The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has cited five individuals in Siskiyou County for illegally using suction dredge equipment in state waterways, a practice banned due to its harmful impacts on native fish and wildlife.
On August 20, 2024, wardens discovered a man actively dredging the Salmon River near Cecilville in search of gold. He was cited in the field and his equipment seized. Although the case was initially dismissed due to a clerical error, prosecutors have since refiled charges, with arraignment set for October 7, 2025, in Siskiyou County.
Since July, four others have been cited for unlawful dredging on the Klamath River and Elk Creek. Arraignment dates for those cases are pending…