I’ve surfed the internet looking for the answer to that exact question for almost five years to no avail, but the way I do it to avoid potential trouble is to prospect with a pan. Once I find a spot where I think has good dirt, I dig a couple of buckets of dirt, well maybe four or five, then setup my recirculating sluice at home, or at my campsite far away from the river.

At home is tough for me because I live In North Texas, but after being introduced to prospecting by a coworker in 2015, I make the trip to Idaho to camp and play in the dirt a couple times per year. My wife thinks I’m nuts to drive 26 hours to camp, but she only camps at the Holiday Inn. Lol

I know this probably doesn’t help, but it works for me.

Go on the Idaho Department of Water Resources website. You should be able to find information there.

You're ok with recirc equipment above the ordinary high water line.

Rules say you can't run motorized equipment below the ordinary high water line without a letter permit and can't do so outside the permitted times. You can dig in the gravel below the ordinary high water line without a letter permit, if you move less than a 1/4 cubic yard per hour.

Site is:. idwr.idaho.gov/streams. You'll find information under Stream Channel Protection Program. Be ready to be confused.

Good luck.

Lol. Really enjoyed your response Matthew. I relate. I don't think your crazy for driving all that way to Idaho. I've gone only a few times and find at least a little but of gold in every pan. Small stuff but it sure is more fun than looking all day and finding nothing at all. They camping is great there too. Makes it all worth it. Happy prospecting.

Thank you so much for the excellent information Wayne. You've been very helpful. That was the way I was leaning with my interpretation of my findings, but it's good to hear from an experienced prospector I wasn't far off the trail. I'll look up that website as well and see if I can make any further sense of it. Thanks again.

You need to go to idwr online for a application for temporary approval of water use i beleave its $50 and is good for a year rules and regulations are on website but for a mini sluice as mentioned setting up as a recirculating setup at camp would work just as fine Good luck on the river