BajaNomad - Do you think that mining in Baja will ramp up in the near future?

Do you think that mining in Baja will ramp up in the near future?

AKgringo - 1-25-2026 at 05:51 PM

With gold over $5 thousand an ounce, and silver pushing $107/oz right now, it seems logical that some of the older sites may become profitable again. I wouldn't be surprised to see prospecting going on in new sites as well.

bajaric - 1-26-2026 at 09:40 AM

Not too likely. In Mexico, major mining operations require a "concession" from the Gobierrno Federal. If I am not mistaken AMLO put a halt to all new mining concessions several years ago. Big mining operations also face considerable oposition due to environmental concerns, because they are water hogs and can deplete the groundwater over a large area, causing springs to dry up, aquifers to run out, etc. A proposed new gold mine in Baja California Sur was kaboshed due to that a few years ago.

The exception is Grupo Mexico's copper mining project at El Arco. (A subsidiary of Southern Copper) They got a concession before AMLO came in to power, and the project has not faced much opposition simply because there are almost zero human inhabitants in the area around El Arco. Check the stock price of that company, it has doubled in the last year under symbol SCCO.

Of course, the political climate could change. There are many foriegn companies that are promoting opening up old mines in cojunction with Mexican partners, at San Juan, north of El Alamo, and in the La Josefina area. I heard a Canadian company purchesed like a million hectares of ejido land in the La Josefina gold district (south of Punta Final). Even so, the gold deposits in Northern Baja were not particulary large or extensive. Most modern gold mining focuses on huge deposits of microscopic gold particles that are recoved with cyanide, like in Arizona and Nevada, rather than quartz viens like in the old days.

Time will tell. In the meantime for those interested in the history of gold mining in Northern Baja, my book "The Gold of Northern Baja" under pen name Jens Tobias is availalbe for $24.95 on Amazon. It sells a copy now and then, Amazon gets $14 and they send me ten bucks which is why Jeff Bezos has a big yacht and I drive around in 2016 F150 work truck.

Your area up aroun Grass Valley might see some new interest. I have been thinking about cashing in the home equity of my house in San Diego and buying a place up in the mother lode country, preferably sitting on top of an old tertiary auriferous river chanel, so I could dig my own gold mine in the back yard!

Tioloco - 1-26-2026 at 09:54 AM

bajaric- I have your book. It's a good read and has a lot of useful info. Baja makes me wish I had paid more attention in Geology class in college.

bajaric - 1-26-2026 at 10:57 AM

Thanks, appreciate the kind words. I don't have a background in geology, just sort of picked up dribs and drabs here and there. But I will say this, if you love rocks, you will love Baja California, land of rocks! Baja, being on the boundry of the tectonic plates, is just a super complex jumble of rocks like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Lava rocks, granitic rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphisized volcanic and sedimentary rocks, you name it.

I have read some old geology books and was surprised to learn that the whole notion of "plate tectonics" only came into common acceptance around the 1960's. Prior to then, when geoligists saw marine fossils up on the top of mountains they thought that it was due to great floods that took place in ancient times. Now it is believed that the old marine deposits were uplifted as the mountains rose up, leaving the fossils high and dry.

AKgringo - 1-26-2026 at 11:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric

I have been thinking about cashing in the home equity of my house in San Diego and buying a place up in the mother lode country, preferably sitting on top of an old tertiary auriferous river chanel, so I could dig my own gold mine in the back yard!

You just described my property! My grandfather bought it in the early 40s and did some prospecting, but it was last worked with vigor during the depression years. There is still some gold that they missed, but even if I could break even extracting it at today's prices, I think the scars to property would not justify the gains.

If you want to come up and check things out around here, you are welcome to set up for a while on my 40 acres. It is in the You Bet area between Colfax and Grass Valley.

My cousin still has another 40 acres of Grampa's old holdings, and I don't think his kids have any interest in it. It is actually a better spot to work than my property.

Let me know if you want to come visit!

bajaric - 1-26-2026 at 12:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric

I'm in! Thanks for great invitiation. I will have to put the old camper shell on the truck and visit when it warms up a little. It would be fun to see if we can find something the old timers missed. They did a lot of drag lines in the 1930's, maybe find a little crevice on the bedrock that got passed over and is loaded with some of that California Gold. Or, more likely find a couple of little microscopic specks in some old tailings.

I have family in NorCal and really should go up to visit them so can actually do something fun on the way up there ha ha. Will send a PM.

Like I said have been looking at property up there, seem like lots of abandoned farms where they had a whole bunch of planters in grids, the big cannibus boom gone bust just like the glory days of the gold rush.

Tioloco - 1-26-2026 at 12:31 PM

Anyone know what is going on with the mine north of San Felipe on the west side of the highway?

mtgoat666 - 1-26-2026 at 03:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco

Anyone know what is going on with the mine north of San Felipe on the west side of the highway?

Closed in 2022 due to labor problems and compliance violations, but still owned by same mining group. When i drive by it appears that the processing plants are still on site,… so I suspect the owners have plans to re-open someday…

https://www.minerafrisco.com.mx/operaciones/

https://piedepagina.mx/cierra-mina-en-san-felipe-tras-muerte...

Prospecting for placer

AKgringo - 1-26-2026 at 03:45 PM

Bajaric, sooner is better than later given the nature of my seasonal streams.

Most of the storms this year have gone north, or south of Nevada County so far this season. It has been warmer and drier than average this year so I expect things to dry up before mid-summer.

I should also mention that the lower 40 acres is adjacent to BLM land that is pretty much inaccessible to the general public except through our gated private road.

Until a couple of years ago I held the rights on four ten-acre claims that I believe are still available, but age and lack of shared interest with other family members discouraged me from keeping up with annual assessments, so I let them go.

bajaric - 1-26-2026 at 05:04 PM

That sounds really promising, AK. An opportunity to go on private land in the mother lode country and poke around is not to be missed. I will say that the lack of water is not a biggie, the idea is to sample different layers of strata into 5 gallon buckets and then pan the material in a tub. Have tub, will travel! Maybe around March or April? Anyway don't want to clutter up the forum with our Nor Cal prospecting so will send a PM thanks bajaric.

David K - 1-26-2026 at 05:43 PM

Because it is so good, be sure to get a copy of 'bajaric's' 2023 book, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Northern-Baja-History-Travel/dp/...

"About the author
Jens Tobias lives in Southern California and has been traveling south of the border for more than three decades. The Gold of Northern Baja, published in 2023, as a history and travel guide. It contains a half dozen black and white photos and about 100,000 words of text. It is the result of years of research, providing a comprehensive overview of gold mining activities in Northern Baja California from historical times to the modern era."

[Edited on 1-27-2026 by David K]

AKgringo - 1-28-2026 at 11:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric

I will say that the lack of water is not a biggie, the idea is to sample different layers of strata into 5 gallon buckets and then pan the material in a tub.

That tub could come in handy to sort the black sand after a couple of hours of shoveling into a sluice box!

Since you are interested in "layers" you're going to love the part of the BLM land where they were hydraulic mining until it was shut down. Near vertical walls separate forested hill sides from tailings washed down to bedrock.

Precious metals are taking an even wilder ride!

AKgringo - 1-30-2026 at 04:19 PM

Particularly, silver! There was an almost $45/oz spread between high and low prices on the exchange today, with silver closing at $85.15. It had been as high as $121 lately, and started the day at $118.50.

Even gold was down over 9%!

[Edited on 1-30-2026 by AKgringo]

mtgoat666 - 1-30-2026 at 05:26 PM

Build some wind and solar (lowest cost power source, which baja has in abundance), and bitcoin MINING may return more than mineral mining!

In past few days, bitcoin was more stable than gold and silver :thumbup:

[Edited on 1-31-2026 by mtgoat666]

Biznaga - 2-5-2026 at 01:06 PM

BCS Noticias, Feb 4, 2026

Google translate;

La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS). A motion was presented in the state legislature calling on the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) to deny any authorization or permit that would threaten natural areas in Baja California and Baja California Sur.

In this regard, Representative Karina Olivas Parra spoke out, urging the federal agencies to prioritize the protection of the human right to access clean drinking water in Mulegé, which is threatened by the "El Arco" mining project. This project aims to be established within the "Valle de los Cirios" Wildlife Protection Area.

The legislator warned about the scale of the company, which seeks to establish one of the largest mines in the world, with a capacity of up to 190,000 tons of copper and 105,000 ounces of gold per year.

"It would operate an open-pit mine covering an area of just over 50,000 hectares, within the 'Valle de los Cirios,' for a period of 50 years," she commented.

During its leaching process, it would use 50% of the water from the Vizcaíno aquifer, more than 9 million cubic meters of water. This aquifer is currently in balance, meaning there is not a single liter available for concession, Olivas Parra argued.

Finally, the representative stated that the Management Program for the "Valle de los Cirios" Wildlife Protection Area establishes limitations that this project does not meet, such as the use of traditional techniques.

"The proposal was referred to the joint committees on Water and Ecology and Environment for analysis and review," the Baja California Sur Congress reported.

https://www.bcsnoticias.mx/que-no-autoricen-permisos-a-mina-...

bajaric - 2-6-2026 at 01:50 PM

Thanks for posting that, Biznaga. Apparently someone has finally noticed that a big chunk of beautiful pristine desert is slated to be replaced by a giant, water guzzling hole in the ground. It might be too late to stop, by now. With gold at 5,000 per ounce 105,000 ounces of gold per year is half a billion US dollars, pretty good payback on a 2 billion investment. Plus the copper. If it goes through I think it would a great idea to open a bar on the road to El Arco with neon lights and lots of girls in skimpy outfits. All them miners are going to have a lot of pesos to spend and nothing to spend it on out there in the middle of nowhere.