There is a large tree which has washed down a creek and is lodged against some rocks. All of the bark is gone, and I have not been able to get to it to check it out yet, but I was wondering if it would be to waterlogged or rotten to be worthwhile pulling out and bucking? Anyone out there have any experience with this type of situation? When the water rises it will be gone and I will have to await the next one....Thanks.
Waterlogged wood ??
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There is only one way to figure out if the log is rotten or not and none of us can do it over the computer. Pull it and see if it is solid. Dry it out and burn it.
Matt
Matt
Waterlogged? yes, rotten? probably not.
Although logs can eventually decompose under water in time, the water tends to preserve them. They do underwater logging in flooded dam basins where the trees have been under water for 10+ years.
I'm betting it's fine, but it will require drying time before you start burning it.
Although logs can eventually decompose under water in time, the water tends to preserve them. They do underwater logging in flooded dam basins where the trees have been under water for 10+ years.
I'm betting it's fine, but it will require drying time before you start burning it.
The biggest problem is drying the thing out. To me it would not be worth the time or effort to do it because even after it dries it won't be worth much. Also, what kind of tree is it. One tends to find a lot of cottonwood and willow.
I see a lot of trees down in streams that seem solid but waterlogged. I think it depends how hard it is to get the tree out of the water, and of course whether the wood is still solid. If it is getting soft, if it is willow, or if it will be hard to get out of the water, leave it there.
The downed tree is also providing habitat for fish and other waterlife. Here where I live, they are part of the natural habitat of the steelhead trout. That is something to consider, too.
santacruzbluz said:
Thank you! I totally agree with that.
There is precious little natural cover in most streams in the first place. On the Battenkill River, a once great blue ribbon trout stream near my home, they are actually adding woody debris (whole trees, brought in and root balls anchored to the banks at great expense) to the stream side to increase the cover and hopefully get the fish population to rebound.
Still, I'll bet that wood will be fine once it dries out. Ever hear of a driftwood fire? They burn hot!
that wood will probably be just fine for burning. My chainsaw isn't touching anything that's been washed anywhere with a creek and mud, silt, etc... Least not with a chain and bar I like.
I am not sure it is legal to remove a tree from a creek. Not that you are likely to be caught and fined, but that creek is 'waters of the US' and removing that tree would be interpreted by the Army Corps as an impact, at least it would be if you are moving any sediment along with the wood. If you were a land developer or corporation, I'd tell you definitely do not touch that tree without consulting the corps. A farmer could probably remove the tree without any worries. I am not sure what the average landowner is allowed to do.
That's good to know, Wood Duck. One of the problems on the Battenkill has been the unauthorized removal of sweepers and strainers from the river by the canoe liveries so their clients won't sue when they get clotheslined by a branch because they can't steer a canoe in moving water. Now I can tell them we have the Feds on our side. :coolsmile:
Battenkiller said:
They need to bring in the trees because the mergansers need a bit more exercise swimming around them. They are getting fat off all the stocked trout.
Matt
Battenkiller said:
I grew up right on the water and had many a driftwood fires.If you get to dry it wil burn very hot.Plus you could always use it for a bonfire
Depends . . . I've seen some wood pulled from water that is pretty rotten and other wood that once dried was great for burning . . . me . . . I wouldn't waste my time in pulling wood from water, but then again that's just me and since I have ready access to wood . . . .
When it's possible I pull 'dead' trees out of the swamp and wetlands that have been laying there for a number of years. It dries a whole lot faster than fresh cut living trees once it's split and off the ground. I don't know why that is but a 'dead' tree split up and dried can be burned in 30 days with prime drying conditions. If the tree is on your property I'd pull it out of the creek regardless.
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