is gravity dredging legal in california
Just like the one on a jet boat or the pump a farmer uses to pump water to his … The permit costs we expect to be around $200 or close to it. Background We believe dredging will be handled like it was prior to the moratorium in 2009, but do need this in writing before making a statement. Before I get into this, I need to point out that the discussions were confidential, so I can only discuss this in general terms. I’m proud to be a member of the AMRA association. No dredging during spawning season (which we support). California law currently prohibits “any vacuum or suction dredge equipment” from being used in the state’s waterways, but because narrow rules previously defined a suction dredge as a “hose, motor and sluice box,” miners are simply removing the sluice box — an alteration that leaves dredge spoils containing highly toxic mercury piling up along waterways. • Require permission from the landowner or the land managing agency before entering private and public lands for the purposes of suction dredge mining. California passed a law (signed by Brown in Jan 2016), SB637 and because of that and their right to “reasonable regulation” in the state, we must abide by it until things can either be reversed, or changed at the federal level. Gold Dredging Plans@California Gold Dredging Legal - YouTube That would be the permit that would be used if you use the CA Dept. Do studies have to be done for the creek I want to dredge? Legal update for California ( Fri Jun 27 2014 ) By Dave McCracken . Check back soon! So as you can see, this is monumental. Karuk territory is along the middle Klamath and Salmon Rivers. I just joined AMRA (thanks to Jeff at Proline). I have hope again thank you AMRA! The harm done by suction dredging is well documented by scientists and government agencies: It damages habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered fish and frogs, and releases toxic mercury plumes left over from the Gold Rush into waterways. Jerry Brown continued a moratorium initiated by Gov. The move will protect water quality, wildlife and fisheries from destructive forms of recreational mining. Are metal detectors legal in California? No. On Friday the Office of Administrative Law formally approved emergency rules proposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Upcoming Legal Drawing in Just Two weeks! SACRAMENTO, Calif.— In response to an emergency request from a coalition of tribal, conservation and fisheries groups, California officials have closed a loophole in the state’s suction dredge mining ban. Suction dredge mining has a history of controversy. Over the past week we have been in meetings, had calls and emails too numerous to list asking questions we know you’d be asking because hell, they are what we would want to know as we are miners through and through like many of you. Hello Friends, We would like to say thanks once again to all of you who have stuck with us through the years, especially the last SIX PLUS YEARS fighting in the courts of California to restore our right to dredge and prospect on Federal Mining Claims. What they concluded was dredging was deminimus, meaning it doesn’t harm fish or fish habitat. There is a total ban on suction dredging in California imposed by the powers that be. It is a water pump period. My buddy and claim owner neighbor came by for me to help him with some mapping and we got talking about all the water this year and his gravity system which is a 6" pipe with 3" nozzle sucking from the upper end and … Since the Court ruled that California’s dredge permitting moratorium is unconstitutional, making it unenforceable as a matter of law, The New 49’ers are not going to prohibit suction dredging on our mining properties. We will also be covering this in detail at our annual dinner in Chino CA June 2nd, see our website for details or the post below for the outing directions and times. (a).) But most of all, our AMRA staff. Permit holders may not operate a gravity or siphon suction dredge with a suction hose larger than 4 inches in Essential Salmon Habitat. Science should prevail, not emotion or how someone feels it might, may, could or potentially impact a waterway. Cost: It is not going to be $2000 like someone posted on FB, that is incorrect. List of dredging companies, manufacturers and suppliers in California. Copyright 2021 American Mining Rights Association, The long awaited post about Suction Dredging in California. Keep up the great work. This if required for your operation is a rather involved permit and depending on the area can have considerable expense in putting it into act. We believe the sponsors of SB637, Izzy Martin and the enviro group The Sierra Fund, along with their Senator who brought the bill forward, Ben Allen, a Democrat from Hollywood believed the CAWB would toe the political line and just slow walk, or deny permits all along. For purposes of these regulations, the following classes of suction dredge use restrictions apply in California's lakes, reservoirs, streams and rivers as specified: (1) Class A: No dredging permitted at anytime. Almost 200 years later, prospectors continue to travel to the Golden State. We believe strongly since this is incidental fallback, like a dredge, it adds nothing and does not cause any adverse impacts on California waterways. “This decision will make our rivers safer for wildlife, fisheries and our families.”. Suction dredging is an environmentally harmful mining practice has been banned in California since 2009, but since early this spring miners have been making equipment modifications to suction dredges to exploit what they perceived as a “loophole” in the ban. The Karuk have been in conflict with gold miners since 1850. Prospector uses motorized mineral prospecting equipment without discharging process water back to waters of the state (equipment is self contained); and, 2. That is Awesome news. California has long had a Stream Diversion Permits and they have through the years gotten more intrusive and time consuming. It is not complicated, nor illegal. Outside Essential Salmon Habitat, they may not operate a gravity or siphon suction dredge with a suction hose larger than 6 inches. of Fish and Wildlife as the lead agency. No. Wow just two comments here!! Most areas of California farm country have a significant lack of information about their groundwater use. We expect you all to provide input. The California Gold Rush first began in 1848 when James W. Marshall found gold flakes at Sutter's Mill, Coloma. There will be no site specific studies required for any permits. The water managers responsible for putting California’s depleted aquifers on the path to sustainability now need to get the data to do the job. Unregulated suction dredge mining harms important cultural resources and state water supplies. However the CAWB has specifically stated they would like AMRA (Shannon Poe) to help them with the language and make sure the language does not encompass other equipment like the vague SB637. Also present was Western Mining Alliance (Craig Lindsay, President), the New 49’ers (Dave Mac was actually there) and a few others from local affected groups and districts. High bankers are one piece of equipment we are still actively discussing and may involve a permit of some kind if run in the creek. Under the new regulation, the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment is defined broadly as the use of a suction system to vacuum material from a river, stream or lake for the extraction of minerals. Will I need to get a DFG permit like we did in 2009 in addition to the CAWB permit? Permits were not mandatory. It also destroys sensitive habitat for important and imperiled wildlife, including salmon and steelhead trout, California red-legged frogs and sensitive migratory songbirds. Coulterville CA 95311, [email protected] “We are very pleased with California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s decision to act quickly,” said Leaf Hillman, director of natural resources for the Karuk Tribe. It required the CAWB (California Water Board) to evaluate whether or not suction dredging should be permitted in the state by having them look at the science and facts. Sort: You are not authorized to post a reply. (2) Class B: Open to dredging from July 1 through August 31. What specific rivers/waterways will have a season, although it appears as it is exactly like it was in 2009. Facts and science. To compare a highbanker to a suction dredge is like comparing a Prius to a log splitter. I do not know if these benchmade are illegal and need help. They have made these statements in front of two sitting California Senators. “This decision ensures that California’s water quality, fisheries and cultural sites will be protected from suction dredges and similar forms of mechanized recreational mining.” It will be nearly impossible for the CAWB to pull back this acknowledgment that dredging WILL be permitted next year.
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