CDFW Continues to Cite Individuals in Siskiyou County for Illegal Suction Dredge Mining

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:08:18 GMT

SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) continues to issue citations to individuals for violations related to unlawful suction dredging.

Suction dredging is harmful to native fish and wildlife habitat, making it difficult for native species to thrive and creating favorable conditions for invasive species.

On June 24, 2026, CDFW officers patrolled the Klamath River near Happy Camp, citing one individual for unlawfully possessing a suction dredge in closed state waters, a violation of California Fish and Game Code (FGC) section 5653(e). The dredge was seized as evidence. Officers used a helicopter and ground crew to remove the dredge and delivered it to a nearby location where it was safely loaded onto a trailer for storage.

CDFW reminds the public that the use or possession of suction dredge equipment in rivers, streams or lakes without a valid permit is prohibited under FGC sections 5653.1(b) and 5653(e). No partnership, membership or business relationship provides an exemption from the suction dredge prohibitions. Violations may result in citations, prosecution and seizure of equipment. CDFW is actively pursuing multiple cases related to illegal suction dredging across the state.

While suction dredging is prohibited, non-motorized recreational mining methods such as gold panning and non-motorized sluice boxes remain legal. CDFW recognizes the longstanding interest in recreational mineral recovery and encourages miners to pursue these activities through lawful practices.

To report a poaching or pollution incident, or any fish and wildlife crime, call the CalTIP Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-888-334-CALTIP (1-888-334-2258), or text “CALTIP” followed by a space and the message to 847411 (TIP411).

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Media Contact:
Alicia de la Garza, CDFW Communications, (916) 754-7237

CDFW Captures and Collars Two Gray Wolves in Siskiyou County

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:44:23 GMT

A yearling male wolf from the Whaleback Pack in Siskiyou County returns to the wild after being outfitted with a satellite collar for management and research purposes.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the safe and successful capture and collar of two gray wolves in Siskiyou County. The two wolves were captured March 17, fitted with satellite collars, measured and sampled for DNA and disease surveillance, and safely released back to the wild.

“The capture of these wolves is fantastic since we lost the only functioning satellite collar last summer, and ground capture efforts since then have been unsuccessful,” said Kent Laudon, a senior environmental scientist and CDFW’s wolf specialist. “A lot of people have worked hard to make this happen and we’re excited about the new collars and data. We’re already seeing interesting movements on agriculture lands and sharing that information with local folks to install fladry and other deterrent measures around cattle pastures.”

One of the captured wolves was OR85, a four-year-old black, 98-pound male originally collared by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in February 2020 in northeastern Oregon. OR85 dispersed from his natal pack in 2020, making it to Siskiyou County in November of that year. OR85 paired with a gray female wolf that had dispersed from a pack in southwestern Oregon to form the Whaleback Pack in Siskiyou County. The pair produced litters of seven pups in 2021 and eight pups in 2022.

Capture teams, using a contracted helicopter and capture crew and fixed-wing aircraft from CDFW’s Air Services Unit, were able to locate the wolves through intermittent signals coming from OR85’s original collar, which was thought to be non-functioning. CDFW crews removed OR85’s original collar and replaced it with a new unit.

The other wolf captured and collared was a black, 97-pound, yearling male from the 2021 litter.

The capture and collar effort, which began last month, marks the first time CDFW has used helicopters to capture and collar gray wolves. The capture and collar of gray wolves is an important management and research tool, along with other tools and methods, used throughout the West to help monitor populations, understand landscape use patterns and minimize livestock conflicts.

Each morning, under optimal conditions, the satellite collars will transmit four new locations to CDFW since the previous day’s download. Ground capture attempts to collar additional wolves will resume later this spring.

CDFW photos. Bottom photo OR85

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Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

CDFW News

CDFW Continues to Cite Individuals in Siskiyou County for Illegal Suction Dredge Mining

CDFW Captures and Collars Two Gray Wolves in Siskiyou County