Dredging a lake bed

[Bigmanco]

Ok im new here and to mining.
Ever since i was a kid iv wanted to try gold mining. Ik i ant gonna get rich doing it

Well we moved to colorado a few months ago and i want to give mining a try. Plan to do some panning in the rivers here in colorado maybe get a hi bank or a dredging going. Im an advange scuba diver with some search and recovery training so workin the bottom of the rivers and streams is in my plans

Iv had an idea And my father thinks its dumb i disagree. My though is theres a lake near by in the rockies. My thought is if the rivers and streams that supply if contain gold why wouldnt the lake around the spots where the rivers feed it.
My thought is get a pontoon dive down collect some five gallon buckets of soil from the spots around where the water feeds in the lake. Return home pan it see if it contains any gold. If it does build a suction dredge to mine it

My arguement with my dad iv seen a few issues
1 is it possible theres gold on the bottom of the lake. Or am i dumb for thinking so
2 if there is being this is a state owned lake what are the chances the state would allow me to mine it

3. Though im a bering sea gold and gold rush junkie. Ik i ant just gonna buy a pan a dredge and it be as easy as it looks on tv. Iv been watching the real gold mining shows for years. Ik i got to learn the basics. Can someone point be to a place around denver or up around grand lake or say steamboat springs where i can learn the basica of it

My hope is i can try a fun new hobbie and get some exercise and learn the hobbie of gold mining. Im a big guy love the outdoors and nature and am always lookin for fun outdoors hobbies plus maybe ill get lucky and find of gold

 

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[mxer47]

I don't think you are crazy or off course. Thinking outside the box while inside a gold bearing area can payoff. I would take the first step of your plan. Get some buckets from below. My suggestion to you is to use the method of sampling that requires you to take samples from different depths and underwater structures and inlets, document them by location to see if there is an amount worth mining. Then consider how to mine it (what equipment permits etc.). Don't put the cart in front of the horse. It sounds like you have the equipment and know how to dive so do that first.

 

[Goodyguy]

Welcome to T-Net,
.....and another one bites the dust.....gold dust that is.

My experience on lake bottoms is that the overburden, mud, silt, etc. is just too deep to easily get down to where any nuggets would be. They are down there though. The biggest problem is in finding a pay streak where the gold is concentrated in worthwhile quantity.

Go for the gold
GG~

 

[Bigmanco]

Thanks guys. You just gave me alittle confidence that im not completely nuts lol

My though is mxer49 said
Find the inlets. Im thinking 3 boxes from 2 or three depths. Say 15 or 20 feet apart un a shallow depth then deeper depths say 15 or 20 feet deeper basically 9 buckets over a deep of 60 feet or so. So it would be. 9 buckets from a square grid of 225 square feet or so

Im guessing look for the rocky gravel areas.
How deep in the silt or mud should i go looking for the gravels and where the pay dirt might be.

I think the diving and bucket part should be easy and not to costly. I have everything i need to dive just get a high alttitude diver cert snd im good to go

 

[Bigmanco]

Something else someone told my dad the bottom of grand lake is frozen cause it stays so called up here in the rockies and the bottom never thaws out. Idk see how that could be. Has anyone heard this

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Something else someone told my dad the bottom of grand lake is frozen cause it stays so called up here in the rockies and the bottom never thaws out. Idk see how that could be. Has anyone heard this

I'd be really surprised if that were true. The ground below a lake is warm....and gets warmer the deeper you go. The water in the lake is above freezing. How could there be ice in between?
On your idea to mine the lake bottom...I think it's a winner. But most of the gold will quickly settle out once the water from the creek slows as it enters the lake....so stick close to the creek mouth. Also, with the severe dryness in the west this year, you might find the lakes will be much lower than normal. You might keep an eye on that during late summer/fall. You might be able to sample fairly far out, without getting wet.
Jim

 

[mxer47]

Maybe someone with more experience in deep water than I could chime in. I snorkel because I haven't invested in air. I'm guessing 60 feet might require more suction than a normal dredge. Idk just guessing.
Also know your lake if it is man made that means the creek ran wild below the surface prior to the lake so the general gold deposit areas would apply.

 

[Bigmanco]

The suction issue at depth that deep was something i had wondered about. The lake is man made.

 

[Bigmanco]

I'd be really surprised if that were true. The ground below a lake is warm....and gets warmer the deeper you go. The water in the lake is above freezing. How could there be ice in between?
On your idea to mine the lake bottom...I think it's a winner. But most of the gold will quickly settle out once the water from the creek slows as it enters the lake....so stick close to the creek mouth. Also, with the severe dryness in the west this year, you might find the lakes will be much lower than normal. You might keep an eye on that during late summer/fall. You might be able to sample fairly far out, without getting wet.
Jim

That was my thought in diving u learn about thermoclines and water temp normally after so many feet 15-30. U hit the thermoclin and no matter the surface temps the water temp pass that level never changes. Ik in indiana were im from it normally 40to48 degrees on the bottom of the lakes iv been in

 

[G1sammons]

60 ft you,can't dive long enough to get much work done !
You can get a small under water dredge but at that kind of depth I don't think you'll have much time to,work
You'll notice when you run a dredge at 10 ft,how long it takes to dig a good hole .
I'd recommend trying running a regular dredge to give your self an idea of what your truly up aginst ... Then try running it only for the amount of time you can safely dive at 60 ft..

Check out the electric dredges the have on eBay ! You will also find something simlar on keenes sight but instead of electric power you just get a pump and run a hose down to ya .... They have a small sluice box .. Sp there's no need to suck it back up to the surface to get it thru a sluice ...

 

[Bigmanco]

My hope is i wont be anywhere near 60 feet. That was just a rough max i came up with.

 

[G1sammons]

My hope is i wont be anywhere near 60 feet. That was just a rough max i came up with.

up to 30 is reasonable ..
But I think you'll find you can't dredge in a lake without a permit ... You may get away with hookah and one of those underwater rigs...there not real big they manly use the to remove over bourdon .but they have a small nugget trap for those just incase moments

 

[Bigmanco]

I was wondering the same. From what i read u can get a permit for it and i did read in colorado u can dredge public properties if its under so many sqaure feet of an area. I just ant had time to research more the truth to it

 

[mxer47]

You said in your original post said you are new to mining. Don't let your imagination about gold that might be there start you down a dead end road. Sample the creeks with a pan. Sample underwater as described in my earlier posts. Prove to yourself a further investment in time and money is worth it. The process is research areas (including if any claims exist where you are considering), plan your prospecting, sample, evaluate your finds, equip yourself (including permits, claims etc.), mine. This is an simplified outline of the process but you get the idea. Any shortcuts will cost you time, money, and effort.
Good luck

 

[principedeleon]

If it was ME ; i would be dredging the river first which is the Easiest&best way to get down through overburden and hardpack.Then with the gold you get it will HAVE to pay to ENLARGE your equipment. If not then it might not worth the hussle of retrieving anything in that lake. Dredging isnt about just sucking gravel, you have to pick up and throw all rocks bigger then the diameter of the suction hose out of the hole you got going; some are even large enough you have to get a winch to take them out.

 

[loco oro]

if it is a man made lake ,i am fairly confident that it would be regulated , proably off limits,if its considered a resevior,or for agriculture irrigation, they have very strict policys. i like your train of thought on the lakes, but i bet you would be better off looking at natural glacial feed lakes, and the like,besides if its manmade you have to consider that there will be opsticales under there that would pose a seriuos threat, i.e trees, stumps, old stuctures, roots, the trees might be gone but those roots will still be there, that would be tough going underwater, natural lakes will have far less threatening landscape.just my opinion.

 

[Bigmanco]

I think imma stick to the river and creek beds like u guys recommended. Plus itll give me a chance to get my feet wet with mining. Plus imma do some more research as to if and how i can do the lake

 

[Goodyguy]

Now you're talking, much easier to find where the gold is concentrated in a creek. Plus you don't have to dive so deep. You still need to get down to bedrock though.

GG~

 

[Bigmanco]

Imma take this in another direction if you guys dont mind.
So lets say im going to concetrate most of this season on the creeks and rivers. What basic gear do i need to dredge and pan basically from first step in the water to the golds in a bottle. What size of dredge is good to start out with. Im normally a bigger is better guy but while i dont wonna buy a 2 inch dredge and it be to small or i want to upgrade in a short time but i also dont want to go to dam big and cause issues. Also for a newbi should i just get a dredge then take and pan the concentrate or do i need a small sluice say at home to run the pay iv got out of the dreadge through before panning it. Also can recommend any good how to or basics of gold mineing online reading i can do or videos that do a good job showing the basics. Iv been watching some online already

 

[principedeleon]

Imma take this in another direction if you guys dont mind. So lets say im going to concetrate most of this season on the creeks and rivers. What basic gear do i need to dredge and pan basically from first step in the water to the golds in a bottle. What size of dredge is good to start out with. Im normally a bigger is better guy but while i dont wonna buy a 2 inch dredge and it be to small or i want to upgrade in a short time but i also dont want to go to dam big and cause issues. Also for a newbi should i just get a dredge then take and pan the concentrate or do i need a small sluice say at home to run the pay iv got out of the dreadge through before panning it. Also can recommend any good how to or basics of gold mineing online reading i can do or videos that do a good job showing the basics. Iv been watching some online already

I think a 4" dredge is a good dredge for a one or two men group and a overall good machine to start off on. If is a 3 men group then i would use a 6" since it requires more production for the whole team if you hit a paystreak and shouldnt be as bad to carry with 3 guys. Also in dry seasons some rivers run almost dry where it might not support a 6" dredge pump so you will be limited in those days. I like reading daves website he haves tons of information ; Think is goldgold .com.