We shall start at the outcropping of a hypothetical gold vein on the wall of a river canyon and work our way downwards until we finally come to the watercourse this process will be explained through definitions of residual and alluvial placer deposits. Before we actually get into the geology of river-borne gold deposits, let’s take a look at how gold finds its way into a river system. There are four principal types of placer gold deposits that will be of interest to the underwater, or for that matter, any other prospector-these are residual, alluvial, stream, and bench placers. In fact, you’ll even find yourself taking a much closer look at that river or creek you cross over every day on your way to work. The many types of currents, eddies, and backwashes that cause gold to be deposited in streams may seem a bit mysterious at first, but with a bit of study they will become quite clear. Without a doubt, the best way to learn the ins and outs of gold deposition is to place yourself at the feet of a genuine “old-timer”, but unfortunately not too many of us have access to such a person we will therefore have to study the facts relating to placer geology from books. Perhaps the trickiest theories yet to confront the beginning gold-dredger are those that relate to placer geology, also known as “the science of stream deposition.” Placer geology concerns the varying conditions which cause gold and other heavy materials to be deposited in a streamflow environment. It is really informative and covers just about everything you could think of about reading a stream. This is an extract from a book written by Matt Thornton. This was sent to us by a good friend and is very informative on how to read a creek and river.

Suction dredge gold mining theory