El Nino Gold

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

This will be my 3rd prospecting season and I believe that this winter we had the best flooding here in northern CA that I've experienced (in my brief prospecting career). I know that generally all of the tributaries/rivers in the area got some decent water flow from all of the storms, specifically in early february.

This all makes me wonder: Was this a mother nature "reset button" for gold? Meaning, might there be gold on that inside bend or behind that large boulder that had been worked a thousand times in the past by those before me? I usually prospect in "public access areas" which have been hit pretty hard. This has led me to work bedrock crevices usually because most gravel bars have been worked over again and again.

I understand that my best bet is to sample the areas that I'm interested in myself. But to save a little time, might it be a good idea to look for some replenished flood gold from this winter's flooding? Or is it likely that not much has changed? Anyone with the experience- please chime in.

 

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[motohed]

Thats a great question , I;m not from your area . But I have mined gavel and stone for over 30 years . I would say if you have had serious flooding I would definately , be looking for new gold deposits . I'm not sure what you are calling High water by any means , but taking the time to pan a few spots can't hurt . If you have any history , to where you are searching for Gold you will know if there is a chance of Gold or not .

 

[mytimetoshine]

I seriously doubt this actually rather average winter rainfall is going to move anything significant.

 

[SpecJet]

The major gold moving events scour the channel down to hard pan or bedrock.
Those types of events are very rare. Imagine how much water it would take to remove numerous feet of overburden gravel and expose the bedrock to deposit new gold there.
Once every 1,000 years type storms happening over and over is what it takes to form a rich pay streak.

 

[Goldwasher]

Even at the highest Ive ever seen it the creek through the claim had clear water the day after muddy brown. Not a thing moved. things I wished would have moved stayed put..........up on the hillside...dry gullies maybe some stuff moved but, in the creeks and rivers only the lightest stuff.

 

[mytimetoshine]

1997 flood, maybe moved something but even then idk. I'm sure every winter "some" flood gold is deposited but we're talking fly poop at best. I think sometime we forget how old gold really is and how long it took to get where it currently is. It would take a major event to really do something that would warrant a change in your current mining techniques.

Probably best to just observe the high flow for tips of deposits that you may have never thought of.

 

[Reed Lukens]

97 & 2005 both moved gold but nothing really significant since 97 chimed in dropping nuggets all over the Yuba and American rivers. When you can hear the biggest boulders rolling and they crash down shaking the earth beneath your feet to the point that you wish you were somewhere else cause you're shaking all over, you are moving gold. Lots got replenished in 97, & just a little in 05.

 

[allenknight555]

We had some good rains this winter that washed some flake and flour gold into the streams. The old timers call it flood gold and it will be found on the edges behind rocks and clumps of grass or roots. To move gold on bedrock the force of the water will roll a 2ft rock. When this happens you can hear them clicking together. Only then does large gold move not very fast or far . look for the lowest spot in the area. Recheck exposed bedrock. Good luck !

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[PurpleGold]

Water is very powerful. Any increased amount of water over the average flow will move gold. Maybe not a complete reset but deposits upstream will be moved downstream. How many earthquakes have there been in the area since 1997? Natural erosion due to many elements can expose gold and any water flow can carry it downwards. So I would say the El Niño and extra water has moved some gold but not all of it. Here in CO every spring when the snow melts pretty much every river and stream is maxed and flooded. So I figure every year my local prospecting spots have been reset. Go get some of that Cali El Niño Gold.

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Thanks for the advice..looks like my hopes were a little high. I'll just do a little gravel sampling this weekend and see if anything worthwhile is found

 

[PurpleGold]

High hopes are a good thing and I think there's some of that in all of us. I continue to hold out high hope for a .5 gram day or a single picker. Just think there has to be a deposit of old gold that no one has ever hit and it is just waiting for YOU to find. El Nino or no the gold is still out there.

 

[goldenIrishman]

So far this season El Nino has pretty much been El Nada out here. What I'm wondering is how it is or isn't going to effect the monsoon rains this coming summer. Last year the rains were pretty sparse so maybe this year it will be trying to make up for the lack of water.

 

[dave wiseman]

Your best chance of finding new gold is where a creek or river cuts through an old tertiary river channel.

 

[Jeff95531]

Well let me share a story. A couple months ago, two men had an unfortunate and fatal accident when their full size Ford Aerostar van plunged down an embankment into the Smith River...resting upside down and fully submerged. The rainy season was in full swing at the time and even tho the response time by CHP was just 15 minutes...they could not reach the 2 people or the van. Then it just disappeared. They just now found it/them and the bodies were recovered...the van however has been left...wedged between 2 large rocks and under 15 feet of water. Oh....did I mention it was 2 MILES downstream of the site of the accident? Sooooo yeah, I'll be checking places checked before...and near/under the van for that matter. Kinda gross according to the wife but I'm a guy so

 

[wtetro]

So far this season El Nino has pretty much been El Nada out here. What I'm wondering is how it is or isn't going to effect the monsoon rains this coming summer. Last year the rains were pretty sparse so maybe this year it will be trying to make up for the lack of water.

I hear that irishman, last year's monsoon did nothing practically. The Bradshaws have been goid this winter with all the snow slowly melting, but no flooding like last winter...here's hoping for a heavy monsoon

 

[goldenmojo]

Well let me share a story. A couple months ago, two men had an unfortunate and fatal accident when their full size Ford Aerostar van plunged down an embankment into the Smith River...resting upside down and fully submerged. The rainy season was in full swing at the time and even tho the response time by CHP was just 15 minutes...they could not reach the 2 people or the van. Then it just disappeared. They just now found it/them and the bodies were recovered...the van however has been left...wedged between 2 large rocks and under 15 feet of water. Oh....did I mention it was 2 MILES downstream of the site of the accident? Sooooo yeah, I'll be checking places checked before...and near/under the van for that matter. Kinda gross according to the wife but I'm a guy so

Jeff as long as you come out of the water with two hands and not three all is well....

 

[goldenIrishman]

Don't forget Grasshopper, a van is pretty light for the amount of surface area it presents to the water. Doesn't really take that much to get one moving and once it is moving it's not going to stop until it gets wedged like you described.

Oh.... Don't worry about coming up with a third hand as long as it's attached to you and functioning correctly. It will give you more digging/panning ability! Like me you get enough strange looks as it is so this will be nothing new.

 

[Jeff95531]

IDK...A couple tons of auto....tumbled thru a narrow canyon...for a couple miles...I'm impressed enuf to look. Sorry...it's me

 

[Hoser John]

Ain't done squat as EL NINO has turned into El Nada. According to the NWS we need a 150% winter and Northern Calif ,where most of the water comes from, is at 87% as of last snow check and rainfall. April 1st is the next HUGE sampling study and we need mo'mo'mo' asap,down on bended knee as need feeder creeks to run as long as possible for my needs , and many others-John

 

[benny]

I think it's work checking. I found a good spot a couple years ago and cleaned it out. Watched the nearest river guage all winter and discovered that the water level reached about 1/2 flood stage twice. Went back to the same spot the next summer and found all new gravel and it did have significant gold. I'll be going back this year to check again. This year water level reached 3/4 flood stage twice.