Neighboring Alliance Challenges State Suction Dredge Mining Rules
A coalition on the North Fork of the American River has gone to court over new state suction dredge mining regulations, arguing they fail to meet standards set by California law.
American River Canyon Alliance
Work to protect the American River canyons does not stop at any single watershed boundary. Upstream on the North Fork, a legal fight over gold mining is now underway.
The North Fork American River Alliance (NFARA) reports that it has joined a coalition in a lawsuit against the California Department of Fish and Game. The suit challenges new suction dredge mining regulations that the department issued on March 16, 2012.
Suction dredge mining uses machines to vacuum riverbed gravel in search of gold. The practice stirs up sediment and disturbs the beds of rivers and streams.
The coalition is broad. According to NFARA, it includes tribal governments and conservation groups standing together against the new rules.
At the heart of the case is a 2011 state law, AB 120. That law required full mitigation of the impacts of suction dredge mining. It also called for a fee structure that would make the program pay for itself. The coalition argues that the regulations issued in March 2012 violate those requirements.
For anyone who knows these canyons, the stakes are easy to picture. Clean gravel beds matter for the health of the river.
We are following this case because what happens on the North Fork shapes the future of the whole American River system. Read the full update from NFARA at nfara.org.