Highbanking FAQ

Highbanking is an efficient way to process gold-bearing gravel without placing a sluice box directly in a stream. A highbanker uses a water pump to wash material through a hopper and sluice, separating the heavier gold from lighter sand, gravel, and waste material.

The basic process is straightforward, but every location and machine behaves a little differently. Water flow, sluice angle, material type, and feeding speed all affect how well a highbanker performs. This guide covers the practical questions people commonly have when getting started.

What is highbanking?

Highbanking is a form of placer gold mining that uses a pump-fed sluice system to process gravel away from the natural flow of a creek or river.

Gold-bearing material is shoveled into the highbanker’s hopper. Water washes the material across a grizzly or classifier, which removes larger rocks. The smaller material then travels through the sluice, where gold and other heavy minerals are captured by the matting or riffles.

Because the highbanker supplies its own water flow, it can usually process more material than panning or running a small stream sluice.

What is a highbanker?

A highbanker is essentially a portable wash plant. Most highbankers include:

• A hopper for receiving material
• A grizzly or classification system for removing larger rocks
• Spray bars or water jets for washing the material
• A sluice box containing matting or riffles
• A water pump, hoses, and fittings
• Legs or a stand for adjusting the sluice angle

Unlike a traditional sluice box, a highbanker does not depend entirely on the natural speed and depth of the stream. This gives the operator more control over water flow and allows the machine to be positioned closer to the material being worked.

How does a highbanker separate gold?

A highbanker separates material primarily by density.

Water carries lighter sand and gravel through the sluice. Gold, black sand, and other heavy material settle into low-pressure areas created by the matting and riffles.

The highbanker does not normally produce completely clean gold. Instead, it creates a smaller amount of concentrated heavy material that can be cleaned up later using a gold pan or another finishing method.

Is highbanking suitable for beginners?

Yes. The basic operation of a highbanker is not difficult to learn, although getting good recovery takes some practice.

A beginner should start with a manageable amount of material and pay attention to how the machine is running. Feed it consistently, watch how quickly lighter material clears from the matting, and periodically pan some of the tailings to check for lost gold.

Changing one setting at a time makes it much easier to understand what the machine needs. Increasing the water flow, changing the sluice angle, and feeding faster all at once makes troubleshooting difficult.

The equipment can help process material efficiently, but it cannot replace proper sampling. Finding worthwhile material is still the most important part of successful highbanking.

What equipment do I need for highbanking?

A basic highbanking setup normally includes:

• A highbanker
• A suitable water pump
• Intake and delivery hoses
• The necessary fittings and clamps
• A battery or fuel supply
• A shovel and buckets
• A gold pan and cleanup tools
• A container for concentrates
• A screened pump intake

Depending on the location, you may also need additional hose, a pre-classifier, leveling tools, spare fittings, and equipment for controlling tailings.

Before heading into the field, assemble the complete system at home. This is the easiest way to discover a missing adapter, hose clamp, battery connection, or other small part that could otherwise end the day early.

Should I use an electric or gas-powered water pump?

Both can work well. The better choice depends on the size of the highbanker, the location, and how long you plan to operate it.

Electric pumps are generally quieter, lighter, and easier to transport. They are a good match for portable equipment, but their operating time depends on battery capacity. Pumping water uphill or through a long hose can also reduce their effective flow.

Gas-powered pumps can provide higher flow rates and longer operating times. However, they are heavier, louder, require fuel, and may be restricted in some areas.

Always match the pump to the highbanker rather than choosing one based only on its advertised flow rating. Our water pump FAQ explains the main differences in more detail.

How much water flow does a highbanker need?

There is no single flow rate that works for every highbanker.

The required water flow depends on:

• The width and design of the sluice
• The type of recovery matting
• The sluice angle
• The amount and type of material being fed
• The length and diameter of the hose
• The vertical distance between the pump and highbanker

The flow should be strong enough to clear lighter material while allowing gold and other heavy material to settle into the matting. Too little water can cause the sluice to load up. Excessive flow can create unnecessary turbulence and may carry fine gold out of the machine.

Manufacturer pump recommendations are a useful starting point, but the final setting should be confirmed by observing the sluice and testing the tailings.

What angle should I set the sluice at?

A drop of approximately one inch per foot of sluice length is a common starting point, but it is not a universal setting.

Water flow and sluice angle work together. If material builds up and does not clear, the sluice may need more flow, a steeper angle, or a slower feeding rate. If the material moves through too aggressively, the angle or flow may need to be reduced.

The ideal setting also changes with the material. Loose sand and gravel behave differently from sticky clay or material containing a large amount of black sand.

Once the highbanker is running properly, mark or measure the setup so it can be reproduced more easily the next time.

Do I need to classify material before putting it into a highbanker?

Most highbankers have a grizzly or screen that removes oversized rocks, so separate classification is not always necessary.

However, pre-classifying can still help when:

• The material contains many large rocks
• Clay is preventing the material from washing apart
• The hopper is relatively small
• You are testing a limited amount of promising material
• Large rocks are slowing down the feeding process

Clay should be broken apart thoroughly. Gold trapped inside a lump of clay cannot settle into the recovery matting if the lump passes through the machine intact.

Can I use a highbanker without a nearby stream?

A highbanker can be operated with a recirculating water system, provided there is enough water available and the local rules allow it.

A recirculating setup normally uses one or more large tubs or settling containers. The water is collected, allowed to settle, and pumped back through the highbanker.

Fine sediment will gradually make the water thicker and reduce the performance of the system. Multiple settling tubs can help, but the water will still need to be changed periodically. Recirculating systems also require more setup and water than many first-time users expect.

Where should I position a highbanker?

Set the highbanker on stable ground where it can be leveled securely and will not shift while operating.

Ideally, it should be reasonably close to both the digging area and the water source. Carrying material a long distance quickly becomes the slowest and most tiring part of the operation.

Also consider where the tailings and wastewater will go. They should not bury unworked material, interfere with the pump intake, create unnecessary erosion, or enter an area where discharging sediment is prohibited.

Keep the pump intake screened, fully submerged, and raised slightly above or separated from the bottom so it does not continually pull in sand and small rocks.

Is highbanking legal?

The legality of highbanking depends on where you are operating.

Rules can vary by country, province or state, municipality, claim, park, and individual waterway. Restrictions may apply to:

• Land access
• Mineral rights and claims
• Motorized or electric pumps
• Water withdrawal
• Sediment discharge
• Fish habitat
• Seasonal closures
• Moving or disturbing stream material

Owning the equipment does not automatically give you permission to use it in every location. Check with the appropriate mining, land-management, and environmental authorities before setting up. If the land is privately owned or covered by a mineral claim, additional permission may be required.

How much material can a highbanker process?

Processing speed depends as much on the operator and material as it does on the machine.

Loose, previously classified gravel can be processed much faster than clay-rich material containing large rocks. Digging distance, pump capacity, hopper size, and whether one or several people are working will also affect production.

A consistent feeding rate is usually more effective than dumping in large amounts of material. Overfeeding can bury the recovery matting and send incompletely washed material into the tailings.

Highbanking rewards consistency more than speed. The goal is not simply to move the most gravel—it is to process promising gravel without losing the gold.

How often should I clean out the sluice?

There is no fixed schedule for every location.

A cleanout may be needed when:

• The matting becomes heavily loaded with black sand
• Material begins packing behind the riffles
• You move to a different test area
• You want to evaluate the ground
• The highbanker will be left unattended
• You finish operating for the day

When learning a new machine or working unfamiliar ground, frequent cleanouts can be useful. They show how the highbanker is performing and whether the material contains enough gold to continue working.

What are the most common highbanking mistakes?

Some of the most common problems are:

• Feeding material faster than it can be washed
• Using too little or too much water
• Setting the sluice angle without observing the matting
• Failing to break apart clay
• Allowing the machine to shift during operation
• Positioning the pump intake directly on the bottom
• Choosing a high-capacity machine that is difficult to transport
• Processing large amounts of material before testing the ground
• Never checking the tailings for lost gold

Most recovery problems can be narrowed down by slowing the feeding rate, checking the water flow and angle, and panning samples from the tailings.

How do I choose the right highbanker?

Choose a highbanker based on how and where you will actually use it.

Consider:

• How far it must be carried
• Whether you normally work alone
• The size of material being processed
• Available water and pump options
• Vehicle and storage space
• Setup and teardown time
• The amount of material you realistically expect to process
• Local equipment restrictions

A larger highbanker is not automatically the better choice. Extra capacity provides little benefit if the machine is too heavy to reach the ground you want to work. Sizing your machine to your physical capabilities and the number of people working makes for a much more enjoyable and rewarding experience.

A portable highbanker that gets used regularly is often more valuable than a larger machine that stays at home. You can view our current highbankers and available configurations or review the Gold Trek setup instructions to see how a compact system is assembled in the field.