Advocate: ‘The Chetco River is for everyone’

“The river is for everyone – miners included,” said Adams, an environmental advocate. “It is my concern that other uses are not impacted.”

Those concerns include the impact on the Chetco salmon fishery, considered one of the best in the U.S., and the production of drinking water for Brookings and Harbor residents.

At issue is a set of 11 gold claims on 14 miles of river. In the last two years commercial mining of the river has become a major concern in Curry County.

Miners say working the claims is a legitimate recreational use of the river and gold mining could be an economic boon for the area.

Environmentalists oppose any mining of the river, citing the delicate balance of the river’s ecosystems, the need for protection of the fishery  and general water quality.

The 11 claims were staked by investor David Rutan, and three of them are located in areas of the river designated as “wild.” 

All of the claims are located on a 24-mile stretch of the river that is federally designated as “scenic” or “wild,” beginning 22 miles east of Brookings.

Adams is concerned that miners may only want to follow the General Mining Act of 1872, which opens public lands to mining with few restrictions, and may ignore more recent environmental laws, including water quality laws.

Plans submitted to state and federal agencies by Rutan’s company, Chetco River Mining and Explorations, LLC (CRME), propose the mining operation on Site 11, the first site scheduled for mining, would be done by 4 to 8-inch suction dredges.

Water quality laws restrict suction dredges to maximum of 4 inches, Adams said.  

Such mining, Adams said, threatens salmon smolt and other fish in the river, raises the temperature of the river by adding particles to the usually clear summer river flow, and creates unstable gravel tailings, Adams said.

Salmon lay eggs in the relatively unstable tailings, which collapse and wash away during high water winter flows, destroying the eggs.

Adams wasn’t alone in her concerns. Several people in the audience voiced concerns about what may harmful thing could be introduced to the water supply by mining. For example, one person said some mining operations use mercury to separate gold from the ore, and the chemical can settles deep into the riverbed. The chemical can then be sucked up and brought to the surface, where it can be introduced to the river and into the water supply.

Adams and others were concerned about the remote location of Site 11, because it can be difficult for officials to inspect the site, requiring that people and equipment to be flown in by helicopter.

Site 11 is currently undergoing validation testing by the Forest Service, Adams said.

To validate a claim, the claim owner must show that the site will produce enough gold to make a mining operation.

Under federal law, in wild areas only valid claims may be mined, Adams said.

An earlier U.S. Forest Service report indicated that Site 11 is the only one of Rutan’s 11 claims that might produce gold in any quantity, based on geology, Adams said.

Two audience members vocally defended Rutan.

“Their application says they will clean it all up, said a Rutan supporter.

Adams agreed that, on paper, Rutan agreed to be a good neighbor.

The problem, she said, is that there is a history of miners ignoring laws and going ahead and doing what they want, no matter the consequences to the environment.

“There is a difference between what you say you will do on paper, and what actually happens,” Adams said.

For the last few years Rutan has operated an unmonitored gold claim on the Little Chetco River, a tributary to the Chetco River deep in the wilderness. 

Oregon Gold Trips operates two gold mine areas in southern Oregon – Wines Camp, which can be reached by gravel road 45 minutes from the city of the Rogue River; and Emily Camp, on the eastern border of Curry County near Cave Junction and the Illinois River.

Rutan’s company has built cabins and installed septic systems and made other improvements on the property, yet there are no building permits or inspections on file with the county, and has not secured the water rights to provide water to the camp, officials claim.

The company’s website says it has been selling gold mining trips to the Emily Camp site, helicoptering guests to the site from the Grants Pass area.

A stop work order was issued to Rutan in September 2007, and he has received several notices since then. But the county has no way to reach the wilderness site to determine if he has stopped operations, Adams said.

Rutan has invited officials to visit his property, but will not allow them to use his helicopter landing site in the rugged wilderness.

There are several state and federal agencies that also must give approval for such an operation, he said. No approval has been given by any of those.

In addition to the alleged violations at Emily Camp, mining of Site 11 may have already begun.

Photos posted on the CRME website at http://crme.webs.com show a group of miners on a dredging trip. Among the photos is one of a claim sign, identifying the site as Site 11.