Evening star., 1933-10-31
PRICE MAY REVIVE
HYDRAULIC GOLD
Army Board Studies Mining
System Wiped Out by
Court 49 Years Ago.

BY the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. October 81. -
With the stroke of pen. a Federal
Judge 40 years ago practically wiped out
CALIFORNIA; $100,000,000 hydraulic min
ing industry; the depression and its
step-child, high price of gold,' may
bring it back to life.
At the direction of Congress. an Army
board has instituted hearings to de-
termine if it is advisable to finance
a revival. The gold lies in deep gravel,
surface beds and in the strata OF past
eras in the drainage basins of streams
tributary to the Sacramento and San
Joaquin, which are naVigable and
therefore under Federal jurisdiction.
Before the Federal Court gave ear to
the urgent appeal of agriculturists and
enjoined the polluting of the rivers
with the debris from hydraulic opera
tanned in this way. State Mining De-
partment statistics placed the total
yield at approximately $500 100000 for
the 80 years preceding 1884. The cap
ital investment was estimated at $780,
100000
Authorized by Legislature.
The bulk of this precious metal came
from the area now prescribed. although
some of it was from deposits along
rivers which drained directly into the
sea and were not navigable On these
hydraulic mining has been maintained
in a small way and at one or two other
places where the debris could be kept
out Of the streams where 1t would DO
harm.
The State Legislature recently au-
thorized restoration of hydraulic min
ing on the big streams under strict con-
ditionS, administered by the State
Debris Commission. One condition, de-
signed to insure against damage to
lrrigation systems and farm lands and
with sediment, requires the construo-
ton of impounding dams.
Vast Capital Required.
Vast amounts of capital. however
are necessary for the construction of
these dams-one proposed for the
Narrows in the South Yuba River be-
ing designed for a height of 800 feet.
Encouraged to think Federal assist
ance may come in the financing of
these, data has been presented to the
Army Board designed to prove The
dams can be built for the sums of
money periodically spent to free the
channels of the rivers from the sedi
ment washed down from old debris
heaps and through the natural ero-
sion of the soil and from the saving
through flood control.
Proponents of the hydraulic industry
proposed not only the granting Of ap-
preparations under the rivers and har-
bors allotments. but advanced the prof.
ects as entitled to assistance as self
liquidating projects under the public
works act. Owners of mining ground
would be assessed ~ cents to 2 cents
for each cubic yard of sediment washed
into the lakes formed by the dams
The 220-foot dam on the South Yuba,
it is estimated, would store the debris
that would result from 40 years OF
operations.
$500, 100000 Hoard Seen.
Proposals for similar dams on the
American and other rivers will be pre-
sented to the board later.
AgriculturaISts of the Sutter-Yuba
district asked the privilege of study
ing the proposals and indicated there
might not be any formal objection.
A survey conducted some time ago
by the State Division of Mines resulted
in an estimate that S600,000,000 in
placer gold remains in ground subject