Many CSERC members may not have personally experienced suction dredging taking place in a stream or river in the local region.   But especially in the summer season, many recreational miners have brought suction dredging equipment to local waters in search of gold.
	The basic practice of suction dredging in California's rivers is fairly simple .   Using a hose with a nozzle size as big as 8" in diameter, the recreational miner sucks gravels and sediment through a vacuum system that sends the material through a series of catchment troughs or filters in a sluice box.   The silt pours back into the river or stream.   A lucky miner can end a day with some amount of gold that's been sucked from the river bottom or from beds of gravel, cracks in rocks, or the submerged portion of the riverbank.

The environmental problems caused by suction dredging are also fairly straightforward to describe .   First and foremost, the suctioning of gravel, silt, and mud produces muddy water that reduces water quality.   John (CSERC's director) frequently had direct contacts with suction dredgers when he worked many years ago for the Forest Service.   He observed times when the entire South Fork Stanislaus River looked like muddy sludge for at least a quarter-mile downstream from suction dredgers actively working the river bottom.  

Suction dredging does more than just muddy the water.   It can disturb egg masses of frogs or the eggs of fish in stream gravels.   It can suck in tadpoles or juvenile fish.   It almost always generates loud noise that disturbs quiet recreational visitors to public land rivers and streams.   It can stir up buried mercury from historic mining era use.   In addition, suction dredgers usually drive as close to their dredging pool as possible, often parking their vehicles close to the river where petroleum contamination is a high risk .

Over recent months, John has represented the local region at a State Department of Fish and Game (DFG) stakeholders committee in Sacramento that included many pro-dredging supporters, tribal interests, and other non-government organizations.   The purpose of the sessions was to help inform DFG officials of concerns, issues, ideas, and points of conflict as DFG prepares a new set of regulations that a court ordered the State to produce.   The State legislature enacted a complete moratorium on suction dredging while the new regulations are being developed.   That doesn't mean that all recreational miners will comply with the ban on dredging.

CSERC urges each of you to be vigilant watchdogs this summer.   Anyone who sees suction dredging taking place in any stream or river (public or private land) should report the violation to the DFG "CalTip" hotline (found online).   Try to take photographs and document the time and location.

CSERC is pushing for the new regulations to eliminate suction dredging in streams or river segments with threatened and endangered aquatic species that have potential to be harmed by the dredging.   CSERC also believes no dredging should be allowed in popular quiet recreation areas or in stream reaches where water is withdrawn for domestic water supplies.