![]() Parts or all of some streams have been designated to be Essential Salmon Habitat or a State Scenic Waterway, or have been closed to recreational mining. You may also want to contact federal landowning agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service for information concerning the availability of streams that run through the land they manage. Helpful Hint: You can find information about which of Oregon’s waterways are owned by the State of Oregon and available for prospecting and recreational and small scale placer mining activities at: or request publications on navigability from DSL. Remember that it is illegal to cross privately-owned land to get to a stream without first obtaining the owner’s permission. Check with the owner to be sure that it is all right for you to be there, even if the land is publicly-owned land. Where do you want to look for placer deposits?īe sure that you can legally pan, dredge or sluice on the land adjacent to or under the stream where you want to look for placer deposits. Note: Prospecting is permitted within State Scenic Waterways without a permit from DSL. “Recreational and Small Scale Placer Mining” includes, but is not limited to, the use of non-motorized equipment and motorized surface dredges having an intake nozzle with an inside diameter not exceeding four inches, and a muffler meeting or exceeding factory-installed noise reduction standards.” Prospecting is limited to the removal from or fill of less than one cubic yard of material at any one individual site and, cumulatively, not more than five cubic yards of material within a designated Essential Indigenous Anadromous Salmonid Habitat segment or State Scenic Waterway in a single year.” “Prospecting” is defined as “searching or exploring for samples of gold, silver or other precious metals using non-motorized methods from among small quantities of aggregate. Under DSL’s administrative rules (OAR 14): The only way to acquire a permit is through the Department of State Lands and it’s free.ĭo you intend to do “prospecting” or “recreational and small scale placer mining?” You may not need an authorization from DSL. Although they will still try to charge you $25 for a yearly fraudulent permit that is useless. The Department of Environmental Quality has no rights to issue any permits for suction dredging. Please make sure you read and understand all laws pertaining to prospecting within the state of Oregon.Do not be fooled. Mineral prospecting in the state of Oregon is regulated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on prospecting can be found under the Water Quality Permit Program - Metal Mining Activities. Also contained within that link you will find additional information regarding beach placer mining. Keep in mind that you will need to have one copy on the work site with you. You will need to read and follow the rules in the Gold and Fish pamphlet, "Mineral Prospecting and Placer Mining Rules." We've supplied a link that will lead you to the downloadable version that you can print or you can call the WDFW and request one be sent to you. Mineral prospecting in the state of Washington is regulated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can find out more under the About Us Tab. NAMA gives its members access to club claims in both Oregon and Washington. ![]() There are areas that are unclaimed and thus you may prospect given you follow the laws of the state and area you are prospecting. It is important to note that you may only prospect on claims to which you have permission. While we will do our best to keep all information as current as possible ultimately it is your responsibility to know and follow all the laws in the area that you are prospecting. While Federal mining laws are in place and are covered under that General Mining act of 1872 (courtesy of Wikipedia) it is important to note that each state also regulates mineral prospecting within its borders.
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