Did Gold Rush: White Water get canceled?
Gold Rush: White Water has not officially been canceled, but the show had such a difficult time during season six that a renewal seems unlikely.
Finding information about what is happening behind the scenes as Discovery’s hit spin-off show, Gold Rush: White Water, has been nearly as difficult as finding gold at the bottom of Nugget Creek.
The lack of information for Gold Rush: White Water
And between the show’s mysterious and still-unexplained three-month long mid-season hiatus, Alaska’s horrible luck with typhoons and many of the cast members not returning, it really seems like this popular show may have run its course.
To be clear, Discovery has not yet officially canceled Gold Rush: White Water.
However, since the only real update that we have gotten about the show this year came from a seemingly now-deleted post by producer, Tim Dalby’s Facebook page (which was promptly shared to Reddit), it seems silly to expect Discovery to suddenly start doling out explanations now that season six has aired in its entirety.
Unfortunately, it now seems highly likely that Gold Rush: White Water may end up slowly fading away without ever getting so much as an official cancellation notice from the network.
Gold Rush: White Water’s rocky run
Although we maintain a small glimmer of hope that Gold Rush: White Water could eventually make a comeback, it is truly difficult to predict which shows Discovery will decide to bring back for another season.
Moreover, the fact that Gold Rush: White Water disappeared off the air halfway through its most recent season, before returning in a brand-new timeslot as if nothing ever happened, certainly does not bode well.
Gold Rush: White Water season six’s rollercoaster timeline on television can be summarized as follows:
| Date | Event |
| November 8, 2022 | Season six of Gold Rush :White Water premieres |
| January 3, 2023 | Episode eight of Gold Rush: White Water airs |
| January 3, 2023 | Tim Dalby reportedly shared on Facebook that the show was “too expensive,” and that Discovery had put it on an extended ‘break’ |
| January 6, 2023 | Kayla Johansen confirmed via her Facebook page that Gold Rush: White Water would be on this ‘break’ until spring |
| April 14, 2023 | Gold Rush: White Water returns with the aptly-titled “Missing In Action” episode |
| June 9, 2023 | The Gold Rush: White Water season six finale episode airs |
Gold Rush: White Water’s biggest problem
According to the Facebook message reportedly posted by Dalby, which has been making the rounds on Reddit since January 2023, Gold Rush: White Water’s ratings were still doing quite well before the series had its months-long break.
However, if what this post said about the series simply being too expensive to produce is true, then it is likely that fairly good ratings will not be enough to justify bringing Gold Rush: White Water back for another season.
Especially given all of the rebuilding and boulder-destruction that Dustin and his crew will likely have to do after the continued floods in Nugget Creek.
Where season six of Gold Rush: White Water left off
It has always been widely accepted in the Gold Rush fandom that the excitement of this franchise lies not in the actual gold that the crew finds, but in the hunt to get to the gold.
However, season six ended on a particularly low note, with Nugget Creek completely flooded as a result of a devastating typhoon, and without a final weigh-in.
One thing is for sure, if Gold Rush: White Water does return for a seventh season sometime in the future, Dustin and the rest of the remaining crew will certainly have a long way to go to get back to where they were at the beginning of season six.
Even if Gold Rush: White Water does return – the show will not be the same
Sadly, even if Gold Rush: White Water does return to Discovery for another season (against all odds), the show is bound to be quite different from the format that longtime fans have grown to know and love over the years.
If you have been keeping up with all of the Gold Rush news outside of the show during its hiatus, then you may be aware that ‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt passed away in July 2023.
And while his wife Jenny has been doing everything to keep his memory alive on social media since his passing, there is no doubt that his presence will be sorely missed in any upcoming season.
Kayla Johansen also shared on Facebook that she has decided to leave Gold Rush: White Water behind, so it seems like the show will also have some casting issues to figure out before it can return.