I don't know anything about suction dredges, but it sounds to me like you
could make a case to your SHPO for eligibility of a particular operation
(although perhaps it would need to be one of the oldest or longest running?)
or a multiple property nomination for several of them.

Either way, the Alaska SHPO should know if any others have been nominated
and would be able to tell you if they would accept a nomination in this case
for something less than 50 years old.

Best of luck,

Kristen Baldwin Deathridge



On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 2:36 PM, Robert Dean <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> 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
>