Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Approves Prospecting Rules Changes

As reported earlier on this site, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) requested the Fish and Wildlife Commission to approve several proposed changes to the HPA rules governing mineral prospecting, including changes to the work times on the Sultan and Similkameen rivers.

Here is the pertinent part of today's news release from WDFW:

April 24, 2018

Commission OKs mineral prospecting
rules....

OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has changed the work times for mineral prospecting in and around the Sultan and Similkameen rivers to avoid periods when incubating eggs and young fish are present.

The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), approved the changes on Friday, April 20....

Until recently, a section of the Sultan River in Snohomish County was open to mineral prospecting using a variety of equipment, including suction dredges, sluices, and high bankers, for more than seven months each year.

That changed in 2016, when a fish-passage project at the City of Everett diversion dam opened an additional 6.3 miles of the river to spawning salmon and steelhead, said Randi Thurston, WDFW habitat protection manager.

"Last year, the department adopted an emergency rule that prohibited the use of certain types of prospecting equipment in that area, except during August," Thurston said. "This year, the commission adopted that new work window as a permanent rule."

The new rule applies to the use of mineral prospecting equipment in the water, Thurston said.

In a separate action, the commission agreed to expand the work window for mineral prospecting on the Similkameen River to include the month of June from Enloe Dam to Palmer Creek in Okanogan County. That decision was based on a new study by WDFW that found no evidence of incubating trout or whitefish eggs there in June, Thurston said.

"Prospectors urged us to conduct the study, and they were right about the results," she said.

Under the new rule, the work window for prospecting on the Similkameen River from Enloe Dam to Palmer Creek will extend from June 1 through Oct. 31.

For more information about mineral prospecting in Washington, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/mining/.

Contact: Mineral prospecting: Randi Thurston, 360-902-2602

North Central Washington Prospectors Gold and Treasure Show is Next Weekend

My prospecting club is hosting its annual Gold and Treasure show next weekend.  Here are the details:

North Central Washington Prospectors presents its 19th Annual

                                             

                         GOLD TREASURE AND MORE SHOW

                                          April 14 & 15



The show will have over 50 vendors that will be selling prospecting and rock hound supplies, metal detectors, jewelry, art, gems & minerals, rocks, gold pay dirt bags, fudge, ATVs, leather goods, thrift store items and MORE.

Truck and cars on display.  Something for everyone!



Metal detecting hunt with paid admission both days, 10 AM.  Coins and metal tags for prizes will be buried on the fairgrounds for this event.  Top prize is a metal detector for both days.



Haystack Hunt for kids ages 2 - 10 both days (coins & toys), 11 AM.



Door and gold raffle prizes each hour.  Large kitchen serving breakfast and lunch items.



The big club gold show raffle will be held on Sunday.  1st prize - $2,000; 2nd prize - Whites MXT All Pro metal detector; 3rd prize - $500; 4th prize - large gold nugget.



Chelan County Fairgrounds in Cashmere, WA.

Saturday, April 14, 9AM - 5PM; Sunday, April 15, 9AM - 4PM.

Cost: $5, children 12 and under free.  Info: (509) 860-1145

Motorized Dredging Not Yet Safe in Washington

In what appears to be a contingency move, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will hear from WDFW staff regarding "options and possible timeline necessary for rulemaking should the Commission direct the Department to remove motorized prospecting methods from those approved under the Gold and Fish pamphlet."

This presentation is set to be conducted by Randi Thurston, Protection Division Manager and Teresa Scott, Environmental Planner, Habitat Program at the 9:30 am portion of the Saturday, April 14 Commission meeting.

Public input will be heard on this agenda item for those interested in providing same.

The meeting will be held at the Natural Resource Building, 1111 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98501, on the First Floor – Room 172.