WA prospecting Options

[Iwuzthinkin]

Hey guys. Curious if any one had any pointers on where to go for gold and when. Not sure if timing restrictions apply for panning in WA waters or not. I belong to a club that has a claim that's pretty near by and I was thinkin on going to scope it out, maybe pick a few morels and get to know the lay of the claim. Just didn't want to get in trouble for panning, I plan on packing my green book..guess I better read it first.

[Iwuzthinkin]

OK I've done a little reading. Looks like the Green Book says that the Lewis River has general work time...July 1 to Sept 30 and then there are work times on the far right column...I'm thoroughly cornfused!!! I'm looking to work some ground on Copper Creek...not sure if this is open and fair game as some tributaries are open year round to panning.

I'll keep thinking out loud...if anyone has any other tips please chime in.

PS >..I remember a thread on beach mining...looks like all Salt Waters are closed in WA

[russau]

the big thing is doing your research and getting permission to be on that particular peice of property. obviously, working someones claim will get you into the poky, but by the simple act of asking, you may not only get the permission your seeking, but you my make a good friend for life! i just received my gold and fish book for washington and i only skimed through it. but that book is a must to be working a creek. as they say,"dont leave home without it!"

[CC_]

Here's how the G&F works for panning. If you are panning during season you follow rules under type 0 equipment if panning out of season use rules under type II. To know when a season is go to the county you want to pan in, the times listed under the county are for all waters except those listed seperately to the right, their season are listed with them.
Does this help?
CC

[gold_tutor]

Hello, CC

Clear as mud

Seriously though, THANKS for pitching in. And welcome aboard the forum. Bring your buddies or make new ones. The more, the merrier.

I just learned from a local yesterday who thinks he's in the know...that the entire
Wenatchee river has been closed to all mining, including panning. Tell me it ain't so!!!
I've found nice jaggedy placer on some Wenatchee sand bars after "floods"...I sure hope he's wrong. Can you shed any light on his report?

THANKS!!!

Megan

[CC_]

The Wenatchee River is open July 1- Sept. 30.
The person may have been referring to last summer when DNR came to the WA Rally and shut down all state owned aquatic lands to small scale mining. That decision was lifted about a month later. So for this year at least if you are working under the gold & fish it's pretty much business as usual. Changes to the gold & fish can only happen with a total rewrite.
I made a mistake in my previous post, it was suppose to be class I not II equipment.
CC

[Iwuzthinkin]

Thanks CC...so let me get this straight...I was looking at Clark county, E Fork Lewis above La Center in a tributary. The book says submit an application. Does that mean I have to submit an application to pan any time of the year with a pan only? Or may I pan outside the bed. Or what's the deal?

[CC_]

That means you must submitt an application any time of year. Basically the river is closed unless a JARPA and more than likely a SEPA are filled out. Any activity that you do with in 200' landward of the OHWM could also be considered to need an application.
So far I do not know of any one who has gotten approval from a JARPA for small scale-mining.
When submitting a JARPA they only have 45 days to approve or deny but if they request a SEPA then this time is extended by months. I've filled out several JARPA's and a couple of SEPA's so far and they are a bear. I'm still learning.
CC

[Iwuzthinkin]

Good news!!!!
Went to NWMPC meeting last night. We've been issued a club permit to dredge our claims on Copper Creek. We can get in the water July 15 - October 31. The permit is also good til the year 2009. We gained favor with WDFW earlier this year when we helped dredge silt out of that chum salmon bed on the Columbia. Just goes to show ya what a little cooperation will get ya. In my opinion we should all work a bit harder to educate and expose government agencies to our hobby, then maybe we can get them to reverse some of these ridiculous restrictions that have been put in place!!
^_^

[Redpaw]

Tip of the Hat to you and your club for your efforts, congrats to you.

Rp

[CC_]

Iwuzthinkin,
Glad to hear it. There are changes being made here in WA, but we still are going to have some battles a head. What your club did is a step in the right direction.
So do you or your club have any documnets on the Columbia River clean-up that you can send out for others to use?
CC

[Iwuzthinkin]

I'll see what I can find. We were in the news and there are a few posts in this and ashworths forum. Lemme see what I can find. But most important of all...get involved and show the public the truth...not what the greenies perpetrate. Join a club, organize panning booths and show the younguns and their folks what we really do.

Redpaw, it was good meetin you the other weekend. Lil Timmy and I are pretty happy with what we found...still have to run my smaller than 30 mesh in the blue bowl but I came out with at least 6 little freckles. Can't wait to get out again soon!!