How do you scan a tailing pile? Dredged river rock.

[UncleVinnys]

They say that dredging from the 1800s captured only about half the gold from a river.
The other half is still in the tailings piles, those mounds of river rock left over from
the dredging operation.
I'm in the Folsom, California area, and there are acres of these tailings piles,
some on public land, some private, but mostly designated historic sites, so
they are off limits. But some private lots still have tailings piles on them,
and there is one where the owner gave me permission to scan.

I wonder, though, how to go about it.
These are rock piles between 8 and 20 feet high, with river rock
ranging from 2 inches to more than 12 inches across.
I figure I will start at the bottom, see if there are any drainage
or run-off basins I can scan.
But I wonder - aside from moving tons of rock by hand,
is there a way to scan the pile for gold content??
Any suggestions??

[dave wiseman]

Vinny,Check the posts about Moore creek and read all of Steve's stuff at the Alaska Gold forum.Lot's ofSacramento area guys on all the gold forums have experience on these piles and hydraulic pits.Ask the and get the info.......Dave

[Jim Hemmingway]

Vinny,

Sounds similar to mine tailing piles at abandoned mines. I'd be tempted to use a 10 or so inch coil to cover off an area (or all of it), then do it again with a smaller coil so you can get closer. I guess you have take into consideration the size of gold nuggets that were produced in that area.
If you happen to locate a small area that yields-up a few pieces, you can always clear a small section down 8 inches or so, and re-scan...just in case there's more. Let us know how you're progressing...Jim.

[nuggetshooter323]

Use a large DD coil(10"+, the bigger the better). Here in Colorado when I search mine tailing piles, I start at the top of the pile, where erosion from the weather occurs. This is where your going to have new material exposed every year. Also, you need a long handled pick with a wide side on the head, so you can rake material away to expose your targets. I never use a shovel on a tailing pile.

[golddigger14s]

NS323, why no shovel?

[nuggetshooter323]

NS323, why no shovel?

Your basically on a manmade hill, it's easier just to move the material aside and let gravity do the rest. Also, your balancing on a steep slope with your detector in one hand, so that leaves one hand to move the material. A pick makes sense. Digging mine tailing's is the easiest digging you'll ever have, but having to balance and climbing up and down the steep slopes is what is going to kick your butt.

[aarthrj3811]

Hey Guys…I grew up in those Rock Piles. Just don’t go in there in the early morning or just before dark. If you do not understand Rattle Snakes just stay away from those Rock Piles…Art

[dave wiseman]

Did you ever try to dig placer tailings from a tertiaryriver with a shovel?.........like eating a bowl of jello with toothpick sized chopsticks....shovel goes in...two inches..hits another cobble...two more inches...another cobble and so on ...etec..........Dave

[Jim Hemmingway]

Hi Vinny...just wondered whether you've acquired a couple of different size picks. I have quite a variety, from all metal Estwings to different wood handle lengths with the magnet in the top of the handle for removing small iron; for a couple of bucks, you can go to the local hardware store and get a thingy that goes on your belt to hold your pick or rock hammer; and also a tool pouch sort of thing for your belt (about $10 or so; you wear it on your opposite hip) that you can use for holding small samples, smokes, spare batteries, mints or butterscotch candies, and so on.
By the way, to answer your original question, you can only cover what you can manually access or else clear away; I've often fantasized about having a bulldozer in similar areas. Have you had any luck so far? Hope so...Jim.

[Newguy]

Photo is prolly around the old Chinese gold trenches, that area I believe is classed as a "historic" area, see law regarding historic areas. Generally trenches cannot be disturbed and what comes out in "proximity" to historic areas are to be returned.

I live in Sac .

And BTW, that would be alot of river cobbles to move to search those areas, its pretty hard to "dig" that stuff out.

[M3R1IN]

makes me want to load up my backhoe and take it down to some tailing piles I have always wanted to comb over.

[UncleVinnys]

Photo is prolly around the old Chinese gold trenches, that area I believe is classed as a "historic" area, see law regarding historic areas. Generally trenches cannot be disturbed and what comes out in "proximity" to historic areas are to be returned.

I live in Sac .

And BTW, that would be alot of river cobbles to move to search those areas, its pretty hard to "dig" that stuff out.

Yes, that is true . . . tailings piles are considered historic sites and are off
limits to treasure hunters.

The photo shows Folsom Blvd. in Folsom on the left, and the diagonal street
ending at the "T" of "tailings" I believe is Bidwell Street (NOT E. Bidwell), and
the North-South street making a triangle with Folsom Blvd. is Sibley Street,
so those pilings (photo taken in the '50s??) are now covered with Lembi Street
housing developments - so you KNOW somewhere a long the line the City
Council allowed some of the piles to be cleared for housing.
I believe some few sites are still slowly, quietly, slipping into the private
domain once more. The site I found was newly sold to the owner I spoke with.
This was a hill with very scant tailings, and on both sides had much larger
piles of dredge. I think the dredging machine didn't work well going up the
hill, so that site was pretty much spared, and that may be the reason it
went private. Anyway, lots of rocks there still, and it's being cleared for
a business development.
If I find anything more than a pound of gold, I'll let you know!