Dredging old pond. Suggestions anyone?

[khouse]

I secured permission to detect a small 1/3 acre pond. What is special about the pond is that it was spring fed and said to be healing if bathed or swam in. There even was a slide for the kids to use. It it said wealthy people from all over traveled to the pond to swim and bathe. The years it was open was 1880 to 1954! The pond is about 6 feet deep at the dam side now. It used to be deeper but has silted in at least 1.5 feet. I want to get down to the original pond bed. I know I could take my detector into the water and scoop and sift. But this will be tough work as I hope to be scooping hundreds of targets. This lead me to think about a dredge and sluice. I can have a helper help in breaking up the larger clods and recovering the finds. I thought I could just start jabbing the suction pipe downward cleaning a path as I walk. Will this work? I was hoping someone has tried this before on loose silt. Thanks!

 

[khouse]

It's nothing but slimy mud.

 

[boogeyman]

Hmmm..... Might work if it's ooozy mud, but clay type mud would be a real struggle.

 

[rmptr]

If there's a buildup of yucky silt that is gooey, I don't think a MD is gonna do much good.

Even coins will sink way down in goo, beyond the capability of a MD.

This is the PERFECT opportunity for you to get into dredging!

If it's gooey and slimey you can blow it trough a dredge and screen like crud through a goose!
Same thing with silt, unless it has been compacted a lot.
Then you would need to hit it with a blaster.

Either way, put your discharge in an advantageous position.
There's plenty of things in there that will plug a nozzle... that's a promise!

HH
rmptr

 

[boogeyman]

plug ups? Wasn't that lesson 1, 2, & 3 in the dredgers How To book?

 

[JamesE]

PI detector like a Sand Shark should be helpful if you dredge the 'targets' instead of trying to empty the whole pond.
Still think a siphon dredge is the way to go if conditions allow.

 

[GoldPatch]

I know of just such a place in Northern California

I made a trip up and scouted around a bit, when I had the same idea. I'd love to know how it works out for you

 

[oldbrundogg]

Goldpatch, check out the thread below, good day of sampling
OBD