Loggers Aim To Improve Water Quality
25 January 2012 04:40 PM Filed in: Sediment Monitoring
But as the saying goes, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, and logging companies’ activities can have serious impacts on other elements of the environment. And one aspect of the environment that can be hugely affected by intensive logging is water quality. For example, tree shade helps maintain water temperatures; vital for the well being of economically important trout and salmon. As a result several states, including California and Washington, impose strict laws defining the requirement to leave specific volumes of uncut trees by rivers and streams.
Another major issue facing water quality in heavily logged regions is that of increased sediment entering streams. Some of the contamination is simply that from landslides, often a feature following the cutting of trees over a large area. The other source of pollution is stormwater, which runs directly into streams from adjacent logging roads.
Following a review of the situation in Oregon, plans have been put in place to improve the regulations serving the state’s logging activities. Naturally, the forestry industry is concerned that an increase in regulations may have worrying impacts on productivity. Meanwhile the Environmental Protection Agency’s Dave Powell says, “Stream protection particularly for small and medium streams is something the EPA has identified for 10 years as something that needed attention in Oregon”.
The Oregon Forestry Board, having recently voted to revise the Forest Practices Act, will be looking into the ways in which stream water quality can be improved without negatively affecting logging business interests.
The ongoing monitoring of water temperature and turbidity on Oregon’s forest streams will ensure that any changes in practice will be accurately observed.
Source: OPB News
Following a review of the situation in Oregon, plans have been put in place to improve the regulations serving the state’s logging activities. Naturally, the forestry industry is concerned that an increase in regulations may have worrying impacts on productivity. Meanwhile the Environmental Protection Agency’s Dave Powell says, “Stream protection particularly for small and medium streams is something the EPA has identified for 10 years as something that needed attention in Oregon”.
The Oregon Forestry Board, having recently voted to revise the Forest Practices Act, will be looking into the ways in which stream water quality can be improved without negatively affecting logging business interests.
The ongoing monitoring of water temperature and turbidity on Oregon’s forest streams will ensure that any changes in practice will be accurately observed.
Source: OPB News
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