I grew up here and now I'm back. Traded in my whitewater kayak for a pontoon boat and I'm going to search all thru these areas. I now live in Winston. Years back I saw a guy pull a domino sized piece of platinum out of Dole road area. Thank you. Smiles
Yep - there was once a platinum shaft up the hill off Dole Road. I have (and many others too) tried to find it without success. Have fun working gold off those gravel bars - it's there for those that simply work it and since you live there, you can do so steadily.
Absolutely amazing! So grateful for your willingness to share such priceless knowledge. Makes me want to leave my home state of Utah and become an Oregon Duck fan in the summer months. Thank you!
Thank you for this Matt. So many videos on here telling you "how to" or showing you what they "found", but can't think of any that tell you WHERE to! So i called off my planned excursion to Bohemia and just spent 3 days following your instructions! Never been down here before this. Only been doing this for 2 years now. As a new prospector i enjoy the research and the hunt, but this was a welcome break from it..lol.. Brought about 150lbs of material home, i'll let you know how it pans out! - Arthur
OUTSTANDING!!!! Bravo for you! Connie and I both are excited to know how it pans out since we now live through what you guys do. You'll see some gold for sure - and will hone in on what areas you want to work next from that. Again: GOOD FOR YOU!!! You did it.
Hey Matt. I'm Matt as well. I just tried to go down to the river on dole road where I used to go long ago, now that I live up here. The access was chained off and apparently its private property now. That was a shock. I'd forgotten about this video. I'm going down there with my kayak and wetsuit. I'm 64 next month but still at it as much as possible. Thank you for the insights. Smiles
Thanks for that. Parts of that road are private as I recall, it might simply be the residents. I sure like the yak idea - if you can get to the bar below I-5 and start processing from the head of that bar behind the boulder you'll do well (over time - don't have a heart attack). You can then take out about a mile downriver at the bend (you know where I'm talking about I'm sure). Good luck!!!
Thank you, kind Sir! I turn 50 on December 15th and I've been wanting to do something special for myself... Something adventurous and profitable. Even if it isn't a good time of year to get into that water, I am going to go find these places and kick this bucket off of my list!! May God always bless you and your wife and family. I'll comment again and let you know my experiences as they arise !
Thank you and Merry Christmas! A good bucket list item to do (many of us did). There is still some safe water time left this year (although cold). Spring - is auto death time - water very high and dangerous. Summer - the best. Have fun!
Thanks for the video, my son and I left Florida at the end of may. We spent some time in Washington with some luck panning, buckets and screen. Now we are here in Oregon just down the road from were you shared. Can't wait to get started Monday morning. It's June 30th 2019. Stopping at armadillo mining shop to be sure this part of umpque river is open. Thanks again for your great video
You're welcome. Get plenty of extra buckets or sand bags to take your stuff home and have fun while there. I don't think the original people from Armadillo are alive, but tell the new owners hi from us. Thanks.
I already had gold fever....now I have gold mania....holy crap this is so informational I am very thankful sir! I got me a claim on Graves Creek but I don't think I'll make it there next run...gonna have to check this one out.
Graves Creek is a good one too - I had a claim on Taylor, off the Rogue. The reports back from people working this summer are good from the spots indicated so you shouldn't have any trouble at all since you're experienced (most are anything but and they're doing fine with what I said to do).
You are a rare breed, sir. Thank you much for sharing with us, your knowledge from experience.. You are truly unselfish. That is a great quality to have, and I am much appreciative, sir.
You're welcome - we had our time in the sun and scored big, it's time for younger people to have theirs and have the same adrenaline rush of gold that we experienced. Have fun and many adventures to you!
I'm 67 and retired and have been a rock hound my whole life . The gravel field west of Troutdale is where I grew up so there was a lot of rocks to look at . Sure would like to find a bunch of yellow rocks to add to my collection . Thanks for the video .
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge. You have given me a new way to look at my prospecting and have me info so I don’t get fined. God bless and thank you
Used to pan some gold as a kid out of Roberts Creek a tributary of the South Umpqua a bit North of where you are talking about, we had property there and on North Deer Creek, but never got much out of it.
I found in general the farther I moved towards Roseburg the less the creeks produced (although it's kind of funny - "not much" to westerners can be a major score to easterners struggling to find a fly poop speck with a magnifying glass - it's all relative).
Hi, Matt and Connie. Hoping that you are both doing well. I know the rivers are vicious during the winter having worked the Klamath and Scott, thanks for your advice on the Scott River, it really helped me What is your opinion on working the bedrock cracks on Crow creek during the winter, I would love your advice . Thank you
If you can do it safely - remember no gold is worth a life. It might be more productive to look for the cracks (vegetation tips you off - ua-cam.com/video/pkCbNN57los/v-deo.html ) now and work it when you can work out into the river.
First, thank you for the vid. No one would ever tell what your telling but it's very nice of you Matt, Connie. Im new to prospecting,just got a gold cube. Wish I could go out with someone who knows about getting gold. I'm a hands on person. Again thank you so very much will be watching your vid over and over
Thanks for all your help youve helped inspire me allot... Quick question if using a 4 stack cube with a tromel attachment what would you do to be sufficient? i live 3 hours away but have a large truck would you recomend running my cube and getting as much concentrates as possible or just fill as many buckets as possible to bring back and process?
Good timing - I'm about to post a video on the lower Umpqua River & just this subject. I would fill as many buckets as I possibly could and get them out of there and under my control. Setting up, keeping it running, all take away from time you could be screening into another bucket. At home, you can go through it more thoroughly.
I have been watching and studying your videos for a few days now. Notebook and pen in hand. Thank you so much fir your time, wisdom and knowledge. God bless you sir. Im really looking forward to more videos.
Thanks for that -- now get down there and get some gold like the others have done! Have fun working (that's really all it is, just working it out of the gravels and cracks).
@@mattmattsongold I will probably have to wait until next summer. This winter I plan on panning for gold on the Washington coast. Even though it's flour gold, it still adds up.
Your the best Matt. You got me into faceting gemstones and you made me a gold bug. I can't thank you enough. Your videos are always informative and I wish you and yours the very best.
I live a few miles from this spot. I was looking into buying a dredge but the new laws took that chance of making money away from me. I may try digging next summer in this spot . If I have success I will let you know. Thanks for the info. One question. I hike around cow creek a lot. Do you think that table mountain is the possible source for the gold? I know it has creeks feeding both ollala and cow .
Interesting question you posed. I don't think the Cow Creek gold is from one particular source - we know gold veins run in a N/S direction and it is only the relatively small areas that streams and rivers cut them that we see gold placers form in that area. On the other hand - if you look around a lot up there, look for any crystalline gold - that is directly from a vein. The Umpqua: others are doing fine digging as indicated (and more than one person is cleaning out cracks (a long process to do without a dredge) - it all works as long as you persistently work it and that was true in my day as well. Have fun getting that gold!
Thank you so much Matt!! I'm a little late to the game... Discovered your videos and the Umpqua deposits just this year. I'm not sure if you still monitor comments on this video, but I have a question about that area and wondered if there is another method to reach you so that I am not broadcasting on this platform. Thank you again!!!
My folks used to dredge for gold up Cow Creek & had a claim on Graves Ck when I was a kid. They both passed away last year. Found their gold pans & have been thinking about trying to pan. I heard it's legal to pan on river & stream beds in Oregon. Thanks for warning me to respect sand bars!I'm in Roseburg now. Your vids are a great help. Do you have any clubs/groups you recommend joining to learn about geography and mining around Roseburg area? Would love to learn to rock hound too! Thanks for the vids!
Josie: I don't have recommendations on clubs in that area. But trying your hand at panning is very easy, and if you simply do what we instruct in the videos and what others do with the simple methods (shovel, screens, pan and maybe a sluice later) you'll be fine, have a lot of fun, and find some gold to boot! I've been on all those creeks of course, had claims on the Umpqua, and Taylor Creek. Good luck!
I grew up in riddle and have always loved to explore the river/creeks around here. Just started getting into gold mining the last few years and it’s been a blast. I really appreciate this video and would love a chance to just talk to you and get your opinion on various areas I’ve been to. Thanks again and look forward to talking to you and more videos! 👍
@@mattmattsongold ua-cam.com/video/Hjpj48enByc/v-deo.html here is a video you might like. I took a good friend of mine and his family out earlier this summer, got lucky and found enough shiny to get the kids interested ✨⛏
That is great news to hear! I'll admit not keeping up with the movies right now since we're going through the same issues with Connie. I hope you have continued good health and get to help your son! Good luck!
Aaarrrrggg Matt. Thanks for the treasure map!! Haven’t seen you put out a gold video for years? Watched your videos over and over when I was starting. Thanks for the great lessons.
Matt Mattson I had a great time. Was able to find gold. Joined a prospectors club here in Arizona. Met good people. Starting to get ramped up for the next go. I looked up the laws on Oregon gold mining. Not took sure but the Umpqua river might be off limits to prospecting now. And it looks like there might be a freeway over the pillar boulders now. Are you still living in Florida? Was thinking if I used information from you that I could send you some of the treasure!!
In Alabama now and love it! Umpqua is open, but how you can do it (other than what I proposed) is the question. I'm not going to rule anything in or out since these videos last for a very long time (longer than I ever thought) and things can change rapidly legally for better or worse - but the gold is there! That is the constant.
That is great and what we all like to hear! Others have been doing good this year - if you're out there, fill as many buckets as possible and work them over the winter - not much good weather season left . . . Have a great time!
Mini nomad breather coming, sniping next summer again thank you for the info really appreciate it and I will be one of those people who will go pick up trash
Have you ever tried Coffee Creek tributary of South Umpqua? I heard that and Cow Creek is the source of the South Umpqua gold. Never knew about any platinum mines, nice to know although it is far below gold in value now.
I did not, but others did nothing but work (and talk about) that area. I had my hands full with claims on the Umpqua and Taylor Creek (off the Rogue). It was on Taylor Creek, in the canyon just up from the waterfall (overlook overlooks it) that I had my stroke and had to walk out (a 1/2 mile wading the creek). I believe this also about Cow Creek - it dissects the N/S mountain range to the W of the Umpqua and is working out the gold veins in it (well known they align N/S). The S. Umpqua itself does cut some range to the E and I did have claims on that as well but nowhere near the volume of gold once Cow Creek comes in. In my day the platinum/gold ratio was completely reversed - funny how these relationships assumed stable are anything but stable.
Many thanks for being so generous with this information Matt. Your videos are very informative. I live in Oregon and will be camping along the s. Umpqua for awhile this summer. You can bet I’ll be following your guidance on working these spots. I will let you know how things turn out. I feel like I really got a hot tip. I am optimistic. Thank you once again for all the work you have done and for sharing so many of your experiences in your videos.
This video is truly invaluable, thank you so much for posting. Admittedly I am new to this, but am truly inspired to spend some time on the Umpqua and thoughtfully learn how to work these areas. Hopefully it's somewhat accessible to a newbie! Thank you so much again Matt. Best to you and your family.
Thanks David - the Umpqua is an excellent place to learn where and how gold settles - and the bonus is you get to see real flakes of it (no fly spec stuff people normally show). The serious generally work a crack (crevicing) as these are the only thing that shields gold from the river. There won't be many large pieces (nuggets) found, the Umpqua is high and very violent in the winter grinding everything into flakes and a few miles down from this site: dust is all that's left. Good luck to you!
@@coolclide7672 : we've used Georgia for years to test and get the bugs out of our equipment - mainly on that GPAA claim at Buchanan. It's a good place to do that kind of thing for us.
Kurt: in the near future you probably couldn't get near the gold - the Umpqua is usually flooded in the early spring and very dangerous. Low water is June - July - August. You will be able to work it then for sure. Hope you grab a few buckets of material!
No - we shovel into a screen (or multiple screens) and bucket the material home (wherever that is). If we average the gold in each bucket, we know how many buckets are needed to get to a pound (troy) of gold in a (month, year, etc.). Everyone works different.
The technique of wading into the water to where the bar thins out, is that a technique specific to this location based off topology and/or the off limits nature of the ground? You used a metal detector to find the streak in one video, maybe this same technique was used to zero in on the likely gold path before detecting.
That technique will work on any bar, anywhere in the world. I used a metal detector to run these gold lines sporadically, but there is to much gold/platinum/iron black sands for them to work in the normal way - they're usually simply overloaded. Doggedly diving the river day after day with a smaller dredge determined the gold lines.
That is one thing I don't do anymore, Bill. Some of these movies are now 20+ years old - I had no idea they'd still be circulating and now will certainly survive me. So I pulled those references off and don't comment on legalities now - they've changed since I was mining and seem to change now with every fad & politician that comes along. What doesn't change is locations and that is what I'm concentrating on now.
Hi Matt. I'm super confused. You mentioned the gold was black? With my research... It says its impossible for gold to turn black naturally. Any chance you can clarify?
I think you picked up on the black pepper flakes I used to give a size comparison. If not, let me know and I'll re-watch to figure it out. (May also be the amalgam (dull grey) mix).
You're welcome - a life devoted to things is a stump, a life with God has purpose, and is a flourishing tree. For all my life, this meant teaching others how to do instead of hoarding knowledge only for my use (and it made all the difference).
I do think that will produce (and cleaning the cracks out of course) it's worth a try - mucking the bar edge out with a shovel is the main producer for flake gold - but that does take serious back work.
"Umpqua" as much fondness I have for gold, the ice cream with that name in the freezer is about as close as I'm going to get to that one. Thanks for the wonderful information, Matt.
Just went yesterday, tried all the spots you mentioned. I couldn't even find a speck. but it was my first time ever looking for gold, had a great time though beautiful area really warm waters!
Good that you went - and do not get discouraged! It generally takes a person a year to go from no experience to successful prospecting - keep at it and the very best of luck learning to pan, screen, on and on. You're in a place with serious gold reserves - don't give up! Glad you had fun.
Would love to do it - just remember to wade out as far as possible and work the bar as low as possible. Let us know when you find your first identifiable flake (needs no magnification). Those flakes in the pan (avatar) are from there.
@@mattmattsongold thanks for sharing your knowledge of the river! What area would best for diving with tweezers? The last location you mentioned near and under the i5 bridge seems like a safe bet
Yes, there are finger cracks in the bedrock up from the I-5 bridge that can be worked with a mask, snorkel and tweezers or a hand dredge (look up gold n sand etc.) Have enough tools to clean the crack down to the bottom of it for best success (small pry bar, coat hanger, etc.) Good luck!
matt I need an old 4" dredge like the one you had with 1 main sluice in the middle and 2 side sluices for the fines.....he can use non motorized unit but need the parts to go from the suction to each of the 3 sluices and a water pistol....simple and amazing non motorized dredging...pleas help
Excellent - reports are they've been getting good gold through the summer and you should be no exception. Have fun and don't forget the contractor bag for any trash.
Mr Mattson , wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge After 2 yrs of watching these videos and yes dreaming of gold, we will soon be in Oregon hopefully making a life changing withdrawal 🙂. Any new locations you want to disclose fo a fellow Ga boy would be much appreciated ! My wife just saw a 2018 bulliten stating the south umqua was under a heath advisory closure and it’s listed as permenant Conviently the algae lives in pools located on bedrock Hmmm.... Thanks again and Godbless you and Mrs Connie
Forgot to say - don't let anything stop you from going - they have "health" advisories there all the time due to the sewage plant at Myrtle Creek - it's nothing new.
@@mattmattsongold don’t worry I’ve come this far , it will take a lot more than some algae to keep me away lol. Thanks again for your knowledge and for sharing it. Now if the rain will stop and river recede we can get back to what we came for !Godbless
Sir, thank you so much for taking the time to teach people the knowledge and experience you have gathered over the years. It would be far easier to just take your earnings and enjoy the rest of your life without saying a word to anyone.
I wanted others to know the same excitement and adventures we had for themselves, and the chance to make something on their own. Good luck out there in the field!
Good to know - the city was death on mining for years, luckily there's plenty of other places to work (indicated) and if they ever close more I'll just post more.
Hello Matt, be really neat if we meet you in person. There is Nugget Hunt on Yuba on July 29 six miles north of Downieville at this moon flat camp ground. Come on down and prospect with us on the river. 😅
I do appreciate that invite and it certainly would be wonderful if we could! Connie and I are on the other side of the country and will be for awhile after finishing up a rock and gem show in Indiana. Certainly wish you well in the hunt and tell everyone we said hello and BEST OF LUCK to each and every one!
I’m new to this, however have always been intrigued. I want to collect enough to make my girlfriend a wedding ring. We live in Beaverton I have fished the umpqua my whole life but never thought to look for gold! Great video, if you see this comment maybe I can ask a couple questions? Thank you!
Absolutely - whatever you want to ask others will probably be wanting to know too. There's a couple more of these Umpqua videos - you might want to watch the whole series if you're familiar with the river from a fishing standpoint.
@@mattmattsongold had a blast! Found my first few flakes of gold. I want to squeeze in a better trip before the rain starts. Thank you for all your knowledge.
Matt do you know anyone with an old dredge like you and your wife used to run? I have a non motorized system that will easily replace I.C.E. internal combustion engines
I'm afraid I don't Stephen, most of our contemporaries have gone to the celestial gold fields. There's only 4 left of our group now. Sounds interesting what you're doing! Good luck!
great video sad to say there is no dredging in Oregon right now in that area or hand held suction dredging out of the moratorium area I belive you can dredge check to make sure Oregon is following California,s laws on gold mining
I wasn't aware you could dredge at all - anywhere out there. Whatever the case, hopefully the young people will straighten things out eventually. If not, it will simply be like so many other things they've turned away from. For now - anyone with a shovel and some determination can still do well by slowly working it out. Thanks for commenting.
I don't know of places in the city - but you can find it by using the techniques in the movies you've already seen. Take a magnet down to any of the gravel bars you see and when the magnet picks up "black sand" (weathering iron ore) there is a very high probability there is gold mixed in (a magnifier will tell you that). Good luck!
Hello thank you for the information I live in sourthern oregon and I wanted to contact you because I need your expert opinion and guidance I have been working the south umpqua boomer hill rd right down from the old trailer park the area has shallow bed rock that is exposed about a foot under water I have been using my suckered tube I made I find a lot of flood gold vary thin and small I cleared a channel and under the rock and sand is bedrock and there is this grayish green clay that I exposed I know gold will stick on top of this material but I was hopping you could tell me is there gold under this clay on the hard rock under it I have cleared about 2 feet of this channel and not finding much at all at least not enough to make it worth my time I will change my strategy and work the edge of the gravel bar that is in the middle I will do exactly how you instructed but I really would like to know if I should dig up the clay or just skip over it I will also spend some time down further by the trailer park the river is vary low this year so in some spots I can work almost in the middle channel of the river I am trying to find that pay streak you talk about so I will watch the video again and take more detailed notes the tools I am using are basic buckets screens and shovel and my suckered tube I made I work in the water I am careful I abide by all rules that are in place so if you could help me out I would be grateful for your input and again thank you. Mark canning
Mark: Good on getting into the flood gold quickly - in the main - most people are satisfied with that alone. Clay: that clay can be feet thick - wasn't worthwhile to me, but there is gold under it, bigger flakes but scattered. If practicable: I would recommend digging a small patch (no more than 3 feet square) of clay out (peel the top clay cap off) - fill/screen the bucket with what you get from there to bedrock - and just pan that one bucket. That will satisfy your mind one way or the other - and we didn't waste a lot of your time. PAYSTREAK(S): there are two on each side - coming down from Myrtle Creek going towards the bend at the I-5 bridge. The streak on the campground side has the most gold by far - the streak on the far side has the bigger gold (still flakes - larger). The flood gold you're finding is wafting up from a streak as you know. Since the water is so low - and you've found the flood gold - would it be possible to turn 180º away from the bar towards the middle of the river and take out material in a trench line? Some are actually keeping records (smart thing to do especially if a local resident) on what they're finding and where (amount/bucket/location) - and working into streaks that way. The bottom is very shallow going towards the bend a I-5 - the two streaks come together Y just to the inside of those boulders and blow down below the bridge. Above that shallow area (along the drop-off sides in the deep part) are the streaks - they are approximately 4 feet wide on each side and the gold is in patches (why I looked for cracks where it would concentrate). As the gold goes into the shallow area to make that bend to I-5 - it is being blown upwards with tremendous force in the spring. Thus that scattered flood gold. We can find a lot of gold - but it takes a lot of buckets and steady work over time. Once you've got all those buckets at the house and are processing over winter - there will be a lot of granular gold from that area due to the flakes being ground in that stretch. You're finding gold quickly though - that part is done. Good going!
Ah, Interesting. Looking at some geological maps, that section of river -- just slightly south of that first bar -- cuts through a roughly east-west running section of an ophiolite -- so it's more or less serpentinized peridotite. If you look at the ridge on the east side, you can easily see the contact area demarcation in the vegetation, what with the serpentine soils. Neato. Not surprising I suppose that there's a good bit of platinum.
Yes - a gold platinum mix. There was a platinum mine on the hill you describe (E. side) though I don't know the location, but suspect it was up the ravine/ditch cutting the hill on the E side and S of the property line of the RV camp on the W. side since dredged material (my 5 4 & 3" dredges) showed the strongest platinum there, tapering off the further I moved towards Myrtle Creek.
@@mattmattsongold Oh I don't have a clue! Would love to follow somebody with a camera for a video though. I have made 2 really cool gold mine history videos on Cornucopia and Bohemia if you want to check them out.
thank you- Christian brother and sister, Matt&Connie-I've had a stroke, daughters in the Navy, I'm retired, free time on my hands. Excellent visual instructions, much respect for God's country too. Beautiful art work Connie, are you selling? Matt. I'm located in San Diego, Do you think there is any possibility of finding gold in my area?I love your advice,at the end of your movies,(good morals)
Thanks for that, Lisa. I'm in the stroke club too - glad you're not letting that stop you. Since the Covid-19 Connie has put some things on Ebay since her art shows and everything is canceled: www.ebay.com/use/nocstick She also has her vinyl lettering there (she's done vinyl lettering for you name it for 20 years). As for the gold - I see (straight from the GPAA (your area is one I have never been too though my father was based out of there in WWII (seaplanes PB2Y Coronado 4 engine flying boats & the Martin Mars) that creek beds and gravel deposits near Julian, Wynola, and Santa Ysabel; the Dulzura District in the San Ysidro Mountains, and there are minor deposits in some streams draining the Laguna Mountains. This may be a good opportunity for you since your area is not much prospected and you may have it pretty much to yourself while learning. I do wish you much success and in keeping to the "straight and narrow" of life. While you're out - don't forget it's not simply gold & metals - pick up unusual or "pretty" rocks you see as well and try to ID them. You can make a strike that way as well!
God Forbid Matt !!(Stroke Club)Thank you for Connie's on line Ebay site, We will go there soon daughters underway. How Exciting! A True WWII Hero( Your father) flying/fighting the good fight too! i googled PB2Y Coronado 4 engine Flying Boats Sea Planes, The Martin Mars and WOW so amazingly awesome! men and their flying machines best engineering feats ever; we won the war!(gotta love our flyboys) Plus our WWII Hero made one himself! You mentioned you flew in one of your videos, cool ! ( apple didn't fall far from the tree) anyhoo, i Shouldn't--(almost scared the mineral hunting outta me
No - then I'll give a few qualifications: don't try it winter - spring, work only the time I indicated (summer). The water is very dangerous late winter-spring and you can't get to the gold anyway. The bend where the river turns and goes under the I-5 bridge can be dangerous anytime if you get caught in it and bumper car off the boulders and through the I-5 shute into deep water. Did that at 46 and was beat up for a week, not sure I'd survive it now. So - go for it and have fun as many others have done - it replenishes with plenty of gold for everyone yearly.
You're in the right spot! Haven't made a follow up yet on the rest of the river, but there's plenty of gold that's for sure. Head upstream and give it a go!
Met him a few times at the salvor's meetings in Vero Beach but didn't contract with him. I worked with Calvin DeViney (one of his mentors from the 1733 wrecks (Cal had the mag boat). Cal introduced me to Bob (Frogfoot) Weller (salvaged the gold beach wreck with his crew under contract with Fisher and much more) and when Cal died he really mentored me on gold.
Not in Essential Salmonid Habitat (which is most damned streams, far as I can tell -- even some dry gullies :-) though, eh? Without some special operating permit? Looking at the interactive suction dredging map, looks like suction dredging is not allowed on that stretch -- as far as I can tell. Could be reading it wrong.
@@cacogenicist Who gives a fuck what the Government or Big sister says fuck them I do what I want. AMRA and GPAA LIFE member fight the system or just let them keep fucking you up the ass.
Yep - that figures - and it's why I put the bit in about cleaning up all the trash no matter what source to keep these open. Good gold is right - and they don't want you to have it - so those of you out there on the fence - strike while the iron is hot!
@@mattmattsongold I know a lot of families in the area who grew up bohemia miners. I teach my kids that we leave with more garbage than we came with. What you said is right, so the bohemia and other miners have people clean so much that others have done on the claims. Some of the messes are terrible, with homeless and meth heads. One has to go out with protection now too. An old miner I know down there had drug punks demand his little gold, but all they got was a bigg gun in their face. They were pooping and running. Served them right.
I knew a lot of the Bohemia Miners too - they were active in our group (Dredge Earth First) where we educated the public and taught many to prospect (as I'm doing to this day). Is the group still active? I suspect most I knew are long gone now. Good on that old miner. All I can do at this point in life is let people know where the gold is - access changes, the times and people change, laws change, etc., but where the gold holds doesn't and hopefully the right person at the right time can take that knowledge and use it to better themselves and help their family. Good luck to you!
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I grew up here and now I'm back. Traded in my whitewater kayak for a pontoon boat and I'm going to search all thru these areas. I now live in Winston. Years back I saw a guy pull a domino sized piece of platinum out of Dole road area. Thank you. Smiles
Yep - there was once a platinum shaft up the hill off Dole Road. I have (and many others too) tried to find it without success. Have fun working gold off those gravel bars - it's there for those that simply work it and since you live there, you can do so steadily.
Just moved down to the area from the Willamette Valley and this video is a wonderful source of information. Thank you for making it available.
I missed your post - you're welcome and hope you're doing great!
Unbelievably helpful Matt! So good of you to share. What a memory you have!
Thanks for that, Larry.
Thanks Matt. Very helpful and generous of you.
My camp spot this summer , " EUREKA" 👍
@@markriche1594 we are coming over here also 😂
Absolutely amazing! So grateful for your willingness to share such priceless knowledge. Makes me want to leave my home state of Utah and become an Oregon Duck fan in the summer months. Thank you!
You're welcome and hope you get to experience the Umpqua - it is worth the trip!
I'm utah cat itching to camp for months and get into some gold! If you need some company a fellow pioneer 🤠👌 haha give me a holler.
Thank you for this Matt. So many videos on here telling you "how to" or showing you what they "found", but can't think of any that tell you WHERE to!
So i called off my planned excursion to Bohemia and just spent 3 days following your instructions! Never been down here before this. Only been doing this for 2 years now. As a new prospector i enjoy the research and the hunt, but this was a welcome break from it..lol.. Brought about 150lbs of material home, i'll let you know how it pans out! - Arthur
OUTSTANDING!!!! Bravo for you! Connie and I both are excited to know how it pans out since we now live through what you guys do. You'll see some gold for sure - and will hone in on what areas you want to work next from that. Again: GOOD FOR YOU!!! You did it.
Hey Matt. I'm Matt as well.
I just tried to go down to the river on dole road where I used to go long ago, now that I live up here. The access was chained off and apparently its private property now. That was a shock. I'd forgotten about this video. I'm going down there with my kayak and wetsuit. I'm 64 next month but still at it as much as possible. Thank you for the insights. Smiles
Thanks for that. Parts of that road are private as I recall, it might simply be the residents. I sure like the yak idea - if you can get to the bar below I-5 and start processing from the head of that bar behind the boulder you'll do well (over time - don't have a heart attack). You can then take out about a mile downriver at the bend (you know where I'm talking about I'm sure). Good luck!!!
Thank you, kind Sir! I turn 50 on December 15th and I've been wanting to do something special for myself... Something adventurous and profitable. Even if it isn't a good time of year to get into that water, I am going to go find these places and kick this bucket off of my list!!
May God always bless you and your wife and family. I'll comment again and let you know my experiences as they arise !
Thank you and Merry Christmas! A good bucket list item to do (many of us did). There is still some safe water time left this year (although cold). Spring - is auto death time - water very high and dangerous. Summer - the best. Have fun!
Me to
If you ever go down and want company my son is 47 and needs a ride to the spots, it's the end of August and he really needs a ride
Thanks for the video, my son and I left Florida at the end of may. We spent some time in Washington with some luck panning, buckets and screen. Now we are here in Oregon just down the road from were you shared. Can't wait to get started Monday morning. It's June 30th 2019. Stopping at armadillo mining shop to be sure this part of umpque river is open. Thanks again for your great video
You're welcome. Get plenty of extra buckets or sand bags to take your stuff home and have fun while there. I don't think the original people from Armadillo are alive, but tell the new owners hi from us. Thanks.
@@mattmattsongold yes Sir, we have 12 bucket and 10 sand bags. I will be sure to tell them you and your wife said hello.
I already had gold fever....now I have gold mania....holy crap this is so informational I am very thankful sir! I got me a claim on Graves Creek but I don't think I'll make it there next run...gonna have to check this one out.
Graves Creek is a good one too - I had a claim on Taylor, off the Rogue. The reports back from people working this summer are good from the spots indicated so you shouldn't have any trouble at all since you're experienced (most are anything but and they're doing fine with what I said to do).
Awesome video Matt, your knowledge is very appreciated and thank you for sharing it.
You are most welcome - I hope you put these locations to good use as others are doing. Some working the cracks have been doing quite well.
You are a rare breed, sir. Thank you much for sharing with us, your knowledge from experience.. You are truly unselfish. That is a great quality to have, and I am much appreciative, sir.
You're welcome - we had our time in the sun and scored big, it's time for younger people to have theirs and have the same adrenaline rush of gold that we experienced. Have fun and many adventures to you!
I'm 67 and retired and have been a rock hound my whole life . The gravel field west of Troutdale is where I grew up so there was a lot of rocks to look at . Sure would like to find a bunch of yellow rocks to add to my collection . Thanks for the video .
You are quite welcome - good luck with the collecting!
I grew up close to there also are you going down anytime soon my son needs a ride
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge. You have given me a new way to look at my prospecting and have me info so I don’t get fined. God bless and thank you
You're welcome Zach - very best of luck to you prospecting!
I LIVED NEAR MYRTLE CREEK AND ALL AROUND ROSEBURG IN THE EARLY 70'S AND NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT PROSPECTING, I WAS FISHING. THANKS, MATT!
The fishing must have been incredible then. If you look at some of my early dredging movies, that was the Umpqua - loaded with fish!
So cool to see another gold video from you!
Thanks Jacob - good luck out there.
Used to pan some gold as a kid out of Roberts Creek a tributary of the South Umpqua a bit North of where you are talking about, we had property there and on North Deer Creek, but never got much out of it.
I found in general the farther I moved towards Roseburg the less the creeks produced (although it's kind of funny - "not much" to westerners can be a major score to easterners struggling to find a fly poop speck with a magnifying glass - it's all relative).
Hi, Matt and Connie. Hoping that you are both doing well. I know the rivers are vicious during the winter having worked the Klamath and Scott, thanks for your advice on the Scott River, it really helped me What is your opinion on working the bedrock cracks on Crow creek during the winter, I would love your advice . Thank you
If you can do it safely - remember no gold is worth a life. It might be more productive to look for the cracks (vegetation tips you off - ua-cam.com/video/pkCbNN57los/v-deo.html ) now and work it when you can work out into the river.
First, thank you for the vid. No one would ever tell what your telling but it's very nice of you Matt, Connie. Im new to prospecting,just got a gold cube. Wish I could go out with someone who knows about getting gold. I'm a hands on person. Again thank you so very much will be watching your vid over and over
You're welcome and have a great time on the Umpqua as we did for many years!
Thanks for all your help youve helped inspire me allot... Quick question if using a 4 stack cube with a tromel attachment what would you do to be sufficient? i live 3 hours away but have a large truck would you recomend running my cube and getting as much concentrates as possible or just fill as many buckets as possible to bring back and process?
Good timing - I'm about to post a video on the lower Umpqua River & just this subject. I would fill as many buckets as I possibly could and get them out of there and under my control. Setting up, keeping it running, all take away from time you could be screening into another bucket. At home, you can go through it more thoroughly.
I have been watching and studying your videos for a few days now. Notebook and pen in hand. Thank you so much fir your time, wisdom and knowledge. God bless you sir. Im really looking forward to more videos.
Thanks for that -- now get down there and get some gold like the others have done! Have fun working (that's really all it is, just working it out of the gravels and cracks).
@@mattmattsongold I will probably have to wait until next summer. This winter I plan on panning for gold on the Washington coast. Even though it's flour gold, it still adds up.
Your the best Matt. You got me into faceting gemstones and you made me a gold bug. I can't thank you enough. Your videos are always informative and I wish you and yours the very best.
Thanks for that, and great to know you're carrying on those traditions. Very best of luck to you and yours in the future!
I live a few miles from this spot. I was looking into buying a dredge but the new laws took that chance of making money away from me. I may try digging next summer in this spot . If I have success I will let you know. Thanks for the info. One question. I hike around cow creek a lot. Do you think that table mountain is the possible source for the gold? I know it has creeks feeding both ollala and cow .
Interesting question you posed. I don't think the Cow Creek gold is from one particular source - we know gold veins run in a N/S direction and it is only the relatively small areas that streams and rivers cut them that we see gold placers form in that area. On the other hand - if you look around a lot up there, look for any crystalline gold - that is directly from a vein. The Umpqua: others are doing fine digging as indicated (and more than one person is cleaning out cracks (a long process to do without a dredge) - it all works as long as you persistently work it and that was true in my day as well. Have fun getting that gold!
Thank you so much Matt!!
I'm a little late to the game... Discovered your videos and the Umpqua deposits just this year. I'm not sure if you still monitor comments on this video, but I have a question about that area and wondered if there is another method to reach you so that I am not broadcasting on this platform.
Thank you again!!!
I do monitor the videos - you can always reach me at mattmattson57@gmail.com as well. Wish you the best of luck on the Umpqua!
@@mattmattsongold Thank you so much!
I will reach out via email...
Thank you!
My folks used to dredge for gold up Cow Creek & had a claim on Graves Ck when I was a kid. They both passed away last year. Found their gold pans & have been thinking about trying to pan. I heard it's legal to pan on river & stream beds in Oregon. Thanks for warning me to respect sand bars!I'm in Roseburg now. Your vids are a great help. Do you have any clubs/groups you recommend joining to learn about geography and mining around Roseburg area? Would love to learn to rock hound too! Thanks for the vids!
Josie: I don't have recommendations on clubs in that area. But trying your hand at panning is very easy, and if you simply do what we instruct in the videos and what others do with the simple methods (shovel, screens, pan and maybe a sluice later) you'll be fine, have a lot of fun, and find some gold to boot! I've been on all those creeks of course, had claims on the Umpqua, and Taylor Creek. Good luck!
@@mattmattsongold Thanks. I'll give it a try. Worst that can happen is - I have a lot of fun while - not finding any gold lol
I grew up in riddle and have always loved to explore the river/creeks around here. Just started getting into gold mining the last few years and it’s been a blast. I really appreciate this video and would love a chance to just talk to you and get your opinion on various areas I’ve been to. Thanks again and look forward to talking to you and more videos! 👍
Thanks Tyler - I'm working on another one now (on Cow Creek).
@@mattmattsongold
ua-cam.com/video/Hjpj48enByc/v-deo.html
here is a video you might like. I took a good friend of mine and his family out earlier this summer, got lucky and found enough shiny to get the kids interested ✨⛏
MATT-YOU ARE AWESOME! CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH-IT'S MY OLD STOMPING GROUND BEFORE I EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GOLD...
You're welcome - have fun out there!
heart procedure went well hope to get my son there before too long, thanks a million
That is great news to hear! I'll admit not keeping up with the movies right now since we're going through the same issues with Connie. I hope you have continued good health and get to help your son! Good luck!
Aaarrrrggg Matt. Thanks for the treasure map!!
Haven’t seen you put out a gold video for years? Watched your videos over and over when I was starting. Thanks for the great lessons.
You're quite welcome. I hope those old vids helped you to great success in the field.
Matt Mattson I had a great time. Was able to find gold. Joined a prospectors club here in Arizona. Met good people. Starting to get ramped up for the next go.
I looked up the laws on Oregon gold mining. Not took sure but the Umpqua river might be off limits to prospecting now. And it looks like there might be a freeway over the pillar boulders now.
Are you still living in Florida? Was thinking if I used information from you that I could send you some of the treasure!!
Might be off limits to dredging. Trying to get more information.
Was looking in the wrong place when I saw the freeway over the river. Whooops!
In Alabama now and love it! Umpqua is open, but how you can do it (other than what I proposed) is the question. I'm not going to rule anything in or out since these videos last for a very long time (longer than I ever thought) and things can change rapidly legally for better or worse - but the gold is there! That is the constant.
Is a fisher hold big allowed around the area out of water? I'm trying to get a
Thank you for the info…. got the fever again
That is great and what we all like to hear! Others have been doing good this year - if you're out there, fill as many buckets as possible and work them over the winter - not much good weather season left . . . Have a great time!
Mini nomad breather coming, sniping next summer again thank you for the info really appreciate it and I will be one of those people who will go pick up trash
"Just...Get...The Gold" love this video. Thank you and God bless. looks like my daughter and I have another destination to dive.
If you're diving you can really have fun. Have a great time!
Just found your channel. Absolutely love your channel !!
Good deal. Put another up today on the desert.
So very greatful for how caring and susinct these videos are. Aslo, thank you for keeping up with technology for us! 😎 you rock!
Thank you for that, Connie and I appreciate it very much. Take care and best of luck in the gold fields!
Have you ever tried Coffee Creek tributary of South Umpqua? I heard that and Cow Creek is the source of the South Umpqua gold. Never knew about any platinum mines, nice to know although it is far below gold in value now.
I did not, but others did nothing but work (and talk about) that area. I had my hands full with claims on the Umpqua and Taylor Creek (off the Rogue). It was on Taylor Creek, in the canyon just up from the waterfall (overlook overlooks it) that I had my stroke and had to walk out (a 1/2 mile wading the creek). I believe this also about Cow Creek - it dissects the N/S mountain range to the W of the Umpqua and is working out the gold veins in it (well known they align N/S). The S. Umpqua itself does cut some range to the E and I did have claims on that as well but nowhere near the volume of gold once Cow Creek comes in. In my day the platinum/gold ratio was completely reversed - funny how these relationships assumed stable are anything but stable.
Many thanks for being so generous with this information Matt. Your videos are very informative. I live in Oregon and will be camping along the s. Umpqua for awhile this summer. You can bet I’ll be following your guidance on working these spots. I will let you know how things turn out. I feel like I really got a hot tip. I am optimistic. Thank you once again for all the work you have done and for sharing so many of your experiences in your videos.
You're welcome and if you give it a go would like to hear back on how you do.
Amazing video I have been working this area for two years just messing around. Thank you for this info
You're welcome. Now you can work it methodically and really see some results panning your concentrates this winter - have fun!
very good knoleage really enjoy your video thanks for this very important information puerto rico usa
You're welcome and best of luck to you sir!
This video is truly invaluable, thank you so much for posting. Admittedly I am new to this, but am truly inspired to spend some time on the Umpqua and thoughtfully learn how to work these areas. Hopefully it's somewhat accessible to a newbie! Thank you so much again Matt. Best to you and your family.
Thanks David - the Umpqua is an excellent place to learn where and how gold settles - and the bonus is you get to see real flakes of it (no fly spec stuff people normally show). The serious generally work a crack (crevicing) as these are the only thing that shields gold from the river. There won't be many large pieces (nuggets) found, the Umpqua is high and very violent in the winter grinding everything into flakes and a few miles down from this site: dust is all that's left. Good luck to you!
@@mattmattsongold matt have you ever prospect gold in Georgia
@@coolclide7672 : we've used Georgia for years to test and get the bugs out of our equipment - mainly on that GPAA claim at Buchanan. It's a good place to do that kind of thing for us.
@@mattmattsongold I am knew to all of this I am disabled cant work because brain injury and I need a way to make a little money
@@mattmattsongold I love your work your amazing watched all your videos would love to see a big nugget
Thanks for the video I'll be there in near future short trip or a long trip time will tell thanks again your work very much appreciated kurt
Kurt: in the near future you probably couldn't get near the gold - the Umpqua is usually flooded in the early spring and very dangerous. Low water is June - July - August. You will be able to work it then for sure. Hope you grab a few buckets of material!
Are you still allowed to use suction in these areas? I'm interested in traveling there from the south.
No - we shovel into a screen (or multiple screens) and bucket the material home (wherever that is). If we average the gold in each bucket, we know how many buckets are needed to get to a pound (troy) of gold in a (month, year, etc.). Everyone works different.
The technique of wading into the water to where the bar thins out, is that a technique specific to this location based off topology and/or the off limits nature of the ground? You used a metal detector to find the streak in one video, maybe this same technique was used to zero in on the likely gold path before detecting.
That technique will work on any bar, anywhere in the world. I used a metal detector to run these gold lines sporadically, but there is to much gold/platinum/iron black sands for them to work in the normal way - they're usually simply overloaded. Doggedly diving the river day after day with a smaller dredge determined the gold lines.
Great information Matt, thank you!! I pan out of the Cow Creek and live in Canyonville :) I never knew some of this information!! ✌️
Glad it was helpful!
Hello thank you for the classes great info-question is where can I be informed on the up to date laws for the locations you are showing?
Thanks Bill
That is one thing I don't do anymore, Bill. Some of these movies are now 20+ years old - I had no idea they'd still be circulating and now will certainly survive me. So I pulled those references off and don't comment on legalities now - they've changed since I was mining and seem to change now with every fad & politician that comes along. What doesn't change is locations and that is what I'm concentrating on now.
Ya been waiting for another one! Good work matt!
Thank you, Michael, good luck out there!
Hi Matt. I'm super confused. You mentioned the gold was black? With my research... It says its impossible for gold to turn black naturally. Any chance you can clarify?
I think you picked up on the black pepper flakes I used to give a size comparison. If not, let me know and I'll re-watch to figure it out. (May also be the amalgam (dull grey) mix).
Wow. You're an amazing man of god. God bless you. Thank you so much!!!
You're welcome - a life devoted to things is a stump, a life with God has purpose, and is a flourishing tree. For all my life, this meant teaching others how to do instead of hoarding knowledge only for my use (and it made all the difference).
Thank you Matt and Connie I felt like you made this just for me. Do you think using a vac pack on moss in these areas would produce a decent amount?
I do think that will produce (and cleaning the cracks out of course) it's worth a try - mucking the bar edge out with a shovel is the main producer for flake gold - but that does take serious back work.
"Umpqua" as much fondness I have for gold, the ice cream with that name in the freezer is about as close as I'm going to get to that one. Thanks for the wonderful information, Matt.
I haven't thought of that ice cream in a long long time (Connie had even forgotten it)!
Matt you're are my making my current dreams a literal plan 🙏 thank you sir
Quite welcome and I do hope you get to work this river!
Thanks Matt i love your vids have for years keep it up if you can brother.
Thanks and will do.
Awesome content and Thank you!
You're welcome Liza Jane. Have fun out there.
Just went yesterday, tried all the spots you mentioned. I couldn't even find a speck. but it was my first time ever looking for gold, had a great time though beautiful area really warm waters!
Good that you went - and do not get discouraged! It generally takes a person a year to go from no experience to successful prospecting - keep at it and the very best of luck learning to pan, screen, on and on. You're in a place with serious gold reserves - don't give up! Glad you had fun.
@@mattmattsongold going back in a few days to try again. You should stop by and help us out haha
Would love to do it - just remember to wade out as far as possible and work the bar as low as possible. Let us know when you find your first identifiable flake (needs no magnification). Those flakes in the pan (avatar) are from there.
@@mattmattsongold thanks for sharing your knowledge of the river! What area would best for diving with tweezers? The last location you mentioned near and under the i5 bridge seems like a safe bet
Yes, there are finger cracks in the bedrock up from the I-5 bridge that can be worked with a mask, snorkel and tweezers or a hand dredge (look up gold n sand etc.) Have enough tools to clean the crack down to the bottom of it for best success (small pry bar, coat hanger, etc.) Good luck!
Awesome information
Glad it was helpful!
matt I need an old 4" dredge like the one you had with 1 main sluice in the middle and 2 side sluices for the fines.....he can use non motorized unit but need the parts to go from the suction to each of the 3 sluices and a water pistol....simple and amazing non motorized dredging...pleas help
I went in for eye surgery and missed this - hope he got the parts and you're both doing well!
Matt your a blessing, i am definitely going there!
Excellent - reports are they've been getting good gold through the summer and you should be no exception. Have fun and don't forget the contractor bag for any trash.
thanks, been panning a while in Oregon and havn't been able to find good spots, ill make sure to check these ones out :D
Good - you've found an excellent spot now - have fun!
Mr Mattson , wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge After 2 yrs of watching these videos and yes dreaming of gold, we will soon be in Oregon hopefully making a life changing withdrawal 🙂. Any new locations you want to disclose fo a fellow Ga boy would be much appreciated ! My wife just saw a 2018 bulliten stating the south umqua was under a heath advisory closure and it’s listed as permenant Conviently the algae lives in pools located on bedrock Hmmm.... Thanks again and Godbless you and Mrs Connie
Forgot to say - don't let anything stop you from going - they have "health" advisories there all the time due to the sewage plant at Myrtle Creek - it's nothing new.
@@mattmattsongold don’t worry I’ve come this far , it will take a lot more than some algae to keep me away lol. Thanks again for your knowledge and for sharing it. Now if the rain will stop and river recede we can get back to what we came for !Godbless
Sir, thank you so much for taking the time to teach people the knowledge and experience you have gathered over the years. It would be far easier to just take your earnings and enjoy the rest of your life without saying a word to anyone.
I wanted others to know the same excitement and adventures we had for themselves, and the chance to make something on their own. Good luck out there in the field!
Myrtle creek is closed to mining. Dole bar is off limits, the city posted no trespassing signs all up and down the turn outs.
Good to know - the city was death on mining for years, luckily there's plenty of other places to work (indicated) and if they ever close more I'll just post more.
Hello Matt, be really neat if we meet you in person. There is Nugget Hunt on Yuba on July 29 six miles north of Downieville at this moon flat camp ground. Come on down and prospect with us on the river. 😅
I do appreciate that invite and it certainly would be wonderful if we could! Connie and I are on the other side of the country and will be for awhile after finishing up a rock and gem show in Indiana. Certainly wish you well in the hunt and tell everyone we said hello and BEST OF LUCK to each and every one!
I’m new to this, however have always been intrigued. I want to collect enough to make my girlfriend a wedding ring. We live in Beaverton I have fished the umpqua my whole life but never thought to look for gold! Great video, if you see this comment maybe I can ask a couple questions? Thank you!
Absolutely - whatever you want to ask others will probably be wanting to know too. There's a couple more of these Umpqua videos - you might want to watch the whole series if you're familiar with the river from a fishing standpoint.
@@mattmattsongold had a blast! Found my first few flakes of gold. I want to squeeze in a better trip before the rain starts. Thank you for all your knowledge.
@@Stand.Your.Ground. That is wonderful. As you learn, you'll retrieve more and more - have fun and teach others - good luck!
Matt do you know anyone with an old dredge like you and your wife used to run? I have a non motorized system that will easily replace I.C.E. internal combustion engines
I'm afraid I don't Stephen, most of our contemporaries have gone to the celestial gold fields. There's only 4 left of our group now. Sounds interesting what you're doing! Good luck!
great video sad to say there is no dredging in Oregon right now in that area or hand held suction dredging out of the moratorium area I belive you can dredge check to make sure Oregon is following California,s laws on gold mining
I wasn't aware you could dredge at all - anywhere out there. Whatever the case, hopefully the young people will straighten things out eventually. If not, it will simply be like so many other things they've turned away from. For now - anyone with a shovel and some determination can still do well by slowly working it out. Thanks for commenting.
How do you separate the platinum?
It is heavy and separates with the gold out of everything else. From there you simply separate by color.
Matt Thank you your the best !!!!!
Ahh - you found some! Excellent.
mr. Matheson do you know of any places in Sierra City California?
I don't know of places in the city - but you can find it by using the techniques in the movies you've already seen. Take a magnet down to any of the gravel bars you see and when the magnet picks up "black sand" (weathering iron ore) there is a very high probability there is gold mixed in (a magnifier will tell you that). Good luck!
Thank you. I'm going to go check out the creek that you're talkin about in this video thank you again
Excellent, thanks
You're welcome and dig a bunch out for those of us that no longer can.
Hello thank you for the information I live in sourthern oregon and I wanted to contact you because I need your expert opinion and guidance I have been working the south umpqua boomer hill rd right down from the old trailer park the area has shallow bed rock that is exposed about a foot under water I have been using my suckered tube I made I find a lot of flood gold vary thin and small I cleared a channel and under the rock and sand is bedrock and there is this grayish green clay that I exposed I know gold will stick on top of this material but I was hopping you could tell me is there gold under this clay on the hard rock under it I have cleared about 2 feet of this channel and not finding much at all at least not enough to make it worth my time I will change my strategy and work the edge of the gravel bar that is in the middle I will do exactly how you instructed but I really would like to know if I should dig up the clay or just skip over it I will also spend some time down further by the trailer park the river is vary low this year so in some spots I can work almost in the middle channel of the river I am trying to find that pay streak you talk about so I will watch the video again and take more detailed notes the tools I am using are basic buckets screens and shovel and my suckered tube I made I work in the water I am careful I abide by all rules that are in place so if you could help me out I would be grateful for your input and again thank you. Mark canning
Mark: Good on getting into the flood gold quickly - in the main - most people are satisfied with that alone. Clay: that clay can be feet thick - wasn't worthwhile to me, but there is gold under it, bigger flakes but scattered. If practicable: I would recommend digging a small patch (no more than 3 feet square) of clay out (peel the top clay cap off) - fill/screen the bucket with what you get from there to bedrock - and just pan that one bucket. That will satisfy your mind one way or the other - and we didn't waste a lot of your time. PAYSTREAK(S): there are two on each side - coming down from Myrtle Creek going towards the bend at the I-5 bridge. The streak on the campground side has the most gold by far - the streak on the far side has the bigger gold (still flakes - larger). The flood gold you're finding is wafting up from a streak as you know. Since the water is so low - and you've found the flood gold - would it be possible to turn 180º away from the bar towards the middle of the river and take out material in a trench line? Some are actually keeping records (smart thing to do especially if a local resident) on what they're finding and where (amount/bucket/location) - and working into streaks that way. The bottom is very shallow going towards the bend a I-5 - the two streaks come together Y just to the inside of those boulders and blow down below the bridge. Above that shallow area (along the drop-off sides in the deep part) are the streaks - they are approximately 4 feet wide on each side and the gold is in patches (why I looked for cracks where it would concentrate). As the gold goes into the shallow area to make that bend to I-5 - it is being blown upwards with tremendous force in the spring. Thus that scattered flood gold. We can find a lot of gold - but it takes a lot of buckets and steady work over time. Once you've got all those buckets at the house and are processing over winter - there will be a lot of granular gold from that area due to the flakes being ground in that stretch. You're finding gold quickly though - that part is done. Good going!
Thank you mr. Madison
You're welcome.
Ah, Interesting. Looking at some geological maps, that section of river -- just slightly south of that first bar -- cuts through a roughly east-west running section of an ophiolite -- so it's more or less serpentinized peridotite. If you look at the ridge on the east side, you can easily see the contact area demarcation in the vegetation, what with the serpentine soils. Neato.
Not surprising I suppose that there's a good bit of platinum.
Yes - a gold platinum mix. There was a platinum mine on the hill you describe (E. side) though I don't know the location, but suspect it was up the ravine/ditch cutting the hill on the E side and S of the property line of the RV camp on the W. side since dredged material (my 5 4 & 3" dredges) showed the strongest platinum there, tapering off the further I moved towards Myrtle Creek.
Matt, Why is some of the gold from this are black in color? JOHN
Some of that is actually platinum.
youre a blast. Thanks!
You're welcome.
Is there any claims for sale
This you would find out on the BLM website with their search engine.
This is so awesome.
Glad you enjoyed it and hope you get to work the sites.
@@mattmattsongold Oh I don't have a clue! Would love to follow somebody with a camera for a video though. I have made 2 really cool gold mine history videos on Cornucopia and Bohemia if you want to check them out.
@@MattCookOregon : thanks for that tip, Matt, I'll check those out.
thank you- Christian brother and sister, Matt&Connie-I've had a stroke, daughters in the Navy, I'm retired, free time on my hands. Excellent visual instructions, much respect for God's country too. Beautiful art work Connie, are you selling? Matt. I'm located in San Diego, Do you think there is any possibility of finding gold in my area?I love your advice,at the end of your movies,(good morals)
Thanks for that, Lisa. I'm in the stroke club too - glad you're not letting that stop you. Since the Covid-19 Connie has put some things on Ebay since her art shows and everything is canceled: www.ebay.com/use/nocstick She also has her vinyl lettering there (she's done vinyl lettering for you name it for 20 years). As for the gold - I see (straight from the GPAA (your area is one I have never been too though my father was based out of there in WWII (seaplanes PB2Y Coronado 4 engine flying boats & the Martin Mars) that creek beds and gravel deposits near Julian, Wynola, and Santa Ysabel; the Dulzura District in the San Ysidro Mountains, and there are minor deposits in some streams draining the Laguna Mountains. This may be a good opportunity for you since your area is not much prospected and you may have it pretty much to yourself while learning. I do wish you much success and in keeping to the "straight and narrow" of life. While you're out - don't forget it's not simply gold & metals - pick up unusual or "pretty" rocks you see as well and try to ID them. You can make a strike that way as well!
God Forbid Matt !!(Stroke Club)Thank you for Connie's on line Ebay site, We will go there soon daughters underway. How Exciting! A True WWII Hero( Your father) flying/fighting the good fight too! i googled PB2Y Coronado 4 engine Flying Boats Sea Planes, The Martin Mars and WOW so amazingly awesome! men and their flying machines best engineering feats ever; we won the war!(gotta love our flyboys) Plus our WWII Hero made one himself! You mentioned you flew in one of your videos, cool ! ( apple didn't fall far from the tree) anyhoo, i Shouldn't--(almost scared the mineral hunting outta me
what happened my whole reply to you is cut off?
I live in Medford. At 80, I am healthy. Any reason not to give this a try?
No - then I'll give a few qualifications: don't try it winter - spring, work only the time I indicated (summer). The water is very dangerous late winter-spring and you can't get to the gold anyway. The bend where the river turns and goes under the I-5 bridge can be dangerous anytime if you get caught in it and bumper car off the boulders and through the I-5 shute into deep water. Did that at 46 and was beat up for a week, not sure I'd survive it now. So - go for it and have fun as many others have done - it replenishes with plenty of gold for everyone yearly.
Ohhh, Matt where's the Followup video? I'm right up the road from there in Winston!
You're in the right spot! Haven't made a follow up yet on the rest of the river, but there's plenty of gold that's for sure. Head upstream and give it a go!
@@mattmattsongold Will do! Did you ever work with Mr. Mel Fisher Down down in Fla?
Met him a few times at the salvor's meetings in Vero Beach but didn't contract with him. I worked with Calvin DeViney (one of his mentors from the 1733 wrecks (Cal had the mag boat). Cal introduced me to Bob (Frogfoot) Weller (salvaged the gold beach wreck with his crew under contract with Fisher and much more) and when Cal died he really mentored me on gold.
Thank you from ohio
You're welcome and hope you get out there!
Mr.matt could i get a full series of your videos ill pay cash
Adam: just type in Matt Mattson Gold and they should tumble out - they're all free.
@@mattmattsongold thank you matt
We can dredge in Oregon 😂 nice area I've been there 1000 times 😁
Thanks for the info Josh.
@@mattmattsongold what creeks what time of year and all the above is regulated to shit but we can still do it FUCKING COMMUNIST
@@mattmattsongold I joined the GPAA a few years back got my lifetime member love it. Moving to Fairbanks soon 😁
Not in Essential Salmonid Habitat (which is most damned streams, far as I can tell -- even some dry gullies :-) though, eh? Without some special operating permit?
Looking at the interactive suction dredging map, looks like suction dredging is not allowed on that stretch -- as far as I can tell. Could be reading it wrong.
@@cacogenicist Who gives a fuck what the Government or Big sister says fuck them I do what I want. AMRA and GPAA LIFE member fight the system or just let them keep fucking you up the ass.
I live in Roseburg just a memer passing by
Take advantage of it!
Matt Mattson alrighty
old garden valley rd, looking for a dredge
Under water fully submersible detector
😮
I used to go to dole Bar down there and always find good gold, now you can't it's blocked off and the cops will get you.
Yep - that figures - and it's why I put the bit in about cleaning up all the trash no matter what source to keep these open. Good gold is right - and they don't want you to have it - so those of you out there on the fence - strike while the iron is hot!
@@mattmattsongold I know a lot of families in the area who grew up bohemia miners. I teach my kids that we leave with more garbage than we came with. What you said is right, so the bohemia and other miners have people clean so much that others have done on the claims. Some of the messes are terrible, with homeless and meth heads. One has to go out with protection now too. An old miner I know down there had drug punks demand his little gold, but all they got was a bigg gun in their face. They were pooping and running. Served them right.
I knew a lot of the Bohemia Miners too - they were active in our group (Dredge Earth First) where we educated the public and taught many to prospect (as I'm doing to this day). Is the group still active? I suspect most I knew are long gone now. Good on that old miner. All I can do at this point in life is let people know where the gold is - access changes, the times and people change, laws change, etc., but where the gold holds doesn't and hopefully the right person at the right time can take that knowledge and use it to better themselves and help their family. Good luck to you!