Existing comment:
Hydraulic Mining
As miners moved from Sierra streams to gulches and hills, they found rich gold deposits in ancient river beds, some far from water. By 1853 they had begun working these gravels with water delivered through hoses and nozzles.
Ultimately, this major California mining development created a vast system of flumes to satisfy its need for water. Brought from higher elevations in riveted pipes, the water was directed through iron nozzles called monitors. The powerful spray leveled hills and washed gold deposits into a series of sluices.
Hydraulicking also swept large amount of silt and gravel into the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, causing frequent flooding. Valley farmers organized, and an 1884 court decision made hydraulic mining operators liable for downstream damage. Required to impound mining run-off, most companies found former hydraulicking unprofitable, and the industry virtually came to an end. |