Bejay
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,026
- Reaction score
- 2,531
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Central Oregon Coast
- Detector(s) used
- Whites GMT
Garret fully underwater
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
As we know; dredging has and is becoming "illegal" by the States.
Many years ago my mining partner and I made a nice placer discovery on a River that only allowed "in-water dredging" at a "winter time" of year when the river was usually in flood stage (a fish thing). I had watched Tom Massie, on a Gold Fever episode, dive with a snorkel and mask for nuggets. (he had trouble staying down and holding his breath).
Now that Oregon and Calif have outlawed dredging I thought it prudent to "OVERCOME" these State intrusions. Oregon is extremely difficult because of the language that says one can not use a motorized means to do instream placer mineing. All that said; I decided to incorporate a method that I believe overcomes the language of the law.
I guess the only challenge might be if the State wanted to expand the term "metal detecting" as MINING.
Being a placer miner and having a geology background I thought this method would achieve success and overcome the Oregon language. As we know; deep holes in rivers often have a scoured bottom and contain cracks/crevices/pockets that contain nuggets. Stream flow deposition allows for heavy/big nuggets to stay in the main course of the channel.
Using the motorized hooka from my dredge, and a fully submersible/underwater metal detector..(along with wet suit and dive belt/vest) one can easily metal detect these unique deep holes with a scoured bottom....crevicing. It can prove to be very rewarding.
Bejay
Many years ago my mining partner and I made a nice placer discovery on a River that only allowed "in-water dredging" at a "winter time" of year when the river was usually in flood stage (a fish thing). I had watched Tom Massie, on a Gold Fever episode, dive with a snorkel and mask for nuggets. (he had trouble staying down and holding his breath).
Now that Oregon and Calif have outlawed dredging I thought it prudent to "OVERCOME" these State intrusions. Oregon is extremely difficult because of the language that says one can not use a motorized means to do instream placer mineing. All that said; I decided to incorporate a method that I believe overcomes the language of the law.
I guess the only challenge might be if the State wanted to expand the term "metal detecting" as MINING.
Being a placer miner and having a geology background I thought this method would achieve success and overcome the Oregon language. As we know; deep holes in rivers often have a scoured bottom and contain cracks/crevices/pockets that contain nuggets. Stream flow deposition allows for heavy/big nuggets to stay in the main course of the channel.
Using the motorized hooka from my dredge, and a fully submersible/underwater metal detector..(along with wet suit and dive belt/vest) one can easily metal detect these unique deep holes with a scoured bottom....crevicing. It can prove to be very rewarding.
Bejay
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