making fish habitat, please advise

[marshall_b]

a tree cutting project is underway on lake allatoona. different sized trees, mainly pine, have been marked for future fish structure. We will boat to shore, jump off, and whack them down. The guys in charge would like for the trees to be dropped in the water but remain attached to the stump so they'll stay put. this worries me because i don't want to have one split and injure, or drown, me. Is there a safe way of felling the trees into the water but still attached to stump???:smoking:

 

[ropensaddle]

a tree cutting project is underway on lake allatoona. different sized trees, mainly pine, have been marked for future fish structure. We will boat to shore, jump off, and whack them down. The guys in charge would like for the trees to be dropped in the water but remain attached to the stump so they'll stay put. this worries me because i don't want to have one split and injure, or drown, me. Is there a safe way of felling the trees into the water but still attached to stump???:smoking:

Ht 101 or power pruner and as always a clear escape route!
This puts distance between you and the action. If the trees
are too large for the power pruner this would be a good use
of a bore cut and strap then the pruner fully extended could
the strap. I however if was going to put fish cover in would
cut and let dry out cedars and drop offshore with a heavy
weight to tie down!

 

[marshall_b]

here's a clip so you get a better idea of what we are doing..http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r74/rebowin/?action=view&current=Misc3-17062.flv

since this lake is owned by army corps, we cut the trees that ga dnr has marked. upwards of 2000 trees i believe.:smoking:

 

[clearance]

I have seen stream restoration work here, in rivers and creeks, you are working close to shore? They get the logs (bigger is better) from anywhere and cable them to rocks on the banks. Same with boulders they put in the stream to provide a place for the fish to rest, or hangout.

No need to hope the tree stays attached to the stump, first of all, it dangerous and doesn't need to be. Secondly, if you cut off enough holding wood so it falls, it probably will not stay attached for long.

Look like they use big Hilti bolts for the rock end, the log end can be done many ways. So, fall it, secure it.

 

[marshall_b]

I have seen stream restoration work here, in rivers and creeks, you are working close to shore? They get the logs (bigger is better) from anywhere and cable them to rocks on the banks. Same with boulders they put in the stream to provide a place for the fish to rest, or hangout.

No need to hope the tree stays attached to the stump, first of all, it dangerous and doesn't need to be. Secondly, if you cut off enough holding wood so it falls, it probably will not stay attached for long.

Look like they use big Hilti bolts for the rock end, the log end can be done many ways. So, fall it, secure it.

thanks, just what i was thinking, fell and secure is the only safe way. I'm going to let the rest of the guys know that they need to quit trying to leave the trees attached. I can just imagine one splitting and pinning them to the bank or worse.:smoking:

 

[computeruser]

In doing woody debris management work on streams, we've found that cabling the trunks to the bank with aircraft cable + clamps works fine. Depending on the direction of the forces that the trees will experience, you may only need to cable every few trees. I know that our initial work has held for almost 10 years in areas where storms produce 10' increases in water level. Once other trees and branches get into the cabled stuff, it becomes an immovable mass.

 

[ATS/TexasTree]

Working with Texas Parks and Wildlife (Game & Fish) and the Lower Colorado River Authority, I have created a great many "fish habitats" - essentially a place for the bait fish to hide from the larger fish.

We use Christmas trees weighted down with a single concrete block (8x8x16 cement building block) tied to the tree with a cheap piece of polypropylene rope.

Christmas trees were free from vendors unable to sell them or we used trees folks brought to recycle. Concrete blocks cost about $1.00 each.

Dropping pines in the water while attempting to leave them attached to the trunk sounds like a government bureaucrat's idea and someone who has never wielded a chainsaw. Don't do it. Let 'em fall in the water.

Attached to the bank (trunk) it would look stupid as well.

 

[(WLL)]

what a stupid idea people really do a great job of f-n up nature. im sure there are much better ways of creating a habitat other than whacking up important trees in a critical zone.

 

[marshall_b]

this is a joint effort between dnr fisheries biologists and COE. They may disagree with you on f****ng up nature. I'm going to find out how the trees to be cut were chosen and ill keep you posted. My guess is that dead, damaged, and dangerous trees were the only ones marked to be cut.

 

[marshall_b]

what a stupid idea people really do a great job of f-n up nature. im sure there are much better ways of creating a habitat other than whacking up important trees in a critical zone.

COE and GADNR selected only trees with exposed root balls and are going to fall anyhow. Also because the trees will decompose, only a number of trees will be cut this year(the highest risk trees). Others will serve as future habitat and will likely be cut in the same fashion. It is better, in my opinion, to have control over when these trees will fall. There are 270 miles of shoreline and over 6 million people make use of the lake throughout the year. with so many ppl around maybe we will reduce the chances of injury by falling trees. Is this "f**king up nature??" Yeah probably so, but with our population here in atlanta nature has been long gone so we try to make the most of what's left.:smoking:

 

[guitarborist]

Dropping pines in the water while attempting to leave them attached to the trunk sounds like a government bureaucrat's idea and someone who has never wielded a chainsaw. Don't do it. Let 'em fall in the water.
.

I could not agree more. I have been asked to do this very practice by my boss and his bosses, none of them understands how to use a chainsaw or how 2" of holding wood bent at a 90+ angle does not have a very long shelf life. Then you have a log floating in the water with people in boats, skiing ect.... not good. They also had us place logs in the water, drill a hole through the log and place rebar through the hole and into the bank to hold them in place. After the first rise in the water level the logs worked free and floated around with a 2-3' rebar spike coming out of one end.