Piedra River in SW Colorado

[khpony]

I've been doing some sampling in this river and found a few flakes. Does anyone know if it's ever produced any real gold?
Ken

 

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[deltamann]

I have elk hunted on the Piedra. Any place in the San Juans and La Platas have produced silver and gold. KEEP LOOKING! GOOD LUCK!

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, COLORADO.

good luck...

 

[KevinInColorado]

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5395375.pdf

Per this, the local NFS is trying to block all prospecting. This is however exactly contrary to what the national rules are for a wilderness Area which would allow non-mechanized activity but no Federal Claims. I even confirmed the national ruling with Senator Udall (D-CO) who said yes I can manually prospect...in writing! So take your chances if you like!

 

[russau]

like Kevin said!! id get my own copy of that letter from Sen.Udall and make some copys to carry around incase the enevitable happens!

 

[khpony]

Thanks for the input. We plan on doing some extensive sampling (panning) in the coming months since there are 2 1800's mines very close to it.

 

[KevinInColorado]

July 12, 2012 Dear Kevin, Thank you for contacting me with your concerns on proposed land use designations, specifically its effect on panning for gold. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue. Protecting our land and natural resources for future generations is a passion of mine, but before any land management decisions are made, I am committed to hearing from the local communities that will be affected. The proposals I have put forth regarding the Central Mountains and Arkansas River-Browns Canyon area, which can be found at http://www.markudall.senate.gov/outdoorheritage, are currently going through a bottom-up, community-driven process. Gold panning is allowed in designated wilderness. In fact, wilderness designations can actually encourage gold panning by helping keep waterways clean and undisturbed. A wilderness or national monument designation protects the rivers and lands that many gold prospectors have used for generations and will not have an impact on your ability to pan for gold in the area. Again, thank you for your comments, which will help guide our community-driven decision making. I look forward to working with you as this process moves forward. I will continue to listen closely to what you and other Coloradans have to say about matters before Congress, the concerns of our communities, and the issues facing Colorado and the nation. My job is not merely about supporting or opposing legislation, but also about bridging the divide that has paralyzed our nation's politics. For more information about my positions and to learn how my office can assist you, please visit my website at www.markudall.senate.gov. Warm regards, Mark Udall U.S. Senator, Colorado

...this is copied directly from the email I got last summer in response to my query about establishing new wilderness areas and the effect on prospecting.

Is is important for me to mention that all mechanized equipment is banned from any National Wilderness Area. This means no bicycles or other devices with moving parts so even a hand powered dredge would likely be forbidden. A sluice, classifier, bucket and a shovel however is fine. Filling your holes and "leaving no trace" is also a clear expectation in Designated Wilderness areas.

 

[Fullpan]

On the surface, at least, it appears to be a reasonable explanation to your inquiry - thanks for posting, Kevin.

 

[russau]

Thanks for posting this Kevin!

 

[khpony]

Thanks for the help Kevin, you're the man. Smoke from the fires is very heavy here this morning. We'd like to get up the river later this week and do some more panning/sampling but just watching the fires. If one starts near us it could be bad. We're hoping the jet stream will change soon and bring in our annual monsoons. Then we won't be able to do much on the rivers again but that's the way it goes.

 

[KevinInColorado]

My pleasure! Be safe and good luck out there!

 

[UncleMatt]

FYI, I spoke with the lady in charge of minerals at the NFS in Durango, CO. She told me that she had seen the NFS documents saying you could not metal detect or do recreational prospecting in wilderness areas, and did not think they were valid. She said the Mining Law of 1892 still applies there. I plan on stopping by her office when I am up there on vacation from the 4th through the 14th. I will report back on that meeting.

 

[UncleMatt]

Is is important for me to mention that all mechanized equipment is banned from any National Wilderness Area. This means no bicycles or other devices with moving parts so even a hand powered dredge would likely be forbidden. A sluice, classifier, bucket and a shovel however is fine. Filling your holes and "leaving no trace" is also a clear expectation in Designated Wilderness areas.

I disagree with his opinion here. Unless I am mistaken the law does not state mechanized, I believe it states motorized. Can anyone elaborate on that?

 

[KevinInColorado]

For "Federal Wilderness areas" the law says mechanized. That is why I highlighted the example of bicycles being forbidden. Your gear is ok as long as there are no moving parts... so a gravity suction sluice would be ok for example.

You can read a summary of the law here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Act

There is some vague allowance of historical mining to continue which might allow other equipment but the law's ambiguity will likely make for challenges if you are messy or noisy ...quiet, tidy workings will probably be fine...

 

[UncleMatt]

For "Federal Wilderness areas" the law says mechanized. That is why I highlighted the example of bicycles being forbidden. Your gear is ok as long as there are no moving parts... so a gravity suction sluice would be ok for example.

You can read a summary of the law here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Act

There is some vague allowance of historical mining to continue which might allow other equipment but the law's ambiguity will likely make for challenges if you are messy or noisy ...quiet, tidy workings will probably be fine...

Thanks for setting me straight on that!

You will like this Kevin: I am currently in discussions with a company that has a way to pump water with no moving parts at all to see if it can be applied to dredging use. How long do you think it would take for the law to be changed if I was to come up with a no-moving-part pump for use in National Forests and Wilderness areas? :-)

 

[UncleMatt]

I know, I know, but it actually exists

And I wonder if they consider solid state circuitry to be a "mechanism". Are cell phones prohibited? lol

 

[russau]

the more you talk about it on the net for ALL to see, the quicker itll be BANNED! it has happened in the past several times and will continue in the future!

 

[UncleMatt]

LOL, I bet no one even has a clue about what I am talking about, and they probably think I have a screw loose.

FYI All, I just got a call from Helen Mary Johnson at BLM up in Durango. She tells me that BLM has no issue with metal detectors in wilderness areas, but the NFS does! So I won't be able to take my metal detector up the Vallecito after all. And there are so few reports of any gold in Vallecito sediments its not worth my time to haul a bunch of non-mechanical sluicing gear up there. Plenty of other areas to prospect with a metal detector in SW Colorado.

 

[UncleMatt]

I just spoke with and emailed Helen Mary Johnson about the fact that the Wilderness Act Laws do not define metal detectors as "mechanized", and asked her to provide chapter and verse in the current law that is the basis for metal detectors being banned from wilderness areas in SW Colorado. She said she would email that information to me. I will let you know what I hear from her on this. As far as I can tell though, someone in the NFS just arbitrarily decided metal detectors should be banned and considered mechanized equipment, since the laws I have read so far do not state that.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Glad to hear you pressing her on the UncleMatt. I agree that the NFS in SW Colorado has gotten oddly restrictive of our activities in Federal Wilderness and should be challenged!