Going For Gold
Prospectors have been searching for placer gold in the river systems of north-central Alberta since the mid-1800s. In the years since then, the richest deposits have probably been located and mined.
This means that amateur prospectors today are unlikely to strike it rich. But searching for gold and reliving a little of Alberta's history can still be fun.
In Alberta, gold is almost always found as tiny particles mixed with streambed deposits of sand and gravel. These deposits are called "placers".
Placer Gold
Millions of years of erosion and stream transportation have reduced placer gold to miniscule pieces, often called "flour gold". Normally, gold is associated with "black sand", which consists of tiny particles of other heavy minerals.
Placer gold can range from light yellow to a dull, coppery yellow. It may also be covered with a film of iron oxide, giving it a rusty colour. Pyrite or "fools gold" can be distinguished from real gold because it is brittle and crushes easily.
Gold Locations
Gold has been found in parts of the Red Deer, North Saskatchewan, McLeod, Athabasca and Peace River Systems. However, the Alberta Government does not produce a map showing the gold-bearing areas.
Amateur prospectors should check the insides of watercourse bends, pool bottoms and the upstream end of sand or gravel bars for black sand. As stream currents slow down, the black sand will settle out in these spots. Flour gold is normally found near the surface of placer deposits and may even be trapped in the roots of grasses or other vegetation.
Panning
The most common way of locating placer deposits and recovering the gold is by panning. The easiest way to learn how to pan is through an experienced instructor. Libraries, bookstores and some specialty equipment stores also have information on gold panning.
Placer Mining
In addition to panning, gold can be recovered by washing placer sediments through a mechanical extracting device such as a sluicebox or rocker. This is called placer mining.
Do I Need a Licence to Placer Mine?
A placer mining licence must be obtained before any equipment is set up. It is valid for five years, and allows a prospector to occupy any location for a maximum of 14 days at a time.
Applications for Placer mining licences may be applied for at
- the Coal and Mineral Development Unit of Alberta Department of Energy (see addresses at end)
- the Alberta Department of Energy Calgary Office will accept and forward applications to Edmonton.
The fee is $50.00 + GST for five years. The licences are administered by the Coal and Mineral Development Unit.
After obtaining a licence, the prospector can select a mining site anywhere along a watercourse, providing permission has been obtained from the leaseholder or landowner if access is required through private land or occupied Crown land. Restrictions exist on some rivers, so refer to Sections 34 and 35 of the Metallic and Industrial Minerals Tenure Regulations for details.
Before placer mining can be carried out within a city, town, village, park, recreation area or historic site, permission must be obtained from the appropriate administering agency.
Are there Regulations for Placer Mining?
Prospectors must follow the guidelines outlined in the Metallic and Industrial Minerals Tenure Regulation, which is available from the Alberta Department of Energy. Since placer mining can damage streambanks, disrupt stream ecology and interfere with existing land and water uses in the area, it is important to follow the regulations.
Designated officials from the departments of Energy and Environment as well as the police, have the right to check prospectors and their placer mining operations to make sure they have a valid licence and are complying with the regulations. If the regulations are not followed, the licence may be cancelled.
The regulations prohibit the following:
- placer mining without a licence or on Crown land that is under lease to someone else;
- using any mechanical method (eg. backhoe, dredge, front-end loader) to move material into the sluice-box. This type of heavy equipment can damage stream-banks and affect stream ecology;
- discharging silt-laden wastewater from a sluicebox directly into a watercourse. This water should be drained into a settling pond to allow fine sediments to settle out before it is released into the stream;
- using mercury within 100 metres of a river, stream, watercourse or other body of water. Mercury is highly toxic and will contaminate the watercourse;
- operating a sluicebox or other equipment within 15 metres of another licensee's equipment;
- using a pump larger than the specified maximum size, which permits a flow rate of 11 litres per second;
- using a screen mesh greater than 2.54 millimeters on the water intake to the sluicebox or other equipment;
- conducting placer mining on many watercourses throughout the year (see Code of Practice for Water Course Crossings); and
- conducting placer mining on a watercourse where the channel width is less than 20 metres at the desired location, without written consent from the Department of Environment.
Do I need to stake a Claim?
Staking a claim is not part of placer mining. Once you have obtained a licence and set up your equipment, you have a limit of 14 days maximum to work the same area. After this time, you must move your operation to another location (eg. 100 metres down the river).
Will Placer Mining damage Fish Habitat?
Yes, it can. For this reason, there are regulations that restrict the type of equipment that can be used and the time of year mining can take place. For example, using a dredge (particularly a suction dredge), backhoe or other heavy equipment is not permitted because it can damage both the streambank and stream ecology. Mercury is not allowed in placer mining since it is highly toxic. Its use in gold amalgamation is part of a technical process that is not appropriate for this type of mining.
Royalty Payment
Royalty payments depend on the amount of gold recovered during the permit year (one year from the permit date). If 1 troy ounce (31.1g) or less is recovered, no royalty is due. If more than one troy ounce is recovered, a royalty of 5 per cent must be paid. The royalty payments ensure that people of Alberta -the resource owners- receive a fair return on their resources.
