Suction Dredge Mining in California


Suction dredging emerged as a recreational and economic activity when new technology began allowing miners to reach streambeds in deep rivers to mine for gold. Suction dredging uses a vacuum-like motor to suck up streambed material, which is then sifted through a sluice box for gold. California rivers proved especially lucrative for the so-called “New … Continue reading Suction Dredge Mining in California

Suction Dredging…Sucks


By Bob Ferris   My access point to my career in the conservation field came originally from fish.  I caught my first trout on the Eel River in northern California while my family was on their way to visit the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle.  As we were on our way north, my mother grudgingly … Continue reading Suction Dredging…Sucks