Finding Gold In Connecticut

Gold prospecting in Connecticut has a small amount of placer gold, and To finding gold in connecticut can be done in river stream. As is the case in many other New England states, Connecticut does have gold from Alluvial placers,  those formed in river or stream sediments. 

Alluvial Gold: This is the gold that is deposited through the movement of water. Generally speaking, large deposits of gold are part of the Earth and were put in place many millions of years ago. Over time, these gold deposits were exposed to erosion that led to them being broken up and washed downstream in rivers, creeks and the like. Because gold is far heavier than typical rocks or gravel, it settled in small amounts spread out down the water flow.

Generally speaking, alluvial gold is the most often found since it’s also the easiest to locate. Panning streams or rivers can be done by individuals while mining companies can get massive amounts of alluvial gravel that lies in the river and stream beds.

Almost all rivers or stream in the state of Connecticut does have some gold bearing gravel or refined gold,  Because gold is heavier than any of the other materials that are found in the stream it will migrate down through the gravel to either a layer of clay or bedrock. For the same reason gold is not migrate very far from the banks of the stream so it is rather rare to find much Gold in the middle of the stream.

For finding gold in Connecticut  must determine where prospecting is permitted and be aware of the regulations under which he is allowed to search for gold and other metals. Permission to enter upon privately owned land must be obtained from the land owner. Determination of land ownership and location and contact with the owner 

Litchfield County in the northwestern part of the state has the most known occurrences, with nearly all gold being small glacial deposits. Another known gold bearing area in Litchfield County is Spruce Brook. It is a very small tributary to the Naugatuck River, and caused some very short-lived excitement when gold was first discovered there.

A known gold producer in Connecticut is Leadmine Brook, a tributary to the Naugatuck River just north of the town of Thomaston and above the Thomaston dam. The upper end of Leadmine Brook can be found in the area of Harwinton and along Birge Park Road and Hill Road. Gold can be found across the river with larger grains such as gravel

One place gold prospecting can be found near Harford, Connecticut is in the Farmington River to the north. It is a sizable tributary to the Connecticut River, and is also known to contain very fine deposits of placer gold.