If metals are deposited in streambeds placer mining would probably be used. spoil bank mining open-pit mining placer mining strip mining underground mining
Placer mining
A group of mining techniques known as placer mining make use of water to remove valuable minerals from the surrounding dirt.
The first placer deposits were literally just flecks of gold in a slurry of sediment that could be retrieved by expert miners using only a dinner plate-sized pan and river water.
In comparison to lode mining ore, small placers are also more simple to mine, and the ore often requires less processing.
Gold's high density leads it to descend from running water more quickly than the lighter siliceous elements with which it is found, and placer mining takes use of this fact.
Although the fundamentals of placermining have not changed since its inception, techniques have significantly advanced.