Gold Panning and Mineral Collections in Auburn SRA

Dredging* & Motorized Sluicing

Recreational Suction Dredging and Motorized Sluicing are allowed at the Auburn
State Recreational Area with the following restrictions:
      1. No commercial mining is permitted.
      2. Dredge intake size shall be limited to a maximum of 4", except a maximum
          intake size of 8" may be used between the upper boundary of Cherokee
          Bar and Ruck-A-Chucky Falls.
      3. Dredge operation shall not obstruct any navigable waterways and any
          cables or ropes used to anchor dredges or other equipment shall be
          maintained a minimum of seven (7) feet above the water level at all times
          and shall be clearly flagged.
      4. Material for dredges shall only come from within the existing water line. 
          No boulders or other material shall be moved outside the water line (CCR 228).
          Material for sluice boxes and gold pans shall only come from beaches or
          gravel bars which are subject to annual flooding (CCR 4611).  Gasoline
          powered equipment in or adjacent to developed campgrounds may only be
          operated between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
      5. No hazardous materials associated with the processing of gold or other
          minerals, such as cyanide and mercury shall be permitted within the State
          Recreation Area.
      6. The following areas are closed to suction dredging and other forms of
          motorized mineral collection:
              -  Upstream on the North Fork of the American River from the boundary 
                 of Folsom Lake State Recreation Area to the high bridge on the 
                 Foresthill Road and on the Middle Fork of the American River from it's
                 confluence with the North Fork upstream to the east end of Louisiana Bar.
              -  Lake Clementine area from 1/4 mile below the North Fork Dam to 1/2 mile 
                 upstream of the Lake Clementine Day Use Area.
              -  During the whitewater boating season, at the whitewater boating 
                 put-ins/take outs at Oxbow, Ruck-A-Chucky, Iowa Hill, and Ponderosa Way.
              - The area west of Hwy. 49 in El Dorado County is closed to all forms of 
                mineral collection or rock hounding.
      7. Dredges, sluice boxes and other private property shall not be left unattended
          for more than 48 hours.  Property left in violation of this section shall be 
          subject to confiscation.
      8. Motorized sluicing is only allowed during the Department of Fish & Game regular
          dredging season.
      9. All California Fish & Game laws and regulations regarding dredging and sluicing
          operations must be complied with (CCR 228 & 228.5)

*As of 02/12.11, under California Fish and Game Code Section 5653.1, suction
dredging has been temporarily halted until an environmental impact report and
related regulations are completed by the California Department of Fish and Game.

Gold Panning & Rock Hounding

Recreational gold panning and rock hounding is allowed only in permanent
running stream beds in Auburn State Recreation Area.  The following
regulations must be observed when panning for gold:

      4610.00  Rock hounding...is authorized by Section 5001.65 of the Public
                     Resources Code and is defined as being the recreational
                     gathering of stones and minerals found occurring naturally on
                     the undisturbed surface of the land, including panning for gold
                     in the natural water-washed gravel of streams.

      4601.1    Rock hounding may be practiced in the Auburn State Recreation
                     Area - Department jurisdiction in permanent running stream beds,
                     with the exception of the North Fork of the American River from
                     main dam to a point one (1) mile up-stream.

      4610.2    Commercial Use.  Rocks and mineral specimens gathered within
                     a unit may not be sold or used commercially for the production
                     of profit.

      4610.4    Disturbing Land.  Digging, excavating, or otherwise disturbing the
                     surface of the land may not be practiced in the search for
                     mineralogical specimens in a unit.

      4610.6   "Float" materials only occurring naturally on the surface of the 
                     land, may be gathered.

      4610.8    ...In state recreation areas rock hounding is limited to beaches
                     which lie within the jurisdiction of the Department and to the 
                     beaches or gravel bars which are subject to annual flooding
                     on streams.

      4610.10  Use of tools.  The gold pan is the only exception permitted to
                     the exclusion of tools from rock hounding.

      Section 4610.5 Muddy water from panning operations must not be 
                                visible more than 20 feet from the panning operation.

Metal Detectors

Metal Detectors may only be used at the Auburn State Recreation
Area under the following restrictions:
1.  Metal detectors may only be used for recreational mineral
     collection and/or searching for recent items.
2.  Metal detectors may not be used in area possessing historic
     or prehistoric resources.
3.  No historic or prehistoric items discovered by metal detection
     or otherwise, may be collected or possessed.
4.  The area west of Hwy. 49 in El Dorado County is closed to the
     use of metal detectors.