The New California Gold Rush
Gold Mining Claims Rise in the Creeks and Riverbeds of the Sierras
May 1, 2009
The steep price of gold, the high rate of unemployment and the fallen housing market have led many hopeful gold miners to the Sierras. Many men (and women) who left a full time position are now finding themselves working for themselves and reaping a profit. As stated by Tracie Cone in the San Luis Obispo Tribune on April 22, 2009, in the first quarter of 2009 new placer claims have nearly reached the entire 2006/2007 levels. With the market price of gold around $900/oz., the lure of finding the sparkly metal draws hordes of prospectors much as it did during the first California gold rush in 1849.
What could be more tempting after all then finding money in the ground? Although it isn’t really that easy to locate large deposits on unclaimed gold ore, it is possible with patience, a few tools and good luck to earn a modest living from gold flakes and nuggets. Most prospectors work solo but occasionally partners and small business entrepreneurs team together to ease the workload.
Gold Mining Methods
The cold water creeks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range still offer an opportunity to reap gold. The old fashioned tin pans used by the 49’rs have been replaced with updated hand dredging systems. Although still back breaking work, these new gold traps allow a prospector to rapidly sift through piles of gravel and silt. The gold flake found in the streams may yield between $100 for a partial vial to $1000 for a full ounce vial, a good take on a successful day as mentioned in the Tribune article.
Picks and shovels still stock the local hardware stores in the towns north of Sacramento. The Mother Lode region near Coloma, California is rumored to be rich with gold that is yet to be discovered. Much of the deep ore requires expensive heavy equipment and sophisticated mining but the creek gold is there for the taking (that is if the miner has filed a claim). Ms. Cone mentions that occasionally larger nuggets worth thousands of dollars are uncovered in the creek beds and surrounding rocks.
Claiming a Gold Stake
Gold miners who are lucky and diligent enough to find an unclaimed area must pay the federal government a fee of $170 for access to the public land by accessing information from the Bureau of Land Management at www.blm.gov/ca/caso/iac/faqmc.html. Checking with the Bureau of Land Management is the first step followed by a ream of required paperwork. Existing claims are also for sale from a variety of sources including websites, classifieds and regional bulletin board listings.
Once the “grubstake” (a term still used by the modern prospectors) is set then the labor intensive work begins. The increased numbers of unemployed workers have more time to devote to searching for gold. With the spring thaw, the mountain streams fill with fresh water that filters the sludge and often reveals new treasure.
Gold prospectors are very protective of their claims warning uninvited intruders with handmade signs and an occasional rifle warning shot. But there are plenty of friendly old and new sourdoughs around and some hold impromptu classes in gold panning techniques. The new ’09 gold rush holds a sparkle of promise and alluring temptation to strike it rich in an economic downturn.
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