WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Suction dredging

Here’s a great piece from one of our 36th legislative district neighbors, Kim McDonald. She does an excellent job explaining the process of suction dredging.

I have a bill on this issue, HB 2579 – The Give Fish a Chance Act, that would limit the use of suction dredging in critical habitat areas with endangered species.

Seeking early season fishing, I headed for small streams high up in the North Central Cascades. I found a spot, along Scotty Creek, with a few riffles and a deep pool. As I gingerly walked into the stream, I looked upstream for my first cast.

There was a man upstream. I waved and he nodded. Wanting to make sure I wasn’t stepping into his spot, I walked upstream to talk with him. As I got closer I noticed the man was running what looked like a shop-vac in the stream and swirling around my legs was a plume of chocolate colored water.

He was mining for gold with a suction dredge.

KlamathRiverSuctionDredge_webSuction dredges are essentially gas powered floating shop-vacs. A large nozzle (generally 4”in diameter) sucks up gravel and sediment, then the dredge runs it through a sluice.

The sediment and lighter gravel are deposited in long plumes downstream while the heavier metals such as gold, rest in the sluice. Miners who work areas that have been mined, also disturb significant amounts of mercury, used years ago to amalgamate gold flecks into nuggets.

“What are you doing here?” he asked me.

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