Jul 21, 2009 4:38 pm US/Pacific
Environmental Concerns May End NorCal Gold Rush
FEATHER RIVER (CBS 5) ―
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The Feather River in the Sierra foothills.
CBS
More than 150 years ago, people flocked to Northern California looking for gold. Now an increasing number of Californians are again picking up prospecting during the down economy, but environmental concerns may soon put an end to the gold rush revival.
A growing number of people have been wading into rivers searching for nuggets of wealth, but that may soon be outlawed in one spot – the Feather River, north of Sacramento.
Any day now, Governor Schwarzengger will get a bill on his desk that - if he signs - would temporarily stop all suction dredge mining across California. This is a process where miners essentially vacuum gravel and water so the gold can be sorted out.
The Kuruk Indian Tribe in Siskiyou County pushed for the legislation because it blames mining for the declining salmon and steelhead fish populations.
"It's horribly destructive to fish habitat and should have been banned long time ago," said political consultant Teresa Schilling.
Schilling works for Senator Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa who authored the bill. Schilling likens the proposed moratorium to a 2 year commercial salmon fishing ban and said miners must share the burden.
But the scientific findings get fishy on this. Salmon numbers are down even in rivers where there isn't mining. The Army Corps of Engineers and other scientists back the miners.
"Nobody has come up with a dead fish. Nobody has come up with any evidence that the existing regulations are hurting the fish," said Dave McCracken, who has been gold mining for 30 years.
State fish and game is right now studying the impact this kind of mining has on California waterways, but their study won't be finished until May of 2011.
The miners estimate small businesses in California could lose $60 million a year. Our video report has more.
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