The water calendar: low water after the floods
The best time for stream prospecting is when the water drops after the flood season. Floods move the whole bed, re-sort the gravel and drop the heavy material at the traps as they ebb. A bedrock crack that was buried may now be exposed; gold that was scattered may have gathered at the head of a bar. Once the level falls and the water clears, that new arrangement is within reach and the stream is safe to wade.
Learn your region’s water calendar. In some places high water comes with snowmelt in spring; in others it comes with autumn and winter rain. Where summers are long and dry, streams sink to their lowest levels towards autumn and many traps sit high and dry. In mild climates winter can be a good opportunity; in cold ones the risk of icy rock and cold water outweighs the benefit, and winter is better spent on maps and planning.
Going out in high water is both dangerous and pointless. The traps are under fast, muddy water where you cannot reach them, and you cannot see what goes into your pan. If it has rained hard upstream, wait a day or two. A falling level and clearing water are the condition for safety and for results alike. Right after a flood the banks are soft and freshly dropped gravel is loose, so on the first day it is often wiser to watch the bed from above than to walk it.
Flash floods: when the rain is not falling on you
In narrow valleys the greatest danger is often not overhead but further up the catchment. A downpour many kilometres upstream can raise a stream within minutes without a single drop falling where you stand. In dry country, on bare rocky slopes and in steep side creeks, water runs straight into the channel instead of soaking in. The risk is there even on a sunny afternoon while you are working a dry bar.
There are usually warnings if you look for them. Dark clouds building over the catchment, distant thunder, water turning muddy, twigs and leaves riding the surface, a rising level and a change in the sound of the stream are all signals. When you notice one, do not debate it: leave the gear and get to high ground at once. A pan and a bucket can be recovered.
Park and camp well above the flood line. Lines of drift wood left by past floods, mud marks on tree trunks and debris caught high on the bank show how far the water can come up. If you are going into a narrow gorge, working a bar you could be cut off on, or anywhere whose only way out crosses the stream, make sure that day’s forecast covers the whole catchment, not just the spot you are standing on.
Wading and crossing
If the water is above your knees and moving fast, do not go in. The force of moving water rises quickly with depth, and knee-deep fast water can take an adult off their feet. If you have to cross, choose a wide, shallow, slow stretch where the water spreads out, not the narrow fast gap. Face upstream, use a pole as a third point of contact, move one foot at a time, and work across at an angle downstream.
Unbuckle your pack’s hip belt and chest strap before you cross, so you can shed the pack if you fall. Keep your footwear on: the bed is sharp, slippery and hidden. Never cross a stream you could not cross twice; the water can rise while you are on the far side and cut off your way back. When in doubt, not crossing is always the right call.
- Above the knee and fast: do not cross.
- Pick a wide, shallow, slow stretch; avoid the narrow gap.
- Face upstream, pole in hand, three points of contact.
- Unbuckle the hip belt and chest strap.
- If you are not sure you can cross back, do not cross.
Cold water and hypothermia
Water draws heat from your body far faster than air does. Hours bent over cold water, wet sleeves and wind can bring on hypothermia at temperatures well above freezing. The first signs are easy to miss: shivering, clumsy hands, trouble holding the pan, small mistakes in simple tasks. Clumsiness, slurred speech and poor judgement follow. When the shivering stops, that is a sign things are getting worse, not better.
A sudden fall into cold water is a separate danger. The first moment brings an involuntary gasp, which on its own is serious if your head is under. Muscles lose strength fast, and within minutes swimming or holding on becomes hard. So in the cold season be even more careful near fast water, and if you get soaked, change into dry clothes straight away.
Prevention is simple but takes discipline. Waterproof gloves, short sessions, warm-up breaks and a hot drink in a flask extend the season. Keep a full set of dry clothes in the vehicle. When your hands stop working, the day is over: numb hands cost you the pan and the gold at best, and your balance at worst. When you see ice on the rocks, leave the stream for another day.
Heat, sun and water
In summer the danger flips. Bare gravel bars soak up and reflect heat, and there is often no shade. Bent over a pan, the coolness of the water hides how hot you are getting. Heat exhaustion comes with headache, nausea, weakness and heavy sweating, and it eases with shade, water and rest. Confusion, hot dry skin or drifting consciousness are signs of heatstroke, which is an emergency.
Start early and spend the hottest part of the day in the shade. Carry more water than the day needs; stream water is not safe to drink untreated. Bending, digging and wading burn far more energy than walking the same distance, so do not skimp on food either. Drink regularly rather than waiting to feel thirsty, and on days when you sweat heavily remember you are losing salt as well as water; keep something salty in the pack.
Water and pale gravel reflect the sun strongly. The glare burns your face and tires your eyes from above and below at once, and hours of staring at water wear you down even on overcast days. Wear sunglasses, a brimmed hat and sunscreen, and a light, pale long-sleeved shirt helps too. But wash your hands after applying sunscreen and before you pan: grease makes fine gold float on the surface and wash out of the pan.
Slippery rock, hole walls and old workings
Most injuries in this hobby are not dramatic: they are slips on wet rock. Green or algae-covered boulders, wet clay and flat stones just under the surface can be as slick as ice. Wear boots with real grip, move slowly and deliberately, and never jump from rock to rock. Carrying a heavy bucket or shovel makes your balance worse; lighten the load and try to keep both hands free.
The wall of the hole you dig is a hazard too. Gravel and sand collapse without warning. Keep holes shallow and wide rather than deep and narrow, and never undercut a bank or slope you are standing beneath. When digging a bar or bank, watch for loose rock above, tree roots and banks the water has hollowed out.
Old mine workings are a class of danger of their own. Shafts can be hidden under vegetation, adits can collapse and hold bad air you cannot breathe, and waste dumps can slide. Prospect the streams below old workings, but stay out of the workings themselves. However inviting an adit mouth looks, do not step inside, not even to look.
Planning for remote valleys, and when to turn back
Plan on the assumption that there is no phone signal. Carry a map that works offline, bring a spare battery, and if you are heading somewhere remote consider a satellite messenger. Before you go, tell someone which stream you are going to, where you will leave the vehicle, which stretch you will walk and when you will be back. Agree in advance what they should do, and whom they should call, if you are late. If the plan changes, tell them that too.
If you can, do not go alone. With two people, a slip, a twisted ankle or a sudden illness stays a setback instead of becoming something worse. If you do go alone, make the plan more cautious: a shorter stretch, an earlier return time, a route that does not stray far from the track. Carry heavy gear only once you know where you will dig; a scouting day needs a pan, a trowel, a screen and a few small items.
The most important rule is to set a turnaround time in advance and keep it. When you have just hit promising gravel, the urge to stay another hour is strong; beat it with the decision you made before you left. Allow for the walk out taking longer than the walk in: tired legs, a heavier pack and failing light all slow you down. When any of the following happens, pack up and head back, whatever you have found. The stream will still be there tomorrow.
- Your turnaround time has come, whatever is in the pan.
- The water is rising, turning muddy, or the sky over the catchment is darkening.
- Your hands are going numb, you have started shivering, or you are getting clumsy.
- You have a headache or nausea, or your water is running low.
- Someone in the group is struggling, or the plan is clearly running late.