A Drive to the Diggins / myLot

Franklinton, North Carolina

March 24, 2016 8:37pm CST

Yesterday, we took a little drive. I live in "Gold Country." The part of California that was mostly built during the California Gold Rush. After the 49ers went home, gold became big business around here. Part of that was hydraulic gold mining. They used giant water cannons to wash down mountains to get to the gold inside. In the 1880s the practice was outlawed due to the detrimental effect it had on the water downstream. It was the first environmental legislation in the US. Even though it has been almost 130 years, the land still bears the scars. I took a few photos on my phone.

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6 responses

Scott Ganschow

@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

25 Mar 16

That's how the bad guys were mining gold in Pale Rider. Must have been set before 1880. I learn something new every day. In this case, that form of mining is illegal. I had no idea.

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Sherry

@norcal (4889)

• Franklinton, North Carolina

25 Mar 16

I believe the court decision made it illegal to return the water used to wash the tailings back into the river. That made hydraulic mining impractical, since they were moving such high volumes of water.

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Scott Ganschow

@teamfreak16 (43602)

• Denver, Colorado

25 Mar 16

@norcal - That makes sense.

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John Roberts

@JohnRoberts (109841)

• Los Angeles, California

25 Mar 16

At least nature is slowly recovering the damage. Strange they outlaw water cannons for gold while today whole mountains are destroyed for coal.

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Sherry

@norcal (4889)

• Franklinton, North Carolina

25 Mar 16

The mud washed into the water filled up the river. Riverboats could no longer navigate, and it caused flooding downstream. Farmers were severely affected, but it wasn't until the railroads got involved that action was taken.

louievill

@louievill (28846)

• Philippines

25 Mar 16

Man would do or destroy anything just to get what they want, good there was legislation and they abided

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Oshy

@TiarasOceanView (70020)

• United States

25 Mar 16

Too bad you wouldn´t find a bit of that gold for yourself Sherry. That is interesting to know. I don´t really know that much about the gold rush. A great photo there. I bet there are some really pretty places there too.

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Sherry

@norcal (4889)

• Franklinton, North Carolina

25 Mar 16

The mine sites (the diggins) are actually kind of beautiful. You can see the sediment layers, similar to the badlands in New Mexico and Arizona. And, it is a bit of visual history. I'm glad they stopped doing it though.

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Alice Henry

@IreneVincent (15960)

• United States

25 Mar 16

In South Dakota, the gold mines there polluted the drinking water with Arsenic, we were told. We stayed with some friends for a couple days and they told us NOT to drink the TAP water, so we didn't.

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Sherry

@norcal (4889)

• Franklinton, North Carolina

25 Mar 16

We had hardrock mining here too, but the mines were all closed back in the late 1950s. Our water tests as safe.

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

25 Mar 16

Good picture. I'm glad people were environmentally conscious in the late 1800's.

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