One of the most significant restoration efforts is aimed at undoing the damage caused by ... Did you find this reflection on California’s Gold Rush and its environmental aftermath insightful?

In 1882, California passed the nation’s first environmental law, banning the dumping of mining debris into rivers. Other effects of the gold rush can still be seen across America today.

This contaminated both water and fish, with environmental effects that still linger in California today. A relative few who partook in the Gold Rush got wealthy—mostly earlier prospectors.

Stockton's very history is indelibly tied to the Gold Rush. The Californian Gold ... Gold prospectors also ran roughshod over California’s environment. Dams were built to aid mining efforts ...