Perhaps I am wrong on my timeline, but it seems like we are coming up on the
45 / 50 year mark for suction dredging for gold/precious metals by
small-scale operations utilizing the type of small suction dredges widely
available today.

Since suction dredges are so ubiquitous to the gold-bearing streams here in
southcentral Alaska, I am starting to wonder if at some point we might
consider a particular small-scale suction dredging operation significant, as
illustrative of a broad pattern of change in placer gold mining.

Whatever the case, I am simply wondering if anyone has already treated this
issue from a National Register perspective, or is even considering the idea.
Though perhaps I am jumping the gun, as I cannot remember exactly when
small-scale suction dredges became available.

-Max Dean