Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The case of Malakoff Diggins in California provides a troubling example of the environmental
consequences that are often associated with mining. In the mid-nineteenth century, miners at
Malakoff Diggins developed a new way of extracting gold from the land. Using a complex system
of sluices, miners channelled water into powerful 'monitors' (or high-pressure hoses), which were
used to blast rock and soil loose from the mine. Once these rocks and soil were freed, it became
much easier for the miners to extract the precious gold that they were searching for. The new method
of gold mining developed at Malakoff Diggins became known as hydraulic mining.
Source: Gareth Hoskins
During the 1860s the environmental consequences associated with large-scale hydraulic mining
became increasingly apparent. The water used in the mining processes at Malakoff Diggins
repeatedly caused flooding downstream in the Sacramento River. These floods were in part caused
by the 'tailings' (or spoil) that were carried in these mining waters, and resulted in the silting-up of
the Sacramento River's bed. The downstream communities of Marysville and Yuba City were buried
under 25 feet of mud as a direct consequence of hydraulic mining activities. Additionally, the
floodwaters resulted in large swathes of agricultural land being covered in mine tailings, which led
to the loss of valuable crops.
