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Cache
Creek
The historic
Cache Creek placer of Colorado has
been acquired by the BLM and they
have been working for the past few
years, in conjunction with the Gold
Prospectors of Colorado, to open and
keep it open, for use by gold
prospectors and the public.
Their goal is to provide an area for
gold prospecting that is off the
Arkansas River, to help manage the
prospecting impact on the river.
There are many regulations that must
be followed for use of this area, and
as long as people will cooperate,
this area will be open to gold
prospecting for many years to come.
However, be aware that if too many
problems arise from this area, BLM
can and will close it. Please
be polite and respectful of each
other and we can continue to enjoy the
experience of this long time gold
bearing region for some time.
General information about the area
is provided here, and updated as
things change. Please check
back when you are coming, to see if
anything new is happening that you
will need to comply with.
Watch
this page for 2010 updates as they
become available. Meetings are
underway now concerning this
season's regulations and
restrictions.
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Cache Creek BLM
public prospecting is open from
approximately
Memorial Day weekend until the end
of November. The area can be
found west of the Granite Store by
turning west at the store and taking
the road that travels behind it and
around the hill to the west.
Travel this road until you reach the
power lines. You will find a
road that travels south along the
power lines known as the Power Line
Road. The BLM sign above will
be at the entrance to this area.
Take this road to the Day Use
parking lot. You made it!
If you are camping in this area,
please be advised that you may not
camp or sleep in your car in the parking lot.
There are several camping areas near
by, and the Forest Service will be
encouraging
you to
use other camping facilities in the
area.
Also, motorized vehicles are not
allowed off road and must be parked
within 30 feet of the road. |
The parking lots
are for day use ONLY. The usual 14
day limit on camping used state wide
will be observed. The parking
space directly to the east of the
kiosk is reserved for the Camp Host,
which is the only camp allowed in
the parking lot and may be used ONLY
by the designated host for the week.
These hosts will have an official
sign and other clothing that will
identify them as such. They
are there to assist you and give you
any information they can about the
area.
You will find
another locked gate across the road
at the south end of the parking lot.
This road is for BLM forestry
efforts and their loggers. No
parking is allowed in front of this
gate as the Forester needs to access
the road on a daily basis. If,
however, you are parked there, he
will wench you out of the way.
2010
Updates
Meetings with BLM
this year have given us some new
information about what will be
required of all prospectors to the
Cache Creek area. The most
notable will be the 14 day time
limit per season per person that
will be imposed on all prospectors
to the area regardless of equipment
they are using. Each
prospector may be required to fill
out a form on a daily basis so that
this time limit can be monitored and
enforced. A part time summer
person will be hired to assist the
Royal Gorge office in monitoring and
policing both the Cache Creek and
Arkansas River. However, who
will be required to fill out the
form is still being discussed.
To be sure, anyone who decides to
take up residence and work this
public area as their own, as many
did last year, will be unable to do
so this year. If you are
looking for that much work, file
your own claim.
Cache
Creek requires a special 14 day
limit use permit for motorized highbankers. Permit papers can
be downloaded from the BLM link
below and sent in to be returned to
you. If you do not apply
before you come to the area, you can
fill them out and pay the fee in
Salida at the Headwaters Group
building. BLM may provide
forms onsite this year, however that
is still not decided.
The pond work was
completed last September with a
couple of small ponds put in to help
catch sediments before they get to
the pond.
GOLD was found
in an old bank to the south and east
of the parking lot in the late
spring of '07. Many
prospectors brought out some very
nice gold from this
old placer area that the old timers
left due to values being too low
for them to process. There are
also several places where sluices
ran over and spilled gold in their
tailings. The BLM has assessed
the use of this area in the Fall of
'07, '08, and '09, and has determined, in
conjunction with the Gold
Prospectors of Colorado, that they will implement
some further restrictions for this
area. Since the area was
acquired by
the BLM with conservation
funds, certain regulations
must be adhered to, to
continue to have this area
open to
the public.
They are developing them
now, and have published the
page below as
a first
step to that end. We will keep
you informed of the changes as they
occur. In the mean
time, click on
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/minerals/locatable_minerals/placer_mining/cache_creek.html to
see what is happening.
Further regulations will be
implemented before permits or use
fees are finalized for 2010.
Watch for updates.
The small stream that runs to the
south of the parking lot seems to
have
enough water to accommodate
prospectors if they cooperate with
each other and not run it all out of
the stream, but return it quickly.
Bonding and permitting for use of
this area is in the process of being
changed. Be aware that last
year's regulations will not be the
same as this year's.
Campers
will be required to carry their own
self containing bathroom facilities and limit the impact of
waste products on the area, as well
as confining
campfires to metal receptacles
so
that campfires are off the ground,
not in the day use parking lot, or
within the highbanking marked
boundary area. This
metal receptacle fire restriction is being imposed on
most of the Arkansas in Colorado, so
be advised that you may be required
to do this in all Colorado forest
areas soon, if not now.
DREDGING WILL
NEVER BE ALLOWED IN THE CACHE CREEK
AREA OR ON CACHE CREEK. PLEASE
visit
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/minerals/locatable_minerals/placer_mining.html
for the newest forms for '09.
Click around the pages to find the
various permits you will need for
the season and their restrictions.
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Jan '10
has begun but we are waiting for
finalization on the new regulations
for this season. Wood from downed
trees is available for campfire use
in the area, however
NOTE:
This wood MUST NOT BE
REMOVED from Cache Creek.
The wood is highly infected
with beetle and canker, and
removal would spread both of
these woodland scourges to
other areas, a fact that
Boulder County is now
realizing.
Also be aware that you are required
to burn all firewood in a metal
receptacle that is off the ground.
The fire danger in Colorado will be
high for years to come due to the
number of trees dead and dying from
pine beetle infestation. |
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CAMPFIRE
RESTRICTIONS will continue as
they were last year, with campfires
being prohibited in the day use
parking area and marked highbanking
area. All campfires will be
required to be contained in a metal
container so that the fire does not
come in contact with the ground.
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