known gold area” and pick my own micro-location to prospect. Someone might tell me “drive up river road until you pass the bridge, then dig near the big round rock on the left.” I still have to sample and choose a spot to dig for 4 hours.

Something I would not consider prospecting: going to Lucky Strike in North Carolina and running a high banker with dirt they provide. I’ve done that - and it’s fun - but it’s not prospecting. It’s day labor, as Kevin elegantly put it.