Karuk slam Gold Suction Dredging 

But the Karuk Indian tribe and two environmental groups are sick of suction dredging -- a technique they argue is polluting sections of North State rivers, making if tough for salmon and other critters to survive and thrive.

They even argue that the toxic sediment spit back out has high levels of mercury - mercury that finds its way back into the food chain and that can lead to mental retardation and birth defects.

"The reality is that there have not been many extensive studies on the effects of mining," admitted Karuk spokesperson Craig Tucker. "What is available concludes that dredging is harmful to fish and that is certainly the conclusion of our biologists."

Last week, the Karuk, California Trout and Friends of the North Fork formally petitioned California Fish and Game to restrict the controversial gold mining technique "as California faces the worst fisheries collapse in history," Tucker said.

Suction dredges are powered by gas or diesel engines that are mounted on floating pontoons in the river. Attached to the engine is a powerful vacuum hose which the dredger uses to suction up the gravel and sand (sediment) from the bottom of the river. The material passes through a sluice box where heavier gold particles can settle into a series of riffles. The rest of the gravel and potentially toxic sediment is typically dumped back into the river.

"Depending on size, location and density of these machines they can turn a clear-running mountain stream into a murky watercourse unfit for swimming," Tucker said.

In addition, dredging reintroduces toxic mercury into the environment.

"There is a lot of mercury settled on the bottom of these rivers as the result of gold mining operations in the 1800's," said Izzy Martin, director of the Sierra Fund. "Dredging reintroduces mercury to the stream creating a toxic hazard for fish and people."

The Department of Fish and Game is revising its regulations in compliance with a 2006 court order - revisions that could lead to restrictions and new laws about suction dredging.

 

But those rule changes could come too late, Tucker argues. The funding to perform the necessary California Environmental Quality Act processes to make rule changes may disappear from the budget in the wake of the current budget impasse. Restricting suction dredging could take years. The petitioners argue that the measures are needed immediately. The groups want Department of Fish and Game Director Don Koch to use the same authority he used to restrict recreational and commercial fishing last year again this year to restrict suction dredging.

But that could be easier said than done, Craig admits.

"Miners - although a small group of users -- they are politically savvy and get a lot of help from so called property rights groups like the Pacific Legal Fund," Tucker said.

Some 3,000 mining permits are issued each year in California compared to 2.4 million
fishing licenses sold each year in California. In other words, Tucker argues, only a handful of miners - particularly suction miners - are polluting streams and rivers at the expense of anglers and Indian tribes who depend on fish.

"Suction dredge mining is nothing more than recreational genocide," said Leaf Hillman of the Karuk Tribe. "The first gold rush killed more than half our people in 10 years. This modern gold rush continues to kill our fish and our culture. While we cannot harvest enough salmon for our ceremonies or to meet our families' food needs, miners are allowed to rip and tear our river bottoms to shreds."

"Folks' perception of tribal fisheries is inaccurate," Tucker said. "Although the Yuroks at the mouth of the river harvest significant numbers of fish in years that returns are greater than the protected spawning 'floor' of 30,000 fish, there are few fish harvested by Karuks. The only significant run of salmon left in the Klamath is fall run Chinook."

"The result is that the Karuk rarely harvests more than 200 fish in a given
season. Karuk only harvest salmon from one site - Ishi Pishi Falls - using dip
nets. This is a gear-limited fishery as it's hard to catch fish in dip nets. The Karuk Tribe does not gill net!"

Fish and Game's Don Koch will have to consider the groups' petition to limit mining and make a ruling before the end of the month.

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