Sluicing for Gold, Gold Panning Supplies, Gold Prospecting Equipment

There were many methods of prospecting for gold in the 1990's. The search for this precious metal includes
panning, sluicing, dredging, dry washing and electronic metal detection.

Sluice boxes were once built at the location of the mining site from the material that were on hand such as heavy
wood planks and logs. Often the river current was diverted through the sluices so that gold-bearing gravels could
be processed far quicker than using the laborious "hand panning" method. The old sluice boxes were lined with
raised obstructions that were placed in a vertical position to the flow of the current. (These obstructions were later
referred to as riffles)

When the gold-laden gavels were dumped into the upper end of the sluice, the flow of water carried the material
down the length of the box. The lighter gavels (tailings) would be carried in suspension down the entire length of
the sluice and then discharged. The heavier material (such as gold, platinum metals and black sands), would
quickly drop to the bottom of the box, where they became entrapped by the riffles. Once the riffles collected a large
quantity of concentrated black sand, a "cleanup" was implemented. The flow of water through the sluice would be
diminished by a type of water gate. Then the riffles would be removed, allowing access to the heavier materials,
which had collected during the "run." This remaining material or concentrate often contained all the values
amounting to many tons of gravel which had to be tediously panned.

The sluice boxes in the days of the 49'ers were very similar to the ones of today. The primary difference is the
construction and materials. Sluice boxes were built of heavy wood planks, because lumber was cheap and easily
obtainable. Today's sluice boxes are constructed of light weight aluminum and steel.

Any miner or prospector will tell you that portability is the key to success. Most of the gold deposits that easily
accessible have long since been depleted of their gold. Today you will have to "get off the beaten path" to find any
virgin areas.

During the Gold Rush sluices were first used to work the extremely rich bench deposits "terrace" gavels" which
lined the banks of many Mother Lode Rivers. As time passed it became clear that sluice boxes could be used for
working other types of gold-bearing material, to include ancient river channel deposits located hundreds of feet
above the existing stream beds. Modern prospectors use sluice boxes to work literally any type of gold-bearing
gravel which can not be worked with a suction dredge. Sluice box's have been successfully used to process gold
bearing gavels located in dry desert areas, by utilizing transported in water and recirculation systems.

In many cases today's prospectors use their sluice boxes to work areas located adjacent to flowing streams.
Frequently, people who own suction dredges will carry in a lightweight sluice box to sample gravel bars they may
wish to dredge at later date. If it turns out a gravel bar is not as rich as originally believed, all the labor of carrying in
a large equipment may be avoided. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the proper use of a sluice box,
I will explain the basic principles involved. As you will learn shortly, they are not the least bit complicated. Anyone
can be come a qualified "sluice operator" after just a few hours time spent in the field!

STEP 1: GETTING SET UP

After you have located a promising deposit of gold-bearing gravel, walk along the stream bank and look for a place
where you can set up your sluice box. You should search for a spot where the current is moving quite swiftly. Once
you find such a place, set your sluice box directly in the current box so that the upper "input" end is slightly higher
than the lower "discharge" end. If the sluice box is somewhat unstable in the current, position a few rocks around
the outside of the trough to brace it. Sometimes you will not even need the "rock brace," as the first few buckets of
gravel placed into the sluice box will provide just enough stability to weigh it down.

Once you have located a good deposit of gold-bearing gravel set up your sluice box at any nearby place where the
stream current Is flowing quite swiftly. The water depth should be

Feed the gold-bearing gravel
Into the upper end of the sluice
box in carefully regulated
amounts. Do not dump the
entire bucket into the sluice box
all at once. The proper
Introduction of gravel will
ensure maximum riffle
efficiency and optimal fine gold
recovery.

STEP 2: FEEDING THE SLUICE

After dumping each load of gravel into the sluice box, check the riffle section for large waste rocks that may be
lodged in the sluice. Flick these rocks out of the riffles with your fingers. When large rocks are allowed to rest in the
riffle section they will cause the current to wash out all the concentrates from the immediate area of the rock. If a
rock is lodged in the uppermost portion of the trough, the washed out concentrates will merely settle in the next few
riffles down. But if the wash-out occurs at the lower end of the trough, the concentrate may flow out of the sluice box
altogether. As one can see, it pays to keep an eye on those waste rocks! And one more thing, don't forget to shovel
away the tailings which will periodically build up at the discharge end of the sluice box. If you don't the tailings will
back up into the lower end of the sluice trough, burying some of your riffles.

Sluicing for Gold San Gabriel River - East Fork

Check the black
rubber matting,
indicated by the
white arrow, for
the occurrence of
values

STEP 3: CHECK THE SLUICE BOX FOR VALUES

It is a good idea to periodically check the sluice box for values that may have been recovered. The black rubber
matting is designed to make a quick inspection during the sluice operation. Gold can be spotted instantly on the
black matting while the sluice is being fed. This helps to determine where the gold values may be the most
plentiful. Remember, don't overload your riffles!

STEP 4: TENDING THE SLUICE

After dumping each load of gravel into the sluice box, check the riffle section for large waste rocks that may be
lodged in the sluice. Flick these rocks out of the riffles with your fingers. When large rocks are immediate area of
the rock. If a rock is lodged in the uppermost portion of the trough, the washed out concentrates will merely settle in
the next few riffles down. But if the wash-out occurs at the lower end of After dumping each load of gravel into the
sluice box, check the riffle section for large waste rocks that the trough, the concentrate may flow out of the sluice
box altogether. As one can see, it pays to keep an may be lodged in the sluice. Flick these rocks out of the riffles
with your fingers. When large rocks are may be lodged in the sluice. Flick these rocks out of the riffles with your
fingers. When large rocks are allowed to rest in the riffle section they will cause the current to wash out all the
concentrates from the allowed to rest in the riffle section they will cause the current to wash out all the concentrates
from the immediate area of the rock. If a rock is lodged in the uppermost portion of the trough, the washed out
concentrates will merely settle in the next few riffles down. But if the wash-out occurs at the lower end of the trough,
the concentrate may flow out of the sluice box altogether. As one can see, it pays to keep an eye on those waste
rocks! And one more thing, don't forget to shovel away the tailings which will periodically build up at the discharge
end of the sluice box.

Sluicing For Gold - Keene Sluice Box - Southern Cal

Remove large rocks that may
cause values to wash away.

Remove the sluice's riffle
section, screen, carpet and
wash into a pan or bucket
carefully.

Shovel the material that has built
up at the end of the sluice to
prevent any obstruction that may
prevent the flow of material.

STEP 5: PERFORMING THE CLEANUP

When your riffles have accumulated black iron sand in amounts extending more than halfway downward it as level
as possible. Now carry it over to the stream bank (watch your footing on those slippery rocks!) and set it down.
Remove the sluice's riffle section ans screen and set it aside, exercising care not to shake off any gravel adhering
to it. Roll up the matting which lines the bottom of the sluice box trough and thoroughly rinse off all the concentrate.
This should be done with the matting safely contained in a gold pan or deep bucket if possible. The use of a bucket
may prevent any loss of all gold that could occur when attempting to rinse out the matting in a gold pan! Next,
examine the empty sluice box trough.

Gold has a tendency to work its way beneath the matting which often lies at the bottom of the trough. You may be
surprised at the amount of "color" that can accumulate there. Check to see if there is any fine silt clinging to the
bottom, rinse all of it into your concentrate bucket.

Finally, pick up the riffle section itself and rinse any adhering gravel into the concentrate bucket. The sluice box
cannot be considered "cleaned" until each and every part has been thoroughly rinsed.

After the riffle section has been
removed, roll up the matting which
lines the bottom of the sluice box
trough and thoroughly rinse it off in a
pan or bucket. The concentrate rinsed
from the matting will contain most of
the gold accumulated during the "run.

The final step of the sluicing is
the panning of the concentrates,
to get the gold out. Do this very
carefully, since the material in
your pan contains all the gold
once spread throughout the
many hundreds of pounds of
gravel you have processed
through your sluice.

Check the empty trough for fine silt
which may have worked its way
beneath the matting. If silt is
present, rinse all of it into the
concentrate bucket. Also rinse off
the riffle section and screen and
black matting. You may be
surprised at the amount of color
that can accumulate!

STEP 6: GETTING THE GOLD OUT

And now for the final step. This is the one you will certainly enjoy the most. The act of panning out your
concentrates to get the gold. I hope your run was a profitable one!

SUMMING IT UP

By the time you get to Step Six, you will have processed several hundred pounds of gravel, far more than the
average person could ever hope to hand-pan during a daily outing. Using a sluice box of the type shown, you
can also work this much gravel. All you need is a sturdy shovel, a couple of good buckets to carry gravel to the
creek, and if your fortunate, a mining partner to feed the sluice box while you dig gravel, and a solid desire to
get that gold.

Sue Jeffrey of American
Prospector Treasure Seeker
Sluicing for Gold at the East Fork

Campbell County, Wyoming
Carbon County, Wyoming
Converse County, Wyoming
Crook County, Wyoming
Fremont County, Wyoming
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Hot Springs County, Wyoming
Johnson County, Wyoming
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Sluicing at Feather River,
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Sluicing for gold Powder River
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Sluicing for gold Burnt River
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Frame Backpack, Keene Sluice - A Great Way To Pack It In!

Hard at Work - Sluicing For Gold @ The San Gabriel River

Double Sluicing Method - Two Keene Sluice Boxes

Jim Jeffrey of American Prospector Treasure Seeker and his
favorite method of sluicing, the double sluice method. Using
two Keene Sluice Boxes, he's hard at work!

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Sluicing for Gold - Gold Prospecting with a sluice box

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