This is an old water-jet dredging (maybe not exactly the right word) device for washing river-bank mud/gravel into a chute carrying the material to a machine to sort out the gold, etc. Is typical of what was sometimes used in mining operations in the "olden days" in the western U.S.
Copyrighted Image. DO NOT DOWNLOAD, copy, reproduce, or use in any way without written permission from this artist.
May
27-Jun-2013 03:19
I believe this is a version of what is called a Long Tom in the gold country of CA. That's worth a trip. Highway 49 from beginning to end. Heaven for photographers, history buffs, gold bugs, river rats, and trout fishermen. I used to live there in the mid-70s. I promise it's worth your while. In the gold country, they caused a lot of damage which is still evident by erosion.