I opted for the underwater portion of the river. All I have to do is float down the river and pick large flakes and small nuggets out of cracks and crevices while staying cool in the summer heat.

• Can I get advice on a hard rock property in Calaveras County, California?

Old tailing piles extend for miles. There was still plenty of water flowing here, so WPA members set up highbankers at several settling ponds.

While a large number of locations have yielded some placer gold, most of the state’s placer production has come from a few productive districts.