Abstract
Abstract Suction dredging for gold in river channels is a small-scale mining practice whereby streambed material is sucked up a pipe, passed over a sluice box to sort out the gold, and discarded as tailings over another area of bed. Natural resource managers should be concerned about suction dredging because it is common in streams in western North America that contain populations of sensitive aquatic species. It also is subject to both state and federal regulations, and has provided the basis for litigation. The scientific literature contains few peer-reviewed studies of the effects of dredging, but knowledge of dredging practices, and the biology and physics of streams suggests a variety of mechanisms linking dredging to aquatic resources. Effects of dredging commonly appear to be minor and local, but natural resource professionals should expect effects to vary widely among stream systems and reaches within systems. Fishery managers should be especially concerned when dredging coincides with the incubat...
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