![]() ![]() Getting to that gold required a new form of mining -the dredge. Then the shaft mines, but there was money to be made on the valley floor. "That is a very rich history, a very rich story for Breckenridge."įirst came the placer mines along the streambanks. "Breckenridge was founded on the discovery of gold," says Wendy Wolfe, who sits on the Breckenridge town council. These are the tailings piles from the numerous gold dredges that operated in the area up in the early half of the 20th century. (CBS4) - They're scars left over from a bygone era - huge piles of torn-up earth that lie in the valleys surrounding Breckenridge. If you want to learn more about how suction dredges work and how they find gold, check out our infographic below.BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. It also requires a large investment upfront, with the cost of equipment averaging several thousand dollars. ![]() The process involves hauling heavy equipment, lifting and moving stones too wide for the suction nozzle, fighting against the water’s current, and lots of swimming. While it may sound easy, suction dredging is much more difficult than vacuuming coins out of your couch cushions (or gold flakes out of your carpeting). In a way, the process is like a combination of the best parts of gold panning and gold dredging. These materials pass into a floating sluice, which filters and recovers the gold. ![]() It sucks up rocks, gravel, silt, and anything else at the bottom of a streambed using a gas-powered pump and suction hose. ![]() For the amateur prospector who wants to take their hobby to the next level but doesn’t want to work in a mine, upgrading to suction dredge can be a great way to find more gold while still enjoying the great outdoors.Ī suction dredge essentially works like a heavy-duty underwater vacuum cleaner. ![]()
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