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Welcome to BC Placer
This website is about placer mining in BC - finding and mining gold
that has been deposited by moving water. It is not about "hard rock"
mining in solid rock.
Placer mining can be as simple as using a shovel and a
gold pan in a
creek.
On a placer claim,
hand-mining a deposit of any size usually involves a
sluice box or highbanker,
and a
water pump.
A machine-digging
operation generally uses a backhoe or larger excavator and a more
sophisticated "wash plant" for separating the gold from the pay dirt.
See the
Mining Equipment
page for more information.
Of course, there are
laws and regulations
that govern all of this.
Learning How Use the MTO Mapping System
To get into placer mining (even recreational hand panning),
you really need to learn how to use the MTO Mapping system, if
only to find out where there are claims. It looks complicated
because it can do a lot, but it is pretty easy to use.
Click on the MTO Maps etc. link in the main menu, above,
and then click on the
Making Maps link.
Information But No Guarantee
This website has been made available to help people. The owner does
not claim to be an expert and all information is provided
"as is" with no guarantee that it is correct or fit
for any particular purpose.
Use the information from this website At Your Own Risk.
A Great Time For Placer Mining in BC
The Price of Gold
'nuf said.
Water Pumps and Deposits Above Creek Level
Low cost gasoline powered water pumps make it possible to mine
deposits well above creek level - something that was very
difficult to do in the gold rushes or in the 1930s. These deposits
can be the best potential opportunities for the individual hand-miner.
Abandoned Channels
Modern water pumps make it a simple matter to mine an abandoned channel
that is above and away from the current channel, which can be the
best potential opportunity for machine-digging operations.
Hydraulic Excavators
Excavators of any size can be bought or leased. They can also be
rented - with or without an operator. And of course BC has no
shortage of guys with a backhoe.
The BC Government Wants You To Mine Gold.
The laws, fees and inspectors in BC are generally very friendly towards
individuals and small operations.
The
Ministry
knows that you and your buddy working a placer claim aren't likely
to add a lot to the wealth of the province, but you may discover a
large, rich deposit that does.
Notices
Copyright 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
by Brian Marshall
brian@bcplacer.com
All images on this website are copyrighted by their owners and
they may not be downloaded for other than personal
use - republication, retransmission, reproduction or other use is
prohibited.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIS WEBSITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS",
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.