Nice CA Storm

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Just got a news update that several creeks are flooding in the CA motherlode hills. The north fork american river is at 24,800 cfs and counting... Its raining pretty good here in the valley as well. Stay safe everyone, hopefully things are movin around a bit in those riverbeds.

 

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[NorCalPilot]

With another storm coming Wednesday, it looks like I'll be out poking the NFAR Tuesday!

 

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[63bkpkr]

NorCalPilot,
The NFAR is down to about 2500 CFS this morning and is dropping steadily But, watch your footing anywhere close to the water as that water is still swift and Cold. You should have lots of investigating to do from the current waters edge all the way up to the high water mark, wish I could be out there however it just is not time for me to be doing that sort of thing. Best of success with your time out there and we would all appreciate some pictures!...................63bkpkr

 

[Hoser John]

3 storm trifecta coming today for 7 days--they say- at least 6" more rain here...... John

 

[rodoconnor]

John, are you guys getting any snow pack built up?

 

[goldenmojo]

Hit the NFAR with Sideways Sherry this last Friday. The high water had flushed color into small pockets and runoff catches. Many sections of solid black sand a half inch thick that was loaded with very small specs. Waiting for Sherry to run it all in the blue bowl to see what the take is. Yankee Jims road was closed due to a washout on the narrow stretch area and the little bridge that crosses brunch? Creek was nearly decimated from overflow scouring the road and the bridge deck. Iowa Hill road had washout on some edges and the ditches were scoured clean leaving only metal bolts and nail in it. Take care and watch the water. Angry river with quick 18" surges along the slippery bedrock edges.

 

[Jeff95531]

Had a few dry days to get out for supplies before the next round, which has already begun and continues for the next 7 days. Saw lots of snow pack in the higher mountains while in town yesterday. This one seems not as extreme as the last...looks to go big then steady.

Current Smith River Levels and Conditions - Northern California

 

[NorCalPilot]

Nice day out at Mineral Bar. The water was lower than expected, but running fast and clear. The roads were fine. Black sand everywhere.

 

[Jbarsk8]

Snow pack is definitely there in my area. I went snowshoeing the other day at about 6k feet of elevation above Sonora in the sierras. There is at least 3 feet of snow with a few more feet coming this week

 

[Goldwasher]

Yesterday was my first day off since working the previous 15 days straight plowing snow and rock slides, sanding ice pack and bucking up trees from the roads here in the very northwest corner of the state. The work days days ranged from 12 to 16 hours, mostly at night. Friday was spent with a loader, 10 yard dump truck and a very large chipper disposing of trees we'd removed from Highway 199.

I have to admit, at 65 years old I'm just plain getting tired. Feeding that chipper is hard work and old eyes grow weary driving a plow truck and spotting rocks (boulders) on the road in a snow storm at night.

On the bright side, the Smith River didn't quite reach flood stage, but it jumped up and down a number of times with the combination snow and rain storms. A lot of river bed material was moved around and a number of land slides (much of it old high bench round river cobble) entered the river.

Jeff, one of the clear pristine creeks up the 199 canyon has run milk chocolate brown a couple times this year. With this creek, it can only mean significant land slides took place upstream. We'll have to check it out when things slow down and warm up. This was a very rich gold producer back in the day.

Also, where we crossed the river, last time out, it looks like that got a good scouring. I was going to cut that tree out of your way on the access road but just didn't have time.

Well, another sizable storm is due this week so I'd better clean the gutters again and fill the wood bins. Real nice out today.

Mike

Thank you for what you and all the road crews around the state do!!

 

[brianc053]

I'm in California for work (no time for prospecting, DARN!) and took a quick picture of a stream overflowing its banks in the South Bay area. There's no gold in this stream, but I can imagine what these hydrologic forces are doing to stir up gold in other areas - good luck finding it in the coming weeks! Stay safe - water is powerful!
- Brian

 

[Goldfleks]

If I'm looking for flood gold, I should be looking for black sands visible from the surface? Havent had the chance to prospect post flood phase of the river so this is something new.

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Here are a few pics from my trip to the NFAR this last weekend. It was foggy and cold in the morning but cleared up to a pretty nice day. The river was surgin from time to time and very cold. The last pic is from one pan of crevice material..best pan of the day! Im estimating a little over a gram in total for that day..not bad for taking it pretty easy...

 

[Kenmitch]

If I'm looking for flood gold, I should be looking for black sands visible from the surface? Havent had the chance to prospect post flood phase of the river so this is something new.

Yes and no. It really would be somewhat area dependant in the end. The black sand and other heavies such as gold will settle down in the depressions. As the water flow drops they'll be covered up by lighter material. If you only look for the black sands then you'd probably miss a lot of gold in the end.

The term dragging your feet comes to mind. Might be worth the effort to just drag your boot across areas that look like they might have caught gold. Of course you could use a walking stick, shovel, etc while doing this.

 

[goldenmojo]

I usually crevice for material but there were areas where it was solid black sand. I figured it would have lots of small spec in it and it did. I just took my large kitchen spoon and scraped the black sand off of the top trying to get as little brown sand as possible. It was just an anomaly that I took advantage of because it was easy. More processing than I want to deal with so I gave it to Sherry to run. Where the gold is will determine how it gets mined.

 

[goldog]

If I'm looking for flood gold, I should be looking for black sands visible from the surface? Havent had the chance to prospect post flood phase of the river so this is something new.

We haven't got the flood gold yet here in so cal. Around a foot of rain so far. Enough to rearrange things but I doubt much gold has moved. Yet.

A week of rain ahead may double that. That will bring it to a normal average year total. February is typically the wettest month so, if things continue as they've been the EF will get around 30-40"+. Still pretty tame. Some snowpack building as these are cool storms.

It should clean the place up nicely, but so far not really moving a lot of gold.

If the atmospheric river/ Pineapple Express aims south our rivers could start rolling some boulders. These are warmer, wetter storms. 10 inches of rain falling on snow over a couple days may happen in February.

Black sand is different here too. It's literally everywhere. The storms we've had tend to wash off the lighter sand/pebbles and leave surface black sand. Certainly a good indicator but don't get excited. The boulders matter much more. Keep up what you're doing.

 

[goldenmojo]

Plenty of black sand here too and lots of brown sand covering everything after the last 3 gullywashers in a month. Friends from the EF tell me big hematite equals big gold. When the chunkier pieces of hematite here start gathering together in the pan the gold is right alongside.

 

[Jeff95531]

Noaa says we got 55.61" of rain since Oct 1! NutZ! And for today...Hazardous Weather Conditions, Hazardous Weather Outlook High Surf Warning until January 21, 04:00 PM PST High Wind Warning in effect from January 21, 08:00 PM PST until January 22, 02:00 AM PST No flooding issues at this time. Next band of storms due here 7:30 pm.

 

[goldenmojo]

Got the results of the blue bowl from the black sand scrapings of a few weeks ago. Filled about three pans worth of the sand and here it is. Thanks to Sideways Sherry for going on the adventure and running it through her blue bowl.

 

[Jeff95531]

Just Issued by the National Weather Service

RIVER FLOOD WATCH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA HAS ISSUED * FLOOD WATCH FOR THE KLAMATH RIVER NEAR KLAMATH. * FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 9:00 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 25.1 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. * FLOOD STAGE IS 38.0 FEET. * FORECAST...FLOOD STAGE MAY BE REACHED BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * THIS RIVER IS FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE MONITOR STAGE OF 30.0 FT LATE THIS EVENING. THEN EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE OF 38.0 FT THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THEN FORECAST TO CREST NEAR 43.0 FT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

Let's be careful CA

http://northcoastweather.com/river_data/klamath_river_levels.htm

 

[arizau]

Just Issued by the National Weather Service

RIVER FLOOD WATCH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA HAS ISSUED * FLOOD WATCH FOR THE KLAMATH RIVER NEAR KLAMATH. * FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 9:00 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 25.1 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. * FLOOD STAGE IS 38.0 FEET. * FORECAST...FLOOD STAGE MAY BE REACHED BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * THIS RIVER IS FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE MONITOR STAGE OF 30.0 FT LATE THIS EVENING. THEN EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE OF 38.0 FT THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THEN FORECAST TO CREST NEAR 43.0 FT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

Let's be careful CA

Current Klamath River Levels and Conditions - Northern California

Some of the creeks here in AZ are only 43' long.


Stay safe.