The permit is contingent on also having a Clean Water Act permit from IDEQ, and agreeing to all other terms and conditions. The Idaho Department of Water Resources issues Stream Channel Alteration permits to miners via a simplified process referred to as a “ Letter Permit ” at a cost of $10 (Idaho resident) or $30 (non-Idaho resident). An Agency by Agency Breakdown of the Rules In order to legally dredge mine, all applicable permits and authorizations must be obtained. Not all the rules are consistent – some streams are listed as open by one agency, but closed by another. If the stream is located on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Forest Service (FS), additional analyses and approvals are needed. They also must receive permission from the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR), Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), and in some cases the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the U.S. First, miners must limit their dredges to a 5” nozzle and 15 horsepower dredge. Suction dredge mining is legal in Idaho, but because of its potential to harm streams and water quality, a patchwork of rules has been developed to control this activity, and not all rivers and streams are open to it. Spilled fuel, oil, and other hazardous materials can also pollute the stream and riverbanks.Ī suction dredge miner’s unpermitted operations on the Middle Fork Boise River. Dredges can harm streambanks and streamside vegetation as the equipment is hauled in and out of the water, or used to dredge beneath streambanks.That’s why restrictions, limitations or statewide bans have been put in place in Idaho, Oregon, California, and other western states. Fisheries biologists, hydrologists, and others agree that suction dredge mining can be harmful to fish and threatens water quality.Mercury can be released into the water column, threatening public health, aquatic species, and downstream users.Holes created by the dredging can persist and change river hydrology, leading to downstream erosion and creating dangerous wading conditions for boaters and anglers.Gravel deposited behind the dredges can create unstable spawning beds, which can be attractive to fish yet fail to provide the stable substrate that eggs need to survive.Sediment discharged by the dredges can smother fish eggs.Suction dredge mining can wreak havoc on fish habitat and water quality in many ways. Dredge miners chew their way through the bed of the stream, using their dredge, along with crowbars, picks, hammers, and chisels to break up the bedrock in search of small flecks of gold – harming our water in the process. The dredged material (sediment, gravels, rock, and water) is then discharged through a sluice box on the back of the floating dredge, capturing the gold and spewing sediment and gravel back into the water. The miner dives to the bottom of the stream and uses a hose to suck up gravel and sediment. Suction dredge mining is a form of recreational gold mining that utilizes a high-powered floating vacuum. In response to that story, we’ve received a number of questions asking what dredge mining is, if it’s legal in Idaho, and why ICL cares about it. Suction dredge mining has been in the news lately, with a federal judge in Idaho recently levying a record $150,000 fine against an out-of-state miner who refused to follow rules that protect the South Fork Clearwater River and the sensitive, threatened, and endangered fish that live there.
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