Not all of these localities are open for recreational panning. These federal agencies provide maps showing which lands they manage. Obtain a map from either of these agencies for the area where you plan to pan. State-owned lands are not open for panning unless a placer mining contract for a specified parcel of land has been negotiated with the Department of Natural Resources. If you have questions about land ownership, check with your Local County Assessor.
Assessors maintain records of all land ownership in each county.
If an HPA is required, you should check with these federal land management agencies to file operation plans with them also. Pan The following simple instructions will help you get started with a gold pan, which you can purchase at your local hardware store, rock shop, or prospecting supplies store. First, fill your pan nearly full of the sand and gravel. Remove the largest stones from the pan. Place the pan under water and be sure that all the material gets wet.