Quote Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop View Post
Not sure I understand the purpose of this project. If the place is going to be "dewatered", then why the need to send in cave divers to remove cables etc? Is the purpose of the cave divers to remove these hazards for preparation of the mining work?
Dewatering will not happen for quite a long time. Part of this is because I want to enjoy the damn thing for a few years AND if the mine isn't fruitful it is cheaper to dive than shore, dewater, dig collapses, shore etc...

Cost of maintaining a claim is a bit more than 150 US dollars a year. If you can prove you have done "real work" on a site it goes down to 10 a year (a bit more but you see the point).

Removing cable, taking samples, removing and replacing rotten shoring all constitute real work. This keeps the cost of a small desert oasis to almost nothing (compared to commercial sites or five hour drives).

Plus, although I haven't responded to anyone yet, there are more than a few people who asked me here whom I will certainly send the invitation out to. I am taking my time with this. I want to ensure safety of others using my property.