Colorado Dredging and highbanking Options

[WildernessAU]

Hello guys n gals,
I have afew questions about motorized prospecting in CO.
I know that in the Royal Gorge district one needs a permit to operate a dredge on the Arkansas River up to 4in nozzle. Does the permit area include all streams and feeder creeks that lie within the Royal Gorge area?
The permit states that highbanking can only be done at I think Woodys bar....is this true? Can we not highbank anywhere else.........or does it have to be listed on the permit as a valid claim area? hmm
What are the regulations and season for the rest of the state. I believe no permit is required for most of CO. Does this mean that I can dredge and highbank in any open area as long as I don't create a significant surface disturbance?
Thanks for any help. D

[CP]

Hi D,

Welcome to the CP forums, make yourself right at home.

Personally I don't get the Arkansas headwater recreational area permit but it covers that specefic area. As I understand it you do need to have the location of activity for highbanking/dredging noted and the highbanking is restricted to that claim you mentioned or the western side of the river. (private or very tough to find access).
The area has also been withdrawn from mineral entry for water reserves but there are many private parcels through there and several location claims filed over the years through a building site loophole I think. On private claims I would (as a claim owner) highbank or dredge as I saw fit. Without causing a "significant disturbance" of course. If a larger disturbance would pay then it's just time to file that POO and get down to it! But that is beyond the level of activity we are talking about I think.

For prospecting open land around the rest of Colorado (except the Poudre and Uncompaghre) there is no permitting. Be aware though, with all the new proposed regs and local opinions via uniformed federal employees, you may here different.
If/when you do hear that garble........just come on back in the CP forums, we have plenty of information that will help ya' there.
Anything you carry by hand needs no special authorization according to the Forest Service manual. (Their "how to do my job" book)

Hope this helps some and have great adventures around Colorado! Oh and if you need the latest Arkansas permit (2008) you can print that off right here from the CP forums as well.

CP

This post has been edited by ColoradoProspector: Dec 22 2008, 11:36 AM

[robt3wile@aol.co...]

Ive dredging for years without any permits no one seems to care.All the people that come down and talk with me always have the deer in headlights look so I contiue dredging with my 2 inch dredge

[russau]

to my limited knowledge, theres only 2 rivers in Colorado that need a dredge permit. the Arkansa River and Clear Creek.

[CP]

Hello robt3wile,

Welcome to the CP forums, make yourself right at home browsing around.
I've merged your post with this thread as you mentioned "permitting and the areas involved".
From your local description prior to the editing "the middle fork of the platte", (probably private?) and size of equipment being all hand carried there would be no need for FS or BLM to "authorize" activitiy at this level.... unless you are in one of the 3 specially regulated areas. Those being the Arkansas headwater recreational area, Poudre and Uncompaghre as I understand it.

Good luck prospecting out there, we would all love to see some pics of your adventures and finds.

CP

[robt3wile@aol.co...]

Hello guys n gals,
I have afew questions about motorized prospecting in CO.
I know that in the Royal Gorge district one needs a permit to operate a dredge on the Arkansas River up to 4in nozzle. Does the permit area include all streams and feeder creeks that lie within the Royal Gorge area?
The permit states that highbanking can only be done at I think Woodys bar....is this true? Can we not highbank anywhere else.........or does it have to be listed on the permit as a valid claim area? hmm
What are the regulations and season for the rest of the state. I believe no permit is required for most of CO. Does this mean that I can dredge and highbank in any open area as long as I don't create a significant surface disturbance?
Thanks for any help. D

[Crusty]

Been awhile since this thread was active. Relicsandcoins and I are looking at staking a claim on the AR and I'm curious if anyone has had recent experience on the dredge permit process and success rate. I've seen a few varying reports on the process and how many folks actually get approved.

Any links you've got to current BLM pages or discussion would be appreciated too!

[Woody]

Hey Crusty,

Give me a shout. I have a few pieces of that puzzle on speed dial. Woody.

[EMac]

Below is some fodder to spin folks up.

BLM CO FAQs - Question 5 points to Royal Gorge or Grand Junction pages

Grand Junction's Form indicates a time restriction:

Suction dredging and any other type of mechanized placer operation which pumps material and/or water from the river are not allowed during the period from April 1 through August 31, for the following river segments: Colorado River from Rifle to the Utah state line, and Gunnison River from its confluence with the Uncompahgre River (Delta) to its lower terminus at the Colorado River (Grand Junction).

Royal Gorge says to call them which also sounds dicey depending on who's on the other end of the line. Here's the quote from the page under their "Plan of Operations" level wanting a detailed plan and up to a 30-day review period:

* * * NOTE – If your proposed operations involve the use of a suction dredge, prior coordination with the Royal Gorge Field Office is needed before beginning such use to determine whether you need to submit a notice or a plan to BLM, or whether your activities constitute casual use. Proposed operations involving the use of a suction dredge along the Arkansas River are typically classified as greater then casual use. Please contact the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office (RGFO) with the necessary information required for either notice- or plan-level operations (see above). * * *

The page is an interesting read, but leaves a lot open to interpretation between what constitutes casual use vs Notice of Intent level operations. I'm curious what the experience has been from folks who dredge on the Arkansas? Copying successfully vetted plans is usually a good move, but I'd be careful telling them where you got it. Could end up throwing the other dredger under the bus if they don't like something and your defense is "well Eric submitted the same plan and you approved his."

[EMac]

Are there any sources chronicling the history of suction dredging rules in Colorado? I'm curious how they were determined primarily; was it on data, emotion, an abundance of caution, someone stood to gain monetarily, they're monuments to some great mistake, or something else? I figure there's enough interest in this that the work has already been done; I'm not curious enough yet to piece it together myself.

I've heard casual use interpretations mean less than 1800ft³, but I'm not sure if that's the armchair lawyer interpretation, case law interpretation or if it's documented somewhere official.