Prescott Arizona News and Events - Read It News Magazine

The Town of Prescott Valley and Prescott Valley Police Department have combined forces in an effort to preserve the Lynx Creek area near Stoneridge and Fain Park in addition to other rural recreational areas in the Town of Prescott Valley.

A recent press release noted that "some of the individuals mining the creek have not followed laws and guidelines set up to preserve the area.  Miners taking large amounts of soil out to mine are not replacing soil causing pot holes and creek bank erosion.  These pot holes pose a threat to hikers in the area who may injure themselves in them as well as causing an area of standing water where mosquitoes can breed.  The creek bank erosion also endangers park visitors via the undermining of trails surfaces and tree root systems causing embankment collapse and loss of stability for vegetation."

Town Code #10-02-010 places specific restrictions on mining activities conducted on public lands:

A. It is unlawful for any person to willfully commit any trespass upon Town-owned or leased lands by either cutting down, destroying or injuring any kind of wood or timber growing upon the lands, or digging, taking or carrying away any earth or soil lying or being upon the lands, or under the surface thereof, or to remove any other materials or objects from the Town-owned or leased land or property, except as follows:

1. Gold panning and metal detecting may continue within the boundaries of Fain Park, so long as such activity is limited to -
a. use of gold pans, metal detectors, and hand tools such as picks and shovels [use of motorized or mechanical equipment or mining aids (e.g. sluice boxes, dry washers, gold screws, gold bugs, rocker boxes, wheel barrows or other devices designed to increase production above that level obtained with gold pans and hand tools) is prohibited];
b. excavations made below the high water mark of the stream channel that do not damage or disturb root systems of live vegetation and are filled in before the area is left;
c. day use [no fires, washing of utensils, or camping is permitted as part of the activity, all trash is to be disposed of in marked receptacles, and Park restrooms are to be used instead of depositing or burying human waste in the Park]; and
d. use of metal detectors to locate mineral deposits such as gold and silver [it is not permitted to use metal detectors in Fain Park to search for treasure trove, to locate historical and prehistorical artifacts and features, or to search for recent coins and lost metal objects].

Citizens who use local recreation areas should report any unusual activity or suspicious circumstances to the Police Department or Parks and Recreation.