A new way to recover gold from streams and creeks?

[Bloodline]

Please look over these pics first, then read below.



I was thinking.

I work at a place that produces what you see in the pics above. I was thinking why couldn't a person find a good creek or stream and take a piece of that material and stretch it from one bank of the water to the other side of the water and hanger it firmly down... Then come back after a few big rains and recover the rolled out blanket of material and see whats to be found?

Is that crazy?

Thoughts please.

 

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[MrTim4Gold]

problem I expect to see is sheer volume of water and material during high water..your mats will be buried or miles down stream..do it on bedrock you stand a chance..then again why not just cut wide deep groves in the bedrock and clean them out once a year!@ haha I am curious to see what you find out..or if ya even find your mats!

 

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[Bloodline]

Just remember...after the river uproots your mats spikes and chicken wire, wads it up and ties it all in a knot around a tree...you have to remove the mess

I will.

 

[davidhorton001]

I have heard of steam bed gold traps. You can make a few designs, with PVC pipe cut in half with holes drill and stacked with
a gap between the two so the gold can drop out of the flow. The wood block trap. And what I think would work the best would be the iron rail trap. Think of putting a cattle guard on the bottom of a stream or river. And I think this design would be the least likely to be messed with by people.

 

[Bloodline]

I have heard of steam bed gold traps. You can make a few designs, with PVC pipe cut in half with holes drill and stacked with
a gap between the two so the gold can drop out of the flow. The wood block trap. And what I think would work the best would be the iron rail trap. Think of putting a cattle guard on the bottom of a stream or river. And I think this design would be the least likely to be messed with by people.

Hey thank you for sharing that. Interesting ideas. I like the 'auto idea of it all. Not lazy, just would be cool to have something 'auto like, while one was out panning or whatever. Place it..come back every now and then just to make sure it's secure and then weeks, months or even seasons later ..to check it out.

I like it.

 

[Bloodline]

I know this creek in ohio where I believe would be perfect. It's less than 10ft wide but the walls are around anywhere from 10-20 ft high and it's within the glacial movement. I picture a large glacier sliding over this massive V like structured creek and dropping good stuff in it. I'm not kidding this place is isolated and everything I said. I've seen it with strong water running thru it. I don't know if the matting I've been referring to in this thread would be a good idea or not, but if you could anchor it.. I think you'd definitely come away with something. imo

 

[Bonaro]

I have seen peoples attempts at what you are considering....usually in the form of mangled contraptions left abandoned in the river. Please dont be that guy.

If you do this it will have to be uber skookum...made of steel and pinned to bedrock. Rubber mats, chicken wire and driving stakes into the gravel is a guaranteed failure. It's attractive because it's easy but it simply wont work at all. Im not trying to pis in your campfire, just being realistic.
I totally encourage you to figure this out but I would prefer you didn't leave a mess in the river. Not that you would intentionally but you may not be able to dig it out when it all goes sideways.

Here is a homework assignment for you:
Sometime in the next 2 months during or right after a major rain storm, go to that sweet spot you are wanting to install this and just look at the flood water for a while. This will be the time when gold is moving and this is the water your gizmo will have to survive...plan for that

 

[Jeff95531]

Like Bonaro said, keep it simple and contained. The sweet spot will reveal itself during low water/high water conditions and then you can be certain with placement of the trap and any findings found.

 

[Bloodline]

I have seen peoples attempts at what you are considering....usually in the form of mangled contraptions left abandoned in the river. Please dont be that guy.

If you do this it will have to be uber skookum...made of steel and pinned to bedrock. Rubber mats, chicken wire and driving stakes into the gravel is a guaranteed failure. It's attractive because it's easy but it simply wont work at all. Im not trying to pis in your campfire, just being realistic.
I totally encourage you to figure this out but I would prefer you didn't leave a mess in the river. Not that you would intentionally but you may not be able to dig it out when it all goes sideways.

Here is a homework assignment for you:
Sometime in the next 2 months during or right after a major rain storm, go to that sweet spot you are wanting to install this and just look at the flood water for a while. This will be the time when gold is moving and this is the water your gizmo will have to survive...plan for that

I appreciate your advice Sir, thank you. I will go and find a 'sweet spot and then go back like you said to see what kind of conditions I would/could incur.
That indeed was good advice.

Thank you

 

[Bloodline]

@Bonaro

Was thinking and visualizing and... If I could find a place where from one side to the other there was a shelve ...a step. ...a place where it was completely rocky from one side to the other either by like...1-2ft? high rock? ...then place the matting right up against it and that way it would even be more protected. Meaning cut the matting only a few inches maybe from the shelving like rock/whatever. There would be a V like space from the top of the wall like structure to several inches out from it from the bottom of the shelving like rock like structure. My thinking is.. as gold travels within the flow.. I believe this "travel" is relatively low regardless the flow... meaning it hops and creeps down a river. Thus.. my idea would capture it.
Bottom line to my thinking was.. because of your advise I find it better to try against the a wall rather then away from it. Because it would still work and have a better chance at surviving at staying stationary.

Who knows.