dose any one have any tips on how to deal with dry rivers I dug a small hole in river bottom directed what water I could into said hole it worked for a while but soon turned to mud next trip I might have to take plastic tub and water doing my rain dance but not working 8.(
tips for the dry months
- Thread starter richo966
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Its a bit of a thinking game and hard work in the dry seasons and depending on the spot your digging, you will have to make do with what you can. Obviously, we can't fill a trailor and take that to water. Tarps in the dry hole or pond liner will help stop the ground soaking up your water. As you said, you are finding the water silt up after a short time and you now need to think about filtering.
There's many ways, an easy one is make a ground filter for the water that runs off your sluice, you don't want rock falling off the sluice into it, only water. At the top of the filter start with big rocks, and as you work downwards, lower the size of rocks every half metre or so until your down to pebbles and lasty sand. You can also throw grass filters along the way too. The sand will slow down the flow so you want that end to be wide. I personally havnt tried it yet but to me it would work.
The American husband wife team ( I can't remember thier forum username
) had a fine steel mesh or strong cloth material at the end of thier sluice to screen small particles like mud and they scrape it off the screen wiyh a little hand tool. Its on the forum somewhere but sorry mate, I just can't remember the name great example of what I'm trying to explain though.
Settling ponds can work too, several holes that the water needs to pass over and gives silts the chance to drop into the ponds.
Whatever you are using to filter, it will need constant attention to make sure it doesn't clog up.
If sluicing and all of this is too much, think of minimal water utensils like rocker boxes on a tub. You feed water manually with a bucket or hand pump like yobskins. Even pan in a bucket if you have to, you will be suprised what you find when it comes to limited working. All of this is of course..if you can get water to the location.
Unfotunately the creeks usually stay moist so dry blowing is out of the question too.
Look on maps for dams in the location.
I've been limited to dry panning before, didn't find anything, but gave it a go. Theres always a way mate, never give up, learn how to work in the dry and consider the dry season a plus instead of a negative
There's many ways, an easy one is make a ground filter for the water that runs off your sluice, you don't want rock falling off the sluice into it, only water. At the top of the filter start with big rocks, and as you work downwards, lower the size of rocks every half metre or so until your down to pebbles and lasty sand. You can also throw grass filters along the way too. The sand will slow down the flow so you want that end to be wide. I personally havnt tried it yet but to me it would work.
The American husband wife team ( I can't remember thier forum username
) had a fine steel mesh or strong cloth material at the end of thier sluice to screen small particles like mud and they scrape it off the screen wiyh a little hand tool. Its on the forum somewhere but sorry mate, I just can't remember the name great example of what I'm trying to explain though.Settling ponds can work too, several holes that the water needs to pass over and gives silts the chance to drop into the ponds.
Whatever you are using to filter, it will need constant attention to make sure it doesn't clog up.
If sluicing and all of this is too much, think of minimal water utensils like rocker boxes on a tub. You feed water manually with a bucket or hand pump like yobskins. Even pan in a bucket if you have to, you will be suprised what you find when it comes to limited working. All of this is of course..if you can get water to the location.
Unfotunately the creeks usually stay moist so dry blowing is out of the question too.
Look on maps for dams in the location.
I've been limited to dry panning before, didn't find anything, but gave it a go. Theres always a way mate, never give up, learn how to work in the dry and consider the dry season a plus instead of a negative
I use a material at work that lets water pass threw but stops mud and dirt might try using some of that it is called terra firma very use full stuff in pluming only using sieves at the moment trying to do the right thing not using up the farmers water in the dry thanks for the idea mate will let you know how I make out
