February 25, 1970 (12 pages)

-have been a piece of canvas _ hot be ignored. 6 The Nevada County Nugget; Wednesday, Feb. 23, 1970 » Hydraulic mining started near “Nevada City” Scars which today still show in the Sierra landscape from Malakoff Diggings to Columbia are reminders of one of the most successful of all mining methods hydraulicking. They are also tangible evidence of California's first great conservation battle. Hydraulic mining, which is ‘ a logical extension of the more simple methods of placer mining, got its start in the early 1850's near Nevada City. Basically, hydraulic mining isthe use of water under pres sure, directed through a hose . with a nozzle, to wash large . quantities of paydirt into sluice boxes, The first hydraulic min ing operations were improvised on a rather. small scale, The first hose and nozzle arrange@@ ment, or minotor, is said to 3 hose with a nozzle cut by a tinsmith from sheet metal. 3 As hydraulic mining proved 3 to be a very efficient means . of working large amounts o earth, the early and rather simple operations soon evolv; ed into sophisticated large scale _ endeavors. It became profitable . to mine "paydirt" which pro& duced. as little as one cent worth of gold from each cubic foot ! of earth washed. Monitors grew ever larger, and were manufactured in foundaries, The large ® monitors were quite difficultto control. They were usually counterweighted and often. required at least two operators, Elaborate arrangements. of Sluice boxes were devised, some of which — as at Malakoff — were required to contain the were housed in drainage tundebris rather than letting it nels. Vast quantities of water wash downstream. were used, requiring extensive Today — while other conserwaterworks systems, One early vation battles rage — a few Nevada county ditch carriedwaextremely limited hydraulic ter 80 miles, and some of the operations remain, More imlater water systems involved portant today, perhaps, are the large dams and hundreds of miles of canals. HYDRAULIC OPERATIONS, as well as the debris+clogged _ streams which they produced, were commonplace in the late nineteenth century. Hydraulic mining was begun less than a visible remains of the centuryold controversy — cliffs, cuts, water-washed minarets and debris-clogged ravines. These now : constitute just one more aspect of what-there-is-to-see for history minded. tourists in our Mother Lode country. _ decade after the start of the gold rush, and continued in full sway until the 1890's, NID recreation sites may see some changes Further rate changes and construction may take place at two Nevada Irrigation District recEven before the larger of % dofdirecthe hydraulicking operations F F A teams fr om N U d O piowiga Gee pares tha: oom were begun, however, the wast »essionaires' request at aregufrom hydraulic mines began to ‘ar board meeting Wednesday. clog streams and river chanW [ . t y b Fi . d D < nels, As early as the 1860's e a U oF l e ay lle one bia Ay So Sacramento Valley farmers were complaining bitterly over The Future Farmers ~ of ruined water supplies and flood America from Nevada Union damage. In less than two deHigh School attended a Field cades after hydraulic mining Day at Yuba College last week. was first introduced, a fullFour.of the five teams represcale conservation battle had senting NUHS were high teams. developed. The issue how The livestock team won the blue much damage can be done to ribbon, Team members were the environment for the proRobin Shehan, high individual fit of one group had been in the contest, Steve Paasch, carried into the Legislature and third highest individual and was hotly debated up and down Carolyn Smith. the state. As the battle conBrenda Lewis was second high tinued through the 1870's and individual in the dairy contest 1880's, hydraulic mining likewith Dave Rowe and Don Berwise continued. It produced an nall the remainder of the team. estimated $8 million to $10mil-. Larry Day was high indivilion a year in profits for the dual in the land judging conmine operators. These profits test with Roger Gilman, second were no doubt a boon for the high and Mike Baum a member economic development of Califof the team. ornia, yet the wholesale damim Drew won high indiviage to valley agriculture could ‘dual in the agronomy contest with Jenny Smith and Rich PulEventually the interests of the largér number of people prevailed. Beginning with a court decision in 1884 and culminThe Veterans ofForeign Wars ating with legislative action in Post 2655 is sponsoring a public 1892, hydraulic mining was efparty at 8p.m. Friday. The party fectively endet It was not prowill be held at the Veterans PUBLIC PARTY ain nb seeseeethny: Nomen tern ot sifer others in the winningteam, Brian Ivey. was the farm mechanics sole member. Barry Kerr is vice president of fraternity Barry Kerr, son of Mr. and Mrs, Robert D, Kerr of Grass Valley, was recently elected vice president of -his fraternity at the University of California at. Davis, Kerr is a member of Alphi Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. Among the activities inwhich he has participated are: campus guide service, planning for a Halloween Party for mentally retarded children's home in Sacramento and development of a picnic area on campus. Previous to his selection. as vice president, Kerr served as pledge chairman, During his term he worked with new pledges to help them become : ted with the. pw i 4S DAs re %, " struction program at Scotts Flat and Rollins last year was turned down, Overnight camping rates were set for $3, weekly rates, $15. NID Administrative Assistant Al Seurr told the directors that the state did not go along with the rate changes as presented. Scurr said the state "will approve the changes, ‘subject to certain. conditions—that overflow: campers be able to use the picnic area for $2 per night and that the concessioners make every effort to curtail vehicle traffic in the recreation area." Director Bruce McDonald questioned: how anyone could control vehicle traffic in these areas, Scurr pointed out "if vehicles remain on the blacktop areas it .will make a long walk for campers, Representing the concessionaires was Joe Luglan of Rollins, Luglan informed the directors he had already ordered signs ‘and every effort will be made to control traffic, Luglan requested. that ‘the weekly camping rate of $15.be. ~" sropped;-leaving a straight rate . 7 of $3 per night, "This is in line with the State Beaches and Parks which uses no weekly rate," he said, The directors went along with this request. Scurr went on to explain further requests of the concessionaires. "Due to the State requirements and the distance involved in walking from blacktop areas, construction of further .roads and parking lot areas is needed,'" he said. It was pointed out that the construction program under the Davis-Grunsky Act calls for this construction in phase two of the three phase construction. é Chairman Alex Ferreira said "it would certainly make it more practical," McDonald asked "is NID committed under Davis-Grunsky for this ‘construction and if we spend it now dow we affect our funds and interest this money is drawing?" Seurr replied that by 1975 “the interest this money is earning will be offset by the rising cost of construction." McDonald said “let's leap off into space; what happens 15 years from now?" Director James: McAdams said "we should go ahead and hope the future has a better economy. I don't foresee-any reduction in costs."' ae rsa voted fo have

-have been a piece of canvas _ hot be ignored. 6 The Nevada County Nugget; Wednesday, Feb. 23, 1970 » Hydraulic mining started near “Nevada City” Scars which today still show in the Sierra landscape from Malakoff Diggings to Columbia are reminders of one of the most successful of all mining methods hydraulicking. They are also tangible evidence of California's first great conservation battle. Hydraulic mining, which is ‘ a logical extension of the more simple methods of placer mining, got its start in the early 1850's near Nevada City. Basically, hydraulic mining isthe use of water under pres sure, directed through a hose . with a nozzle, to wash large . quantities of paydirt into sluice boxes, The first hydraulic min ing operations were improvised on a rather. small scale, The first hose and nozzle arrange@@ ment, or minotor, is said to 3 hose with a nozzle cut by a tinsmith from sheet metal. 3 As hydraulic mining proved 3 to be a very efficient means . of working large amounts o earth, the early and rather simple operations soon evolv; ed into sophisticated large scale _ endeavors. It became profitable . to mine "paydirt" which pro& duced. as little as one cent worth of gold from each cubic foot ! of earth washed. Monitors grew ever larger, and were manufactured in foundaries, The large ® monitors were quite difficultto control. They were usually counterweighted and often. required at least two operators, Elaborate arrangements. of Sluice boxes were devised, some of which — as at Malakoff — were required to contain the were housed in drainage tundebris rather than letting it nels. Vast quantities of water wash downstream. were used, requiring extensive Today — while other conserwaterworks systems, One early vation battles rage — a few Nevada county ditch carriedwaextremely limited hydraulic ter 80 miles, and some of the operations remain, More imlater water systems involved portant today, perhaps, are the large dams and hundreds of miles of canals. HYDRAULIC OPERATIONS, as well as the debris+clogged _ streams which they produced, were commonplace in the late nineteenth century. Hydraulic mining was begun less than a visible remains of the centuryold controversy — cliffs, cuts, water-washed minarets and debris-clogged ravines. These now : constitute just one more aspect of what-there-is-to-see for history minded. tourists in our Mother Lode country. _ decade after the start of the gold rush, and continued in full sway until the 1890's, NID recreation sites may see some changes Further rate changes and construction may take place at two Nevada Irrigation District recEven before the larger of % dofdirecthe hydraulicking operations F F A teams fr om N U d O piowiga Gee pares tha: oom were begun, however, the wast »essionaires' request at aregufrom hydraulic mines began to ‘ar board meeting Wednesday. clog streams and river chanW [ . t y b Fi . d D < nels, As early as the 1860's e a U oF l e ay lle one bia Ay So Sacramento Valley farmers were complaining bitterly over The Future Farmers ~ of ruined water supplies and flood America from Nevada Union damage. In less than two deHigh School attended a Field cades after hydraulic mining Day at Yuba College last week. was first introduced, a fullFour.of the five teams represcale conservation battle had senting NUHS were high teams. developed. The issue how The livestock team won the blue much damage can be done to ribbon, Team members were the environment for the proRobin Shehan, high individual fit of one group had been in the contest, Steve Paasch, carried into the Legislature and third highest individual and was hotly debated up and down Carolyn Smith. the state. As the battle conBrenda Lewis was second high tinued through the 1870's and individual in the dairy contest 1880's, hydraulic mining likewith Dave Rowe and Don Berwise continued. It produced an nall the remainder of the team. estimated $8 million to $10mil-. Larry Day was high indivilion a year in profits for the dual in the land judging conmine operators. These profits test with Roger Gilman, second were no doubt a boon for the high and Mike Baum a member economic development of Califof the team. ornia, yet the wholesale damim Drew won high indiviage to valley agriculture could ‘dual in the agronomy contest with Jenny Smith and Rich PulEventually the interests of the largér number of people prevailed. Beginning with a court decision in 1884 and culminThe Veterans ofForeign Wars ating with legislative action in Post 2655 is sponsoring a public 1892, hydraulic mining was efparty at 8p.m. Friday. The party fectively endet It was not prowill be held at the Veterans PUBLIC PARTY ain nb seeseeethny: Nomen tern ot sifer others in the winningteam,

Brian Ivey. was the farm mechanics sole member. Barry Kerr is vice president of fraternity Barry Kerr, son of Mr. and Mrs, Robert D, Kerr of Grass Valley, was recently elected vice president of -his fraternity at the University of California at. Davis, Kerr is a member of Alphi Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. Among the activities inwhich he has participated are: campus guide service, planning for a Halloween Party for mentally retarded children's home in Sacramento and development of a picnic area on campus. Previous to his selection. as vice president, Kerr served as pledge chairman, During his term he worked with new pledges to help them become : ted with the. pw i 4S DAs re %, " struction program at Scotts Flat and Rollins last year was turned down, Overnight camping rates were set for $3, weekly rates, $15. NID Administrative Assistant Al Seurr told the directors that the state did not go along with the rate changes as presented. Scurr said the state "will approve the changes, ‘subject to certain. conditions—that overflow: campers be able to use the picnic area for $2 per night and that the concessioners make every effort to curtail vehicle traffic in the recreation area." Director Bruce McDonald questioned: how anyone could control vehicle traffic in these areas, Scurr pointed out "if vehicles remain on the blacktop areas it .will make a long walk for campers, Representing the concessionaires was Joe Luglan of Rollins, Luglan informed the directors he had already ordered signs ‘and every effort will be made to control traffic, Luglan requested. that ‘the weekly camping rate of $15.be. ~" sropped;-leaving a straight rate . 7 of $3 per night, "This is in line with the State Beaches and Parks which uses no weekly rate," he said, The directors went along with this request. Scurr went on to explain further requests of the concessionaires. "Due to the State requirements and the distance involved in walking from blacktop areas, construction of further .roads and parking lot areas is needed,'" he said. It was pointed out that the construction program under the Davis-Grunsky Act calls for this construction in phase two of the three phase construction. é Chairman Alex Ferreira said "it would certainly make it more practical," McDonald asked "is NID committed under Davis-Grunsky for this ‘construction and if we spend it now dow we affect our funds and interest this money is drawing?" Seurr replied that by 1975 “the interest this money is earning will be offset by the rising cost of construction." McDonald said “let's leap off into space; what happens 15 years from now?" Director James: McAdams said "we should go ahead and hope the future has a better economy. I don't foresee-any reduction in costs."' ae rsa voted fo have