Water Resources at the 2012 Forest Family Fun Day

The Texas Forest Service Water Resources Program recently participated in the 12th biannual Forest Family Fun Day at the George Henderson Expo Center in Lufkin, Texas. Approximately 1,200 people attended the event. Admission was free and loggers were able to receive up to six hours of continuing education credit for the Texas Pro Logger Program.

The Forest Family Fun Day is sponsored by the Texas Forestry Association and the Texas Logging Council. The event hosted a contest for the best looking log truck, a log auction, a skidder mud race, a log loading contest, and a chainsaw competition. Hands on activities for children were put on by Home Depot and Project Learning Tree that were designed to educate and spark an interest in the outdoors and the forest industry. Of course, there were also many brand new log trucks, skidders, loaders, shears, and other state of the art logging equipment on display.

At the Water Resources Program booth, Donna Work and Todd Thomas passed out information and answered questions related Texas Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs). Displays and demonstrations also helped kids understand the importance of healthy forests in providing clean water. The booth featured a working Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) diorama, samples of benthic macroinvertebrates, literature on BMPs, and much more.

May 2012 BMP Q&A

By: Todd Thomas, Water Resources Forester, Texas Forest Service

Q: Recently we were doing some work on a tract that had a pond in the middle of it and just to be safe we left a buffer of trees around the pond. I understand that we are to leave an SMZ on perennial and intermittent streams as well as on ephemeral streams depending on site conditions; but what about ponds and why?

A: If the pond is connected to an intermittent or perennial stream, then leaving an SMZ is recommended. Professional judgment, just like with ephemeral streams, can be used on disconnected ponds. Certainly leaving a buffer around a pond is beneficial, and can help maintain high water quality as well as extend the lifespan of the pond.

First and foremost, the SMZ slows down runoff from the surrounding areas. Without this buffer, runoff water would continually gain speed as it headed towards the pond giving it the power to erode the surrounding soil and carry it into the water. Not only does this buffer slow down runoff, but the remaining vegetation intercepts rainfall. It’s hard to believe, but the impact of a raindrop can greatly displace soil. Instead of a direct hit, the trees catch the rain and slow it down so that its impact and resulting erosion is greatly reduced.

Increased sediment from erosion can eventually silt in a pond, but aside from this there is another reason to leave some of the surrounding trees. In all likelihood, trees have grown up on the dam. These trees should be left there or you risk weakening the dam and potentially losing the pond all together. Once these trees are removed, the roots and stumps rot out and an empty space is left there, weakening the structural integrity of the dam, and increasing the risk of the dam collapsing. Not only could you lose the pond, but the water from the dam breaking could cause massive erosion, making the other BMPs you implemented on the tract pointless.

Lastly, SMZs provide shade to the pond’s edge, helping keep the water in the more shallow areas cool. This is especially important for aquatic life such as small insects and fish, which often serve as food for the larger fish in the pond.

Next time you stumble across a pond or lake on a tract remember, that if it is part of a stream system, be sure to leave an SMZ. If it is not, consider the benefits of leaving a buffer if you deem it necessary.

Before I wrap this up, I want to take a moment and mention that the Texas Forest Service Water Resources Program has recently released a new online “blog” on which we will be discussing and highlighting current BMP and water related issues. The blog also contains all of our past BMP Q&A articles dating back to 2000! You can search through the articles by date or keyword and add your own thoughts and experiences by commenting on the posts. The blog is located at http://www.tfswater.blogspot.com. I would encourage you to stay up to date with the latest BMP news and information by checking it often. Be sure to tell your friends about this new resource as well.

In addition to the blog, there is a wealth of BMP information on the Texas Forest Service website at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/water. If you have any questions you would like answered or to see in this article, please send them my way, you can contact me by phone at (936) 639-8180 or email at tthomas@tfs.tamu.edu.

 *This article was published in the May 2012 issue of the Texas Logger

Texas Forest Service Teaches Austin Students About Forests and Water

The Texas Forest Service Water Resources Program recently visited Austin to participate in the 2012 Austin Water Science Expo.

The two-day annual event is organized by Austin Water Utility and hosts around 2,000 5th and 6th grade students from AISD. Students learn about the role of water, both as a natural resource and as a public utility, and consider water related issues from the watershed scale down to individual household use.




Donna Work and Chuck Coup explained the importance of healthy forests in maintaining water quality and discussed the impacts that wildfires can have on water resources. A demonstration showing the importance of riparian vegetation and Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) was also conducted using a rainfall simulator model to illustrate the forest-water relationship.

This was the 18th year for the event. Texas Forest Service is already looking forward to participating again next year.

Free Riparian Management Workshop - May 3, 2012

(Click on image for larger view)

The Lampasas Watershed Partnership will host a one-day “Proper Functioning Condition" Riparian workshop on May 3 in Hamilton, TX.

Riparian and wetland areas occur along watercourses or water bodies and occupy the transitional area between the upland and water ecosystems. Typical examples would include floodplains, stream banks and lakeshores.

Participants will learn the basic interaction of Hydrology, Erosion/Deposition, and Vegetation for central Texas creeks and rivers. Among topics to be covered are channels, floodplains, water table, vegetation, base flow, flood flow, sediment and how these things in combination are what make up the Riparian Area. The workshop, which is free and open to the public, consists of classroom and field instruction on the South Lampasas River.

The course primarily will be conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel.

Three continuing education units will be available to holders of Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator licenses.

The workshop will be on May 3 at the Texas Game Warden Training Center, 4363 FM 1047, Hamilton, TX. Lunch will be provided for registered participants. The field portion will begin at the Texas Game Warden Training Center and then move down river to the Bettie Sheldon Black Ranch.

There is no fee required to attend these workshops, however, those who wish to attend must RSVP to Lisa Prcin by email or phone by May 1. For more information contact her at 254-774-6008 or lprcin@brc.tamus.edu. A draft workshop agenda is available at www.lampasasriver.org as well as maps to the workshop location.

The Lampasas River Watershed Partnership is a collaborative effort by local stakeholders, AgriLife Research, and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to address water quality concerns within the Lampasas River watershed through the development of a watershed protection plan.  The Lampasas River watershed encompasses parts of Mills, Hamilton, Lampasas, Coryell, Burnet, Bell and Williamson counties.

New BMP Demonstration on the Jones State Forest

Texas Forest Service recently installed a new stream crossing demonstration on the W. Goodrich Jones State Forest in Conroe. The demonstration is part of the forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) demo tour that provides an opportunity for the forestry sector to see how properly installed BMPs look and function. The tour currently has 10 demonstration sites.

The crossing utilizes 3 portable bridgemats (4' x 16' x 8') made out of sturdy hardwood cants fastened together with threaded rods. The bridgemat crossing provides reliable access across Mill Set Gully and replaces a failing timber bridge. Bridgemat crossings are a readily-available and proven method of crossing streams and ditches in a ‘low-impact’ manner that protects water quality. They are simple to install, and can be easily removed and transported to another location after an operation is completed.

To learn more about this and other BMP demonstrations stop by the Jones State Forest, or visit our virtual BMP tour.

Post-Fire Erosion Control Measures

On January 13, 2012, the Lost Pines Recovery Team in Bastrop County provided a free educational workshop for landowners affected by the recent wildfires. The topics covered a wide range of subjects, providing information useful to to any landowner impacted by the recent wildfires in Texas (not just those in Bastrop County). The Texas Forest Service Water Resources Program presented information on erosion control measures that landowners can take following wildfire to reduce the risks of soil and water degradation.

The presentations are available online as a standard PDF document, or as a video of the presentations. To access them click on the images below:

To view the PDF documents you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. The software is available as a free download from the Adobe website. To view the video presentations you will need to have Apple QuickTime. The software is also available as a free download from the Apple website.


Additional information on post-fire erosion control can be found on the Bastrop County disaster recovery/relief website (http://www.co.bastrop.tx.us/bcdisaster/index.php/soilsaerosion).

BMP Trivia Question

Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) are protective areas maintained on either side of perennial and intermittent streams, extending from the edge of each bank, to protect water quality during forestry operations. Among other things, these areas trap and retain sediments, maintain bank stability, and provide shade to maintain cool water temperatures. According to the BMP Handbook, what are 3 of the 11 Recommended Specifications for the protection and maintenance of SMZs?

1.)
2.)
3.)

Click on "comments" below and post your answers.