l> A ^ '^ CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU FERRY BUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO LLOYD L. ROOT State Mineralogist San Francisco] BULLETIN No. 92 . [June, 1923 GOLD PLACERS OF CALIFORNIA CHARLES SCOTT HALEY CALIFORNIA STATE PRINTING OFI'ICi; FRANK J. SMITH, Supcrliit.omleiit SACRAMENTO, 1023 2SG03 ; DEPT. 3 CONTENTS. rago I.ETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 FOREWORD 5 Outline of the Ijulletin and the points proved in same. Chapter I. Control of Mining Debris 9 Debris control and its results. History of problem and efforts to sol\e same. Results. Outline of a comprehensive plan of debris control in tlie Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Fiiture benefits to be derived. Chapter II. Placer Mining Methods 26 Methods of handling and commercial exploitation of gold-taearins alluvials. Adaptation of different methods to varying types of deposits. Prospecting methods. Chapter III. Placer Resources S2 A brief description, by districts, of the location and extent of the principal gold placers in California. Accompanied by a map showing the courses of ancient channels and the distribution of the principal hydraulic gravels of the State of California, in the region known as the Sierra Nevada Gold P.elt and a geological table, by Mr. Mark Ailing, showing the relative ages of the Cretaceous and Tertiarv channels. 737 ILLUSTRATIONS. PHOTOHUAPHS— Page 1. Characteristic Hydraulicking Gravels in Peru 2G -. Close-up of Same Gravels in Peru 26 3. Natives Washing with Rocker in Peru 29 4. Nechi River at I'ato. Characteristic Dredging Gravels in Colombia 30 f). I'ortage Creek, on, the Little Delta, Alaska 31 (i. Panning on Portage Creek 32 7. Dredge on Hunker Creek, Klondike Region 33 5. Thawing Frozen Ground on Hunker Creek, Yukon Territory 34 It. Typical Alaskan Gravels near Circle City, Alaska 3G 111. Hydraulic Mining near Forks of Salmon, Siskiyou County, California 4 3 12. Ruble Elevator at Gilta, California 44 Note tlie sluice under the inclined grizzly. 13. 'Boiling-out' witli Ruble Elevator 43 14. Pliotograpli Showing the Size of Boulders put through the Ruble Elevator 47 1.5. Yukon Gold Company's Mechanical Elevator, Dawson, Yukon Territory 64 16. Drag Scraper near Fairbanks, Alaska 6.5 17. View of Giffen Placer Machine, Taken When ^Vashing 2 4 Yards per Hour, Rocklin, California 68 15. Giffen Placer Machine. General Appearance of Plant 69 19. Scott Mountain Region, Siskiyou County, California 96 20. Scott Mountain Region, Siskiyou County, California 97 21. Hupp Mine on Nimshew Ridge 102 22. Gravel Bank at Australia Mine 109 23. Gopher Hill Diggings — 110 24. Nelson Creek, Plumas County 116 25. Flume at Morington Mine, Middle Fork, Feather River 105 26. Derrick at Morington Mine, Middle Fork, Feather River 106 27. Gibraltar Mine, Sierra County 115 28. Basalt Intrusions at Port Wine, Sierra County 121 29. Poverty Hill, Sierra County 125 30. Close-up of Poverty Hill Gravels 125 31. Gi-avel at Scales, Sierra County 121 32. Characteristic Glacier on Alaskan Coast 120 33. Near Soulsbyville, Tuolumne County 149 34. Head of Goler Wash, P'anamint Mountains 157 35. Dry Waslier (close-up), Summit Diggings, Kern County 158 36. Dry Waslier, at Summit Diggings, Kern County 159 Plates— I. Details of Rocker Construction 74 II. Map Showing a Portion of the Neocene Gravel Cliannels of Nevada County lis III. Map of Gibsonville-La Porte-St. Louis Auriferous Cliannels 123 IV. Map of the Dutch Flat, Gold Run, Little York, and You Bet Mining Districts 128 V. Profile of tlie Tertiary South Yuba and American Rivers 142 VI. Geologic Cliart appertaining to the Ancient River Beds of California (In pocket) VII. Map of Sierran Gold Belt showing Gravel Channels (In pocket) LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. To Wis ExveJlenc}!, the Honorable Friend Wm. I'Jiciiakuson, Gov(nw)' of ihe State of California. Sir: I have the lionor to lierewitli transmit BuUetin No. 92 of the State ^Milling Bureau, rehitinc; to the Cold Placers of California As a result of adverse legislation, placer mining (partieularly hydi-au- lie) was practically l)rought to a standstill ])y tlie Sawyer decision in 1884. The faet that vast sums remain in the gravels of our ancient river channels is shown hy the result of two years of investigation, and that there is, roughly, in tlie neighborhood of -l^l.OOO.OOO.OOO that '-an be recovered economically. A perfectly feasible plan for the workinu' of the ground under tlie provisions of the Caminetti Act is suggested, ami is to some extent now being carried out by private corporations. This l)ulletin is presented to the pulilic in the liope tlial the informa- tion contained will result in a benefit to tlu^ State of California, as well as to the gold mining industry. Kespectfully submitted. LLOvn Tj. Root, State Mineralogist. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. For assistance and cordial cooperation in the preparation of this l)iilletin, the writer is mainly indebted to the miners of the State of California. At all times, and in all places, from the offices oF the ])rincipal niiniiiii' companies in tlie larger cities to the humblest cabins in the mountains, the most ready support and assistance have been invariably afforded, often at considerable personal inconvenience and expense to the donors. To my very conscientious and capable assistant in the field during- the early stages of the woi-k. ]Mr. Theodore Van Dervoort. Jr.. much credit is due for the chapters on the Klamath and. Feather Eiver regions. To Messrs. Leon Clough. Ben Jones, E. C. Kelsey, and C. D. Hazzard, of Quincy, California: to ^lessrs. AV. AV. AVaggoner, AVilliam Alaguire, and E. C. I^ren. of Nevada City ; to Air. Charles Jen^tt, of Georgetown; to Air. Tillotson, of the Glenn Aline. Placer County: to Air. Almon Smith, of Chico ; and to Alessrs. James AI. Hill, of the XI. S. Geological Survey, Arthur Nicholls, Alark Ailing, Henry Bradley, and AA''. A. Hunter, of San Francisco, thanks are also given for the use of i)ers:onal notes and accumulated data. To Air. Charles (}. Yale. formerly of the T'. S. Geological Survey, for kindly criticism and a.ssistance; and to Air. IT. Foster Bain. Avho, while editor of the Alining and Scientific Press, first directed my attention to this work, my thanks are likewise due. To many others, too numerous to mention individually, of the mining i'raternity in California thanks also are due for time and services freely given in the preparation of this report. In conclusion, as an independent consulting engineer called into the service of the state for the purpose of making this report, I wish to acknowledge the splendid support and unfailing courtesy of all of the officials of the State Alining Bureau, both under the former administra- tion, headed by Air. Fletcher Hamilton ; and the present, headed by Air. Ijloyd Koot. It has been a privilege to be a.ssociated, even for a short time, with such an organization. exemi)lifying as it does tlie highest ideals of service to the mining industry. CiT.VRi.Ki^ SroTT Hai.ey. : GOLD PLACERS OF CALIFORNIA. Forewora. In spite of the fact that the gokl phieers of California have produced over a billion dollars since their discovery in 1848, the idea that they are now completely exhausted is entirely erroneous. The closing down of the hydraulic mines of the State was accomplished by the famous Sawyer decision of 1884, and tlieir attempted reopening, under the terms of the Caniinetti Act of 1898, was so bitterly fought at every turn by the agricultural interests of the State, that the industry, so far as tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are concerned, has lapsed into a moribund condition. The prinuiry cause of this was the complete disregard of tlie rights of the farmers of the State by certain mining interests prior to 1884 and a revengeful spirit sliown by certain farming interests toward the miners when the agricultural interests gained tlie upper hjuid in the courts. Had a spirit of compromise prevailed in the ranks of ])Oth the mining and the agricultural interests, there would have been in 1884, and there would l)e now, no reason why a workable plan for the con- tinuation of hydraulic mining should not have l)een put into effect. In the course of an investigation of placer mining conditions in this State, made by the California State Alining Bureau, in the past two years, certain facts have been clearly estal)lished; and it is the purpose of this report to prove these facts, which may be summarized as follows The principal gold placer area of California lies in the Sierra Nevadas between Susanville on the north and ^Mariposa on the south. This area is the one that is restricted by the present debris law. It is trii)utary to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which have been classed as navigable streams. Aside from this area, there is a very considerable yardage of available gravel still remaining on the tributaries of the Klanmth River, which will be discussed in the economic section of this report. The district within the Sierras, however, is by far the most important from an economic standpoint. From investigations thus far. it seems fairly safe to assume a total of about seven billion yards of gravel distributed among the diiferent drainage areas, as follows approximatelv: Feather River 500,000,000 yards; Yuba River 3.500,000.000" yards ; Bear and American rivers 2,500.000.000 yards: iNIokelunnie, Cosumnes. Calaveras. Tuolumne, and Stanislaus rivers 500,000,000 yards. The above figures include both drift and hydraulic ground. The above total of 7,000,000,000 yards is of course not all availal)l(^ for woi'king from an economic standi)oint.