Shovel Creek (Alaska) facts for kids

Shovel Creek is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is found close to the city of Nome. The creek flows into the Solomon River from the west. This meeting point is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the coast.

Shovel Creek starts high up in a divide, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Casadepaga River. It then flows mostly south until it joins the Solomon River. Even though it is not a very long stream, it collects water from a large area. During normal seasons, it carries about 500 inches (1270 cm) of water. The creek drops about 100 feet for every mile (19 meters per kilometer). For most of its path, Shovel Creek spreads out over wide areas of gravel.

What Is Shovel Creek Made Of?

The ground beneath the Shovel Creek area is mostly made of limestones. It also has a type of rock called mica schist that contains calcium. Near the start of the creek, there are also some areas with a rock called greenstone.

Mining for Gold at Shovel Creek

People have mined for gold in the Shovel Creek area. This mining happened at three smaller streams that flow into Shovel Creek. These smaller streams are called Mystery Creek, West Creek, and Kasson Creek.

Gold Dredging Operations

In the 1910s, a company called the Shovel Creek Gold Dredging Company worked on Shovel Creek. Their operations were about 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream from where Shovel Creek meets the Solomon River.

The company used a special machine called a dredge. This dredge had large buckets that could hold about 2.5 cubic feet (0.07 cubic meters) of gravel. The machine's arm, called a ladder, could dig down to a depth of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Gasoline engines powered this equipment.

The gravel dug up by the dredge was washed in a spinning machine called a trommel. The smaller, washed material then went directly into long channels called sluices. Gold would settle in these sluices. Any larger rocks that didn't go through the trommel were sent away by a belt stacker.