This doesn't say how it's proved. Is it drilling a 4" hole every 50 feet or some other type of similar resource measurement? Do you think its more accurate than mining half the riverbed adjacent to this gravel?
That's the real question isn't it? In the end its what gives a more accurate assessment of the resource. Typically these channels are mined out on one side while moving into the channel than the other side is mined out on the way out of the channel. It's not that the side they mined had all the gold.
Perhaps you, auroradude or someone else is familiar with the principles of river morphology and can accurately estimate where the gold was deposited?