These tailings piles would grow to ridiculous heights, sometimes even as tall as a multistory building.

The crew would then dispose of the waste material - known as tailings - by dumping it along river banks. These dredges used a series of buckets attached to a moving line to scrape tons of sediment from the bottom of the water and carry it back to the building, where crew members sorted through it for gold. Standing multiple stories high, they contained complicated systems of heavy machinery that required a large team of operators to run.

The first gold dredges arose along rivers and streams. From enormous structures stationed on river banks to the portable machines of today, this mining method has a long history. Gold dredging has changed dramatically over the past century. You’ll be able to keep your haul, though local regulations may limit how much you can take home with you.

You sort through the recovered material for gold.Įssentially, if you know how to dredge, you know how to dredge for gold.

A submersible suction pump pulls the sediment up and into the dredge.

The dredge’s rotating cutter uses its teeth to loosen the sediment.

You lower a boom containing a suction or cutting attachment to the bottom of the water.

Here’s a brief overview of how dredging for gold works: What Is Gold Dredging?ĭredging uses equipment called a dredge to remove sediment from bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and streams. In this guide, we look at what gold dredging is and how it differs from sediment removal dredging. Sediment removal has become increasingly important as we rely on waterways for shipping goods. Gold digging has an extensive history and is still practiced today. Since its resurgence, it’s become a popular way for small-scale miners to retrieve gold and other precious metals from public bodies of water. Dredging for gold using suction dredges can help the environment by removing excess sediment that can damage waterways. Sediment removal dredging focuses on removing built-up sediment and other obstacles from waterways to improve access.

Dredging for gold is an old-fashioned mining method made new by modern technology.

Dredging mining