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Dave_Mack 22:36:11 Sat Mar 15 2014 |
http://www.goldgold.com/newsletter-march-2014.html We hope you will join us this summer along the Klamath River in northern California! |
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redwood 03:51:28 Sun Mar 16 2014 |
I'm looking forward to getting over the hill. Do you know any thing about the snow pack on the road over Little Grayback? Also Dave, I didn't see mention in the newsletter of vac-pack use along the river banks. Is this still OK? Thanks Dave, Mike |
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Rich_Krimm 14:32:59 Sun Mar 16 2014 |
Feel free to use your Vac-Pack as much as you want. A Vac-Pack has always been considered a dry mining activity, and was not designed, intended or really capable of being used as a suction dredge to excavate materials from the bottom of an active waterway. I was up in Happy Camp about three weeks ago, and I was told that Grayback was open. I'll be in contact with a couple of friends over the next couple of days, and get an update of the pass. I recently received the March 1st Snow Survey Results from the Forest Service, and it appears dismal at best. One location at 5500 feet normally has 73.8 inches of snow in February, and on March 1st it had .8 inches of snow. In terms of water content, that location would normally have 25.8 inches of water, but this year it is .4 inches of water. Scott Mountain revealed that it had 10 inches of snow where the February average is 54.7 inches. That location averages 20.8 inches of water in February, but this year it measured 3.5 inches of water. Based on that report, you just might be using your Vac-Pack in some new locations. |
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redwood 16:01:43 Sun Mar 16 2014 |
I kind of had the notion there wouldn't be much snow over Little Grayback. While we can certainly have a few snow storms this late, as well as later in the year, we really are past the prime pack snow months. Working daily along the Smith River over here on the coast, I see the rapid rise and fall of the river with recent rain storms. The river will run at medium high levels for a few days, then drop right back down to low level and clear as gin. I think this summer is going to be one of the driest on record as far as river flows and ground water levels. Probably be a good year to be in the water well drilling business. I know I'll have neighbors who's well will dry up this summer and have to hook up to mine until substantial rains come again. Thanks again Rich, Mike |
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luvin_yaller 21:35:18 Sun Mar 16 2014 |
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Dave_Mack 10:32:28 Mon Mar 17 2014 |
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Rod_Seiad 15:09:38 Mon Mar 17 2014 |
I've had good luck ordering plastic sheeting from these folks. The selection of thicknesses and colors are great. They supply adhesive and technical advise also. My favorite is the 3/4" pvc marine decking material. It's expensive but real nice to fabricate with. |
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ratled 17:38:03 Mon Mar 17 2014 |
Trying to figure a way for a plugger pole because we all know how Mr. Murphy loves miners ratled |
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Rich_Krimm 21:32:56 Mon Mar 17 2014 |
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redwood 02:03:28 Tue Mar 18 2014 |
Mike |
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Jersey_Girls 22:26:03 Tue Mar 18 2014 |
You could also use a manual hand dredge, which are legal, to suck up material off the bottom of the river and put that through your highbanker floating on the surface. Can't wait to get back to Happy Camp! |
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Disney_CM 04:13:25 Wed Mar 19 2014 |
:thankyou: |
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OVRBRDN 14:02:22 Wed Mar 19 2014 |
I use a long piece of number 6 ground wire for unplugging my 1 1/2 in. hose... it's lite weight and i coil it up for easy transporting . if it's long enough you could double it up to get more pushing power... |
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OVRBRDN 14:05:59 Wed Mar 19 2014 |
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ratled 18:17:20 Wed Mar 19 2014 |
I have a nice piece of EMT for a plugger pole for my dredge but my concern is a blockage at the hopper end ratled |
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MojaveJoe 03:12:54 Thu Mar 20 2014 |
The prohibition for any suction dredge to be within 100 yds of a closed river is also negated by the fact, it is not a suction dredge if there is no suction being used to extract the minerals. To quote DFG's Emergency Regulation definition of Suction Dredging: "Under the existing and proposed definition, the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment (i.e., suction dredging) is defined as the use of a suction system to vacuum material from a river, stream or lake for the extraction of minerals." Ergo, I want to put some kind of sluice or other recovery system, maybe underwater, to run my pressurized slurry through, within close proximity to my hole. I believe this would be legal, in as much as Iam not suction dredging, nor do I have a suction dredge within 100 yds of the river, because I do not have a suction nozzle within 100 yds of my equipment. Could they cite me, or take my equipment? What say you? :doublethumbsup: |
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Rod_Seiad 15:19:05 Thu Mar 20 2014 |
On the other hand, unless we explore the boundaries, we'll never be comfortable. As hard as the New 49ers try, I am confident that we understand CDFG intentions as well as can be. There's a slew of unknowns and confusion. I trust Dave and Rich to keep us posted on everything concerning regulations and how to avoid trouble. |
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MojaveJoe 04:04:56 Fri Mar 21 2014 |
Having been in CA law enforcement myself for a couple decades I know one thing for sure. If you make any law or rule too specific, there will always be a way around it. We have already proven that to be true with this new blow mining method. Might even consider that DFG's 'specific' rule making did us a favor in that way. If I get the chance this year, I think there are many new methods to be tried, that will be outside the strict definition of "suction dredging". I am not worried too much about some officer trying to cite me on first contact, especially after I explain why what Iam doing is 'Legal'. Ive been in those enforcement shoes, and making an improper cite that cannot be supported by quoted text from the regulations is a big problem for any officer. One they'd rather avoid. So I doubt we will be bothered much unless one appears to be using a "suction nozzle" underwater. In which case, he will have to show that he 'is not'. Should be an interesting mining season this year. Hope to meet some of the members out on the Klamath this spring, as it will be my first trip to the claims since I joined 2 years ago. Yellow riffles to everyone! :doublethumbsup: |