PLUMAS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

LOCATION

COUNTY:Plumas County

STATE:California

Of the approximately 4,582,000 ounces of gold produced in Plumas County, 1855-1959, more than half came from Tertiary gravel placer mines worked on a large scale by hydraulic methods. The Gopher Hill, Nelson Point, Sawpit Flat, and Upper Spanish Creek mines, were all in alluvial gravels for there placer gold content. The Engles and Superior mines, primarily copper with a by product of gold. In the Crescent Mills district, in township 26N. range 9E, there was total production through 1959 of 3,255 ounces of placer gold and 32,069 ounces of lode gold. In area streams, in Quaternary gravels you will find placer gold. At the Green Mountain Mine they produced of 100,000 ounces of lode gold by 1890. In the Johnsville district, in the southcentral part of county, in east l/2 of township 22N. range 11E, they had a total production, 393,000 gold ounces. All regional stream and bench gravels contain placer gold. The Plumas-Eureka Mine, was a major producer of lode gold. At the La Porte district, in southwest part of the county, in township 21N and range 9E, was the hydraulic mining center since 1850s, with total production, 1855-1959, of 2,910,000 gold ounces. At Mumfords Mill the area copper mines had a by product of gold. At Spring Garden go northeast 9 mile and you will find the Walker Mine, primarily copper mine with a by product of gold.

FEATHER RIVER

Near Belden, along the North Fork of the Feather River there are rich placer deposits.

INDIAN CREEK

At Rich Bar, the area gravels along Indian Creek, a tributary of the Feather River, has very rich placers.

YUBA RIVER

The Ancient Yuba River channel traced northeast of La Porte for 10 miles 500-1,500 ft. wide and 10-130 ft. deep, with placer gold concentrated in lowermost 2 ft. above bedrock, it was very rich placer.