Gravel pit gold

[lonesomebob]

I have heard tell of gravel pit panning for gold on a small scale. Like a wheelbarrow at a time . Does anyone know anything about this?

 

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[Hoser John]

Only on bedrock,otherwise it's harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack!! If they're draglining off bedrock ya might do pretty good??Who,what,and where are also biggies !!Tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[lonesomebob]

Thank you Sir !

 

[ChuckNC]

I have a book, written in the late 70's, that details how a gravel pit owner captured gold as a secondary product. He would capture the gold in washing and classifying the gravel and sand.

Is it doable, yes, but probably only on a large scale as a secondary product.

Good luck.

ChuckNC

 

[nebraskadad]

I believe this is how "Felix's paydirt" was started, as an aftermarket product of aggregates.. location, Location, LOCATION!!

I've got a buddy with a gravel pit in Central Nebraska, with unknown depth of overburden and aggregate, I don't know that it would be a winner

I should him if I could fit a sluice at the output end of his his trommel, his gravel trommel is huge.. Would be worth it in Nebraska? Probably not, would it be work in the Eastern Gold Belt, Colorado, CA, AZ, or AK? More then likely..

 

[bakergeol]

I live in Colorado. Most of the sand and gravel operators here have "rag" plants to catch the gold while processing for sand and gravel . Visited a couple and found most gold was going out with the sand to their customers as their gold plants were inefficient in catching most of the gold. Operators didn't seen to care as they were making a fortune in sand and gravel. What was interesting also was all their settling ponds where gold below 100 mesh would settle out.

George

 

[aarthrj3811]

Here in California most gravel pits recover the gold. The gravel pits accross from where I use to work had one building that was guarded day and night...Art

 

[SomeGuy]

Don't know for a fact, but I've heard that the local gravel pit here in Georgia recovers enough gold to meet its expenses, leaving the gravel for pure profit.

 

[aarthrj3811]

Just think about it. When you go to a gravel pit what do you see. Large piles of round rocks. Piles of sand. When you go down to the local river, what do you see. Round rocks and sand. The odd's have to be that if your in a gold area there is going to be gold in those old river rock....Art

 

[cm5838]

there is an aggregate company operating out of the yuba goldfields in marysville california. I have no personal knowledge of this, but have been told by a person i know that used to work in there refining shop, supposedly that plant takes better then 12 pounds a day on a low end, but they move tens of thousands of yards of material a day too.
Charles

 

[aarthrj3811]

There is a couple of new Gravel Pits here in Sacramento. These new gravel plants are located in the old Dredger Tailing Piles. My son is working for a mining company in the Artic Circle that is on the site of old Dredger Tailings. He tells me that the tailing piles insulate the ground below some what and are easy to remove. That means the ground below is not as frozen and can be dug up much easier. He has not saw any gold as he is a heavy equipment operator but he is told they are getting over a half million dollars in gold per week. For those of you that have never saw Dredger Tailings they are piles river rock stacked as high as 50 feet above the land surface and full of rattle snakes and are miles wide and many miles long..Art

 

[cm5838]

I can attest to the rattlesnakes, oroville here is mostly on dredge tailings, except the old part. there are miles and miles of tailings here.
charles

 

[nebraskadad]

Just think about it. When you go to a gravel pit what do you see. Large piles of round rocks. Piles of sand. When you go down to the local river, what do you see. Round rocks and sand. The odd's have to be that if your in a gold area there is going to be gold in those old river rock....Art

art,

you have to remember gold has a specific gravity of 19.8 where as most aggregates you see may top at an SG of 5 or lower.

Gold settles fast.. Unless it is pushed in a flood or by a glacial, gold will drop before nearly anything else.

 

[Gold Maven]

Bob,
I've been working in a gravel pit in Ohio for 35 years, and there are specific places where gold accumulates.
If you have access to the crushing and washing equipment, be very careful. Even a simple conveyor belt can rip your arm out of its socket in a split second. Be sure the plant is locked out before you begin.
The best places to look in the machinery, are where water and material are held as part of the washing process. Sand screws are probably the best place, because most glacialy deposited, and most gold in general is sand size and finer.
A sand screw is a giant screw, in a long inclined tub of water, where sand is added to the low end, agitated and washed by the screws action, then dumped on a conveyor belt to be stacked. The screw has to fit loosely in the tub so the heaviest material works its way past the screw and is trapped in the low end. I made a sluice box that hooks onto the drain, then I use a water hose to flush the material through.
It works fairly well, but it is hard to regulate the ammount of material and the riffles are full of sand too often.
Even sampling from around the sand screw drains can show alot of gold. In freezing temperatures, the screws are drained daily to protect from freezing, and the heavies will build up on the ground close to the drains.....just look for the black sand.
I've got several places i pick up gold at the pit, let me know if you are interested in hearing more.

 

[loby]

Hiiii....
below link is useful about gold gravel pit...

Unnamed Gold Prospect and Sand and Gravel Pit Mine in United States


Thak you,

 

[Welderboy88]

Rivers use to be much bigger and what is now land is a lot if times ancient river

 

[No gold in NY]

Hiiii....
below link is useful about gold gravel pit...

Unnamed Gold Prospect and Sand and Gravel Pit Mine in United States


Thak you,

Link is broken. Guess I am a few years too late.

 

[Goodyguy]

Link is broken. Guess I am a few years too late.

Try this https://www.mindat.org/loc-100255.html

 

[newbyvic]

Are you still able to help with some info on gold in and around the sand screw?

 

[bc5391]

There is a couple of new Gravel Pits here in Sacramento. These new gravel plants are located in the old Dredger Tailing Piles. My son is working for a mining company in the Artic Circle that is on the site of old Dredger Tailings. He tells me that the tailing piles insulate the ground below some what and are easy to remove. That means the ground below is not as frozen and can be dug up much easier. He has not saw any gold as he is a heavy equipment operator but he is told they are getting over a half million dollars in gold per week. For those of you that have never saw Dredger Tailings they are piles river rock stacked as high as 50 feet above the land surface and full of rattle snakes and are miles wide and many miles long..Art

Interesting, I like Gary Two Toes on you tube, he occasionally goes after the tailings. Gives me some ideas , but looks like alot of work for and old guy like me.Lots of piles like this. the old timers built damms, waited for the rainy season when the washes flowed.