Mining for Gold in Texas
Gold in TexasLike many other lesser known gold states, there is plenty of gold to be found in Texas, although the quantities likely to be recovered are certainly not likely to be anywhere near some of the other well-known gold producing states in the US.
When the Spanish explorers traveled through the southwest, they scoured the countryside in search of gold and other valuable minerals. Texas has certainly been prospected over the years, and although gold discoveries have been minimal, there is enough present to keep an amateur prospector interested. There are plenty of gold prospectors in the Dallas and Houston areas who venture out into the country and area ble to pan for a bit of gold.
There are a few areas of known gold occurrences, mostly in the form of fine dust and very small flakes. Much of the state’s gold production has come as a byproduct of mining for other minerals. There are still a few opportunities to find a little bit of “color” in Texas. Here are a few places of known gold occurrence.
Gazley Creek in Bastrop county has produces very fine gold in the past.
Walnut Creek in Blanco County has had small amounts of placer work done in the late 1880’s, and might be worth a look.
The Presidio Mine in Presidio County accounts for most of the gold production in the entire state of Texas. Although its primary minerals were zinc and lead, small amounts of silver and gold were also a byproduct of this mine. Nearby areas have the potential for more possible gold deposits.
Pennington Creek and Llano River in Llano County are known to produce good amounts of placer gold. Most gold in Texas has been found in the general area of Llanos. Gold can often be found in bars and banks of the river. A little gold has been found in the Llano uplift area of central Texas. It occurs in quartz veinlets that cut through some of the Precambrian metamorphic rocks of Llano, Mason, northeastern Gillespie, and west-central Burnet counties." [Texas Rocks and Minerals.]
"Sandy Creek, south of Llano is noted for its placer gold... Tributaries of Sandy Creek, such as Walnut Creek, Comanche Creek, Coal Creek, and Crabapple Creek are also noted for their placer gold. —"Gold in Central Texas," by Edgar B. Heylmund Ph.D
Placer gold flakes off exposed ground formations and falls into small creeks and dry washes. Since gold is heavy, it accumulates along rifts in the creek bed or at bends in the waterway. The gold is removed by carefully sifting through the gravelly stream-bed material in a water-filled pan.
Being heavier than the other minerals, gold travels only a short distance before finding its way down to bedrock, particularly where natural obstacles form. This happens where a creek suddenly widens and its current slows. Look for gold-bearing black sand in gravel bars protruding into the stream, along the high-water line, on the cut-bank side of a bend in the stream, on the roots of grass and bushes, or transverse ridges of bedrock granite in the stream. Potholes often form at the base of the ridges and these basins become natural collectors where nature pans for the heavier gold.
Gold-Bearing Streams:
Here is a list of streams known to contain placer gold in the Central Texas Region:
Llano River
Little Llano River
Pecan Creek
Sandy Creek
San Fernando Creek
Walnut Creek
Gold Mine Creek
Silver Mine Creek
Comanche Creek
Coal Creek
Crab Apple Creek