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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Don't expect a repeat of Applegate gold rush Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News In 1980, Applegate Dam was finished and about $1 million in gold was found in the gravel. The "profit" was split between the U.S. Treasury and the building contractors. Gold in 1980 had hit a record high of $850 an ounce, but now it's a lot higher. Why doesn't Jackson County send a crew in there during the summer when the lake is almost empty and pan the sand out? They could help the county and its people a lot! — Curt, via email Well, Curt, we mined our archives to learn a little bit more about the gold you mentioned. It turns out that the two contracting firms actually unearthed about $2.5 million worth of gold over the years as they constructed the dam. Those profits were split between the firms and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During that time, there was a sort of "gold rush" that seized the residents of the Rogue Valley, and people swarmed the area to stake their claims and try their hand at panning and dredging. That is, up until the dam was finished and Applegate Lake became what's called "withdrawn land." Withdrawn land, under the definitions of the Bureau of Land Management, is completely closed to mining and mineral leasing. Gold is typically found deep in the ground, close to bedrock, and the lake can be 200 feet deep in some places. Robert Shoemaker of the U.S. Forest Service said no matter how low the water levels get, the process of dredging to try to find more gold would be too disruptive even without the mineral withdrawal stipulation. "They were processing hundreds of thousands of pounds of gravel," he said about the dam contracting firms. "There is some gold there, but it takes big machinery to make it profitable." Applegate Lake is a recreation site now, and in order to preserve that it looks like its days of yielding riches will remain in the past. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501