How long is mining season in Alaska?
How long is mining season in Alaska?
Now, what I do know is that Alaska’s cold season sets around October and lasts until March-April. So I have to say about 5-6 months of gold mining would be about right. Unless you have an operation as large as the RED Dog Mine which is located near Kotzebue, Alaska which operates 365 days per year.
Can you still stake a claim in Alaska for homesteading?
No. Homesteading ended on all federal lands on October 21, 1986. The State of Alaska currently has no homesteading program for its lands. In 2012, the State made some state lands available for private ownership through two types of programs: sealed-bid auctions and remote recreation cabin sites.
How many gold dredges are in Nome Alaska?
In 2020, a year kneecapped by the coronavirus pandemic that sidelined some miners, the Nome-ported gold dredge fleet numbered about 42 to 45 vessels, plus another approximately 30 support vessels, Stotts said.
Who owns the dredge in Nome Alaska?
The “Dredge” is owned and operated by a mining family with three generations of Nome Alaska mining ties. There were six operating dredges in Nome in the early 1900’s.
Can You dredge for gold in Alaska?
For unlucky dredgers, weeks of dredging might result in barely any gold at all. Gold dredging in Alaska is also legally complicated. Like any other form of mining, dredging is heavily regulated by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) and the U.S. Department of Interior. Norton Sound is a protected salmon fishery.
Can You dredge for gold in Norton Sound?
In the meantime, the waters of the Norton Sound are icy cold, and visibility underwater near the seabed is almost nil. And there are no guarantees. For unlucky dredgers, weeks of dredging might result in barely any gold at all. Gold dredging in Alaska is also legally complicated.
How do offshore dredgers make money?
Dredgers fortunate enough to hold an offshore claim or lease can sublease it to another party, or grant another dredger permission to dredge the claim, in exchange for royalties. Suction dredging is thus a risky, legally complex, and very competitive way of making money.
Where can you find unrefined gold in Alaska?
They have also been finding placer gold (i.e., unrefined gold) in the seabed of Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea. Several waterways drain into Norton Sound off the Seward Peninsula, depositing fine quantities of gold into the shallow waters near the coast.
