By Topf Wells
With help from Justin Haglund of the DNR and his crew of most excellent assistants and the Gray Langfoss family, SWTU opened the fall work day season with extraordinary productivity. We probably had 15-20 SWTU volunteers.
Jim has us tackling two areas on Kittleson Creek up and downstream of the bridge on River Forks Road. Downstream, Jim took our winch, Justin and Vince of the DNR, and a team of SWTU volunteers. Their daunting job was to take at least three large trees that had lodged in the stream. As our DNR biologists remind us often wood in a stream is fabulous trout habitat. Sometimes, though, the logs can direct the current so that too much stream bank erosion is occurring. Alas and alack, such was the case.
Jim and crew worked for three hours and cleared the stream to Justin’s satisfaction. This was hard, slippery work but mission accomplished.
The other contingent of SWTU volunteers was sent upstream to the new Langfoss easement where their task was to begin dealing with the box elders. The simple name of that tree does not do justice to what we saw. Everyone, SWTU members, DNR crew, and Langfoss family had one simple, oft-repeated phrase: “It’s a jungle.” But we were ready for this jungle. Justin sent his ace crew, headed by Lloyd and including Cole, Mitch, and Paul, and, eager to see what conservation work was all about, Cole’s sister’s boyfriend. Gary Langfoss, the landowner who sold the new easement (one of three he sold to the DNR!) and his son-in-law joined us. AND THEY BROUGHT A TRACTOR, CHAINS, AND A SKID STEER.
They at least quintupled the work we did and maybe more. While we had to buck and haul some smaller trees the machinery could not reach, our DNR sawyers, Bob Harrison, and Mike Meier could cut tree after tree and the tractor or skid steer would simply haul to the very large brush pile. I for one never tired of the sight.
We cleared lots of the stream and it’s a lovely sight. Heavily meandered with deep stretches, this is where the big trout live. Ask the muskrat who lost a leg to one in an attack that horrified us.
More good news: Justin has his crew working two days a week on trout easements in his area and they’ll probably return to continue this work.
Gary Langfoss said he’d be interested in some oak trees in the area we cleared, a tree that is much better for the stream than the box elders.
(If you patiently read this, guess which sentence was inserted as a Halloween joke.)
Workday report 1: “It’s a jungle”
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Posted: November 6, 2019 by Drew Kasel
By Topf Wells
With help from Justin Haglund of the DNR and his crew of most excellent assistants and the Gray Langfoss family, SWTU opened the fall work day season with extraordinary productivity. We probably had 15-20 SWTU volunteers.
Jim has us tackling two areas on Kittleson Creek up and downstream of the bridge on River Forks Road. Downstream, Jim took our winch, Justin and Vince of the DNR, and a team of SWTU volunteers. Their daunting job was to take at least three large trees that had lodged in the stream. As our DNR biologists remind us often wood in a stream is fabulous trout habitat. Sometimes, though, the logs can direct the current so that too much stream bank erosion is occurring. Alas and alack, such was the case.
Jim and crew worked for three hours and cleared the stream to Justin’s satisfaction. This was hard, slippery work but mission accomplished.
The other contingent of SWTU volunteers was sent upstream to the new Langfoss easement where their task was to begin dealing with the box elders. The simple name of that tree does not do justice to what we saw. Everyone, SWTU members, DNR crew, and Langfoss family had one simple, oft-repeated phrase: “It’s a jungle.” But we were ready for this jungle. Justin sent his ace crew, headed by Lloyd and including Cole, Mitch, and Paul, and, eager to see what conservation work was all about, Cole’s sister’s boyfriend. Gary Langfoss, the landowner who sold the new easement (one of three he sold to the DNR!) and his son-in-law joined us. AND THEY BROUGHT A TRACTOR, CHAINS, AND A SKID STEER.
They at least quintupled the work we did and maybe more. While we had to buck and haul some smaller trees the machinery could not reach, our DNR sawyers, Bob Harrison, and Mike Meier could cut tree after tree and the tractor or skid steer would simply haul to the very large brush pile. I for one never tired of the sight.
We cleared lots of the stream and it’s a lovely sight. Heavily meandered with deep stretches, this is where the big trout live. Ask the muskrat who lost a leg to one in an attack that horrified us.
More good news: Justin has his crew working two days a week on trout easements in his area and they’ll probably return to continue this work.
Gary Langfoss said he’d be interested in some oak trees in the area we cleared, a tree that is much better for the stream than the box elders.
(If you patiently read this, guess which sentence was inserted as a Halloween joke.)
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