Chop & Drop program in PA streams

[wildtrout2]

Not sure about all of this. I have seen trees fall and block the water from flowing; instead, the water flows out around the deadfall, with little water actually backing up and no tumble hole below the deadfall. I would think the would be detrimental to the stream and its trout.

And, I've seen on numerous occasions, where a tree falls across a stream and the water flows OVER it, creating a nice pool just below it. I believe it can work both ways.

 

[troutbert]

I know with this crowd of Large Woody Debris (LWD) fans...

Being a fan of large woody debris is like being a fan of clean water.

It's being a fan of the normal, natural condition as opposed to being a fan of the damaged condition.

It's normal for streams to have a lot of large woody debris. Little or no LWD is an abnormal, damaged condition, and the trout populations are greatly limited by it.

 

[Swattie87]

Being a fan of large woody debris is like being a fan of clean water.

It's being a fan of the normal, natural condition as opposed to being a fan of the damaged condition.

It's normal for streams to have a lot of large woody debris. Little or no LWD is an abnormal, damaged condition, and the trout populations are greatly limited by it.

I’m fine with the naturally occurring LWD, and don’t support its removal.

I think making it artificially, in Class A forested freestone systems that have the capability to make it themselves, is silly. And the resources expended would likely be better allocated in other ways.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

I will say that chop and drop projects may not be appropriate every where. However, many 1st, 2nd and 3rd order streams in pa are severely laxking large wood. In some cases ash and wooly adelgid hemlock mortality is accelerating large wood addition, but it often pales to what old growth conditions would have been. Then, take into consideration historical modifications like splash dams, rail road and road grades that have resulted in straightened channels in otherwise pristine watersheds along with the history of being clearcut 100 to 140 yrs ago. Alot of our streams including our "best" class a streams are far from their historic conditions