New guy here

[whtelk]

Hi guys, new guy here from the mid valley. 50 years old and an avid outdoors man. I spend a lot of time in the mountains each year hunting,fishing and flat out exploring.
My question is this...was gold ever found on the middle fork of the Santiam river? reason I ask is a friend said gold was never found on the middle fork. They have found gold on the quartzville arm, the north Santiam and the Calapooia so I would think the middle fork would of had some too.....Thanks

[Tuberale]

The middle fork of the Santiam is downstream from Quartzville. It runs into both Green Peter and Foster Reservoirs, then thru Sweet Home and Lebanon. I grew up in Lebanon.

Yes, gold has been found there. Not very abundant. Alluvial gold has been found even into the Willamette Valley. My great-uncle found a small gold nugget in a duck he was cleaning, after he had a well dug on his property near Sandridge. He thought the nugget had come from the sludge produced from the well. I never saw the nugget, so can't say. He lived about 3 miles WNW of Sandridge Cemetery.

Some gold in most of the streams emptying from the Cascades. But gold lode deposits (gold in bedrock) pretty well mapped out already.