Hydraulic mining

<p>Hydraulic mining is a form of <a href="/facts/Mining/g6uDIFab">mining</a> that uses high-pressure jets of <a href="/facts/Water/0lkXnJPK">water</a> to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the <a href="/facts/Placer_mining/MkEd1lT9">placer mining</a> of <a href="/facts/Gold/1znknojp">gold</a> or <a href="/facts/Tin/vxbbBgNz">tin</a>, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through <a href="/facts/Sluice_box/MkEd1lT9">sluice</a> boxes to remove the gold or tin. It is also used in mining <a href="/facts/Kaolin/N7D6K65q">kaolin</a> and <a href="/facts/Coal/83kV3qxg">coal</a>.
</p><p>Hydraulic mining developed from ancient Roman techniques that used water to excavate soft underground deposits. Its modern form, using pressurized water <a href="/facts/Jet_(fluid)/Ebx8zVKY">jets</a> produced by a <a href="/facts/Nozzle/9z8wqmEC">nozzle</a> called a "monitor", came about in the 1850s during the <a href="/facts/California_Gold_Rush/7avsegzA">California Gold Rush</a> in the United States. Though successful in extracting gold-rich minerals, the widespread use of the process resulted in extensive <a href="/facts/Environmental_damage/MTI24T7B">environmental damage</a>, such as increased flooding and <a href="/facts/Erosion/gaGJXy0W">erosion</a>, and <a href="/facts/Sediment/zsIH1A6U">sediment</a> blocking waterways and covering farm fields. These problems led to its legal regulation. Hydraulic mining has been used in various forms around the world.
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Hydraulic mining open-in-new

Hydraulic mining