Best Prospecting Tools Productĭuring the late 1800s, gold was discovered in all counties of Washington State. The locations of active mining claims can be found on the Bureau of Land Management's official website. Panning on an active claim without the owner's permission is considered trespassing, even when done in ignorance. Of the 57,157 recorded Washington State mining claims, the BLM lists 2,312 as active. The mining claims in Washington State are all controlled by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM). But this will no longer be the case because lawmakers are putting forth new bills that will regulate suction dredging. For a while, there was no regulation here unlike some neighboring states. Suction dredging is now starting to become regulated throughout Washington State. If you're visiting Washington State and would like to try your hand at prospecting, then you should first familiarize yourself with the state's gold panning laws. Gold Panning Rules and Regulations in Washington State Panning continues throughout Washington State today and some places in the state produce good results.

Gold was discovered in every Washington county at the height of the Gold Rush. This discovery came after more than a decade of unsuccessful mining in the region. The Washington State Gold Rush began in 1873, when gold was discovered at Swauk Creek.

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