Gold Canyon
Encyclopedia
Gold Canyon is located a few miles south of Alleghany, California
, on the border between Sierra
and Nevada Counties
. The middle fork of the Yuba River
flows through the canyon. Gold mining
began in Gold Canyon in the early 1850s and has continued to present day. Three major gold mines are located here: German Bar Mine, Gold Canõn Mine, and Independent Mine.
Before power was brought to the area, the nearby Plumbago Mine built a power plant on the river next to the present day bridge. A dam was also built about a mile up river which fed a 3 foot (0.9144 m) redwood penstock that supplied high pressure water to the power plant.
Once power was brought to the area, the power plant was shut down, and soon afterward local miners began dismantling the penstock to use the redwood. William Whore used the wood to build three cabins. Two of those remain today, but the third burned in 1949.
There was also extensive drag line dredging done in the river, just west of the old power plant site. Hough piles of giant boulders remain in arc shaped piles on the south side of the river.
Gold Canyon has also been the site of three plane crashes, the first a large commercial plane in the late 1940s, the second a small private plane in the early 1960s, and the last was a small helicopter around 1980.
Today there is still active mining in Gold Canyon, both placer
and hard rock.
Alleghany, California
Alleghany is a small census-designated place in Sierra County, California, United States in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is situated in the Gold Country and continues to be a significant locale for gold mining. The famous Sixteen-to-One Mine has been in operation since the days of the...
, on the border between Sierra
Sierra County, California
Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,240, down from 3,555 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Downieville....
and Nevada Counties
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
. The middle fork of the Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
flows through the canyon. Gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
began in Gold Canyon in the early 1850s and has continued to present day. Three major gold mines are located here: German Bar Mine, Gold Canõn Mine, and Independent Mine.
Before power was brought to the area, the nearby Plumbago Mine built a power plant on the river next to the present day bridge. A dam was also built about a mile up river which fed a 3 foot (0.9144 m) redwood penstock that supplied high pressure water to the power plant.
Once power was brought to the area, the power plant was shut down, and soon afterward local miners began dismantling the penstock to use the redwood. William Whore used the wood to build three cabins. Two of those remain today, but the third burned in 1949.
There was also extensive drag line dredging done in the river, just west of the old power plant site. Hough piles of giant boulders remain in arc shaped piles on the south side of the river.
Gold Canyon has also been the site of three plane crashes, the first a large commercial plane in the late 1940s, the second a small private plane in the early 1960s, and the last was a small helicopter around 1980.
Today there is still active mining in Gold Canyon, both placer
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
and hard rock.