Hand-Dredge Creek: A Brief Overview of Placer Mining in BC

As I'm not a expert on mining law, my goal is to provide a general overview of placer mining in British Columbia, with a focus on the Hand-Dredge Creek. For those who are new to this topic, it's essential to understand some basic rules that govern placer mining in the province.

One of the most fascinating aspects of placer mining is the process of building and operating dredges. A dredge is a massive machine that continuously digs into its own pond, filling it with tailings at the back. The Yankee Fork Gold Dredge, for instance, was built to operate in a large pond that needed to be filled with 8-10 feet of water to float and operate the 988-ton dredge.

Constructing such a massive machine requires a tremendous amount of planning, resources, and manpower. In the case of the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge, it took several days to load just one truck with the necessary pieces needed to build the dredge. The largest loads were the 55-foot, 17.5-ton spud and twenty-five pontoons, each measuring 10x10x27 feet.

The transportation of these massive equipment and pieces was a significant operation in itself. Some pieces were shipped by rail to Mackay and trucked there by Lindberg's Trucking Company of Mackay to the Yankee Fork site over Spar Canyon Road. The winch room at the Yankee Fork Dredge played a crucial role in the construction process, allowing workers to assemble the massive four-story floating machine.

In summary, placer mining in BC is governed by specific rules and regulations, and building and operating dredges requires careful planning, resources, and manpower. Hand-Dredge Creek is one example of this process, showcasing the complexity and magnitude involved in constructing a massive gold dredge like the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge.

Hand-dredge creek