Hey there!
So this is a question I've been trying to research, and am kind of having a hard time finding. I am trying to build a diorama of a "modern," small scale hydraulic mine that would rely on renewable energy such as water turbines, and not use industrial wash plants, combustible engines, or similar equipment. I want to know if there are any texts about historic hydraulic mining that serve as a guide for constructing all necessary structures, (i.e. impoundment dams, flumes, penstocks, and sluice boxes) as well as providing necessary information on mathematical equations for constructing such structures depending on the amount of water and material that is intended to be processed. Basically, what texts would be great references in constructing an accurate diorama? Thank you!!!
Although your question lies along the fringes of my interests I have come across a few books that might help you.
"So That's How It Happened: recollections of Stanley-Barkerville 1900-1975" by W. M. Hong is a fairly detailed book about the Chinese who came and worked the fabulously rich grounds of the Cariboo after the original gold miners left. I am working away from home so can not quote from the book but can say it gives descriptions of the size of the pipes and monitors used for each claim during the time. His book mentions one claim where the sluice was not designed properly for the volumes of water flowing through it so riffles along the sluice would wear out in a shift. By the end of a shift the sluice was loosing half of the gold that washed over it into the railings.
George and Helen Akrigg's "British Columbia Chronicles : Vol II" provides us with some details about the Cariboo gold works during an earlier time period. This book tells of a man discovering a 5 ounce gold nugget while on a work crew digging a water line to supply a new monitor. All work was abandoned as the entire crew abandoned their jobs and started panning the ground they just dug up.
The Royal British Columbia Archives has many photos of hydraulic mining in the Barkerville region.
The town of Barkerville has been revived and recreated as a historic park. The people running the park might have information to help you as well.
There is a guide book for Barkerville that explains how they built dams to hold the water back for the monitors.
They dug the sides of a valley down to bedrock then placed a thin layer clay down. On top of this was placed a layer of sshort logs laying parallel with the valley and more clay to pack them in place. The next layer of logs was laid on right angle to the first layer with more clay packed around to hold them in place. Each layer was placed at right angles to the layer below and the logs were longer on each layer unti the last layer of logs were 120 feet long. This dam caught melt water from the mountains above and held enough water to run the monitor below for almost four months of washing.