Hydrologic Impacts of Logging an Appalachian Watershed Using West Virginia's Best Management Practices

Abstract

A 39 ha gauged watershed located in north-central West Virginia near Parsons was cut to a 35.5 cm stump diameter and logged using wheeled skidders to evaluate the effectiveness of West Virginia's Best Management Practices (BMPs). Roads initially occupied 10.6% of the watershed, but this percentage is decreasing as much of the original road prism reverts to forest. Reducing basal area by 44% in stems 2.54 cm dbh and larger had a negligible effect on maximum growing season stream temperatures, apparently because the stream remained shaded by residual trees and understory shrubs growing along it. Both growing season peakflows and total stormflow had small but significant increases due to treatment. Dormant season stormflows did not increase significantly. Although mean monthly exports of suspended sediment doubled the first year when the area was being logged, they remained within the range reported for carefully managed areas in the East. Sediment exports returned to pretreatment levels by the third posttreatment year. Long-term projections of current exports rates indicate that sediment exports from harvesting operations (3 entries) during a 100 yr rotation will account for less than 5% of the total sediment exported from the study watershed. Nitrate exports increased significantly during most of the monitored posttreatment years, but fertilizer applied to the roads during grass seeding is believed to have contributed to these increases. Actual concentration values remained low, with maximum concentrations well below standards for potable water. Calcium concentrations also increased during most years, but road liming during seeding probably was responsible for most of this increase. The BMPs used in this study were effective in minimizing adverse impacts to soil and water resources. North. J. Appl. For. 14(4):207-218.

Twenty-First Century Streamflow and Climate Change in Forest Catchments of the Central Appalachian Mountains Region, US

“…Forest disturbances due to harvesting [78,79], coal mining [76,80], urbanization [81], unconventional gas development, and afforestation [74] alter the amount of P partitioned into Q. Deforestation generally increases Q over the short-term by decreasing canopy interception and E [82], although the response of Q to forest removal also depends on the amount of water stored in a catchment [83]. As forests regrow, Q can return to similar pre-disturbance levels [84], but because tree water use and canopy interception differ among species (e.g., [85,86]), post-disturbance forest composition can alter Q over the long-term [53,87].…”

Effects of Road Crossings on Stream and Streamside Salamanders

“…State and federal transportation and wildlife agencies should work together to formulate policies regarding mitigation for aquatic life beyond fish and, as culverts age and need to be replaced, replace them with more ecologically friendly culverts. Moreover, the road planning process should include measures to prevent impacts to streamside vegetation and overstory canopy of streams and to mitigate for disturbances by replanting or allowing native riparian plants of at least a shrub layer to be reestablished to help shade streams and reduce sedimentation (Mader 1984, Kochenderfer et al 1997, Miller et al 1997.…”

Water Quality Effects of Clearcut Harvesting and Forest Fertilization with Best Management Practices

“…The retention of SMZs along perennial, intermittent, and many ephemeral streams in particular has become a standard component of the BMP program in many states. Best management practices are effective in reducing nonpoint‐source pollution from silvicultural operations (Lynch and Corbett, 1990; Arthur et al, 1988; Comerford et al, 1992; Kochenderfer et al, 1997; Stuart and Edwards, 2006). Best management practices have been shown not to be the “weak sister” to point source controls but in fact have been shown to be the optimum means for controlling nonpoint‐source pollution in extremely complex and variable watershed conditions (Ice, 2004).…”