The basic concepts of retrieving gold has not changed much from the beginnings of the gold rush. The concept is that the gold in sand or soil will settle to the bottom, as it is heavier, and the dirt, sand and rock will wash away. The original method was to perform placer mining involved gold panning, sluice boxes and rockers. Each of these methods involves washing away everything and allowing the gold to settle to the bottom of the pan, or in the riffles of the sluice. The gold dredge is the same concept but on a much larger scale.

 

It is not uncommon to see a dredge profitably working the tailings of some of the old mines and tailing dumps.

There are three basic types of dredges on the market today. They include surface dredge, submersible dredging tube and the underwater submersible dredge. The surface dredge is the most popular, efficient and versatile gold recovery machine.

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