YREKA, Calif. (AP) — Hobby gold miners are suing the California Department of Fish and Game over new regulations that bar suction dredges from some rivers to protect salmon.
The New 49ers mining club and the holders of some federal mining claims on Klamath River tributaries filed a lawsuit last week in Siskiyou County Superior Court.
At issue is the state’s ban on suction dredges, powerful underwater vacuums that suck up rocks, gravel and sand from riverbeds to filter out gold.
The lawsuit seeks $500,000 for each of 24 mining claims because, they argue, the barring of suction dredges takes away from their economic value.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of another challenge from the Karuk tribe, conservation groups and salmon fishermen, arguing the regulations don’t go far enough to protect salmon.
