how will my spring be affected if I clear cut around it?

[trailmaker]

A friend of mine has told me that I should cut down as many trees as possible on my property to keep my spring flow up. His reasoning is that the trees suck up all the water. To me it seems that the trees should help water supply by sheltering the soil from sun and wind. Here in the Santa Cruz Mountains we also get substantial fog drip in the forested areas. What say you, Foresters and Arborists?

 

[turnkey4099]

A true spring is one where an aquifer surfaces. The source can be miles away and local conditions (plant life) will have no effect. If cutting down trees around it affects it, it is not a true spring but a wetlands.

Harry K

 

[trailmaker]

It is a true spring, it's fed from what I would call a large swale or small valley near the top of some hills. I'm wondering if the small valley, the collection area, should be cleared or left forested.

 

[Mike Van]

If it's not broke, don't fix it ? If you've had years of trouble free water, I'd leave it as is.

 

[hanniedog]

Do what Mike said leave it alone. Mother nature can react in unexpected ways, so leave it the way it is.

 

[slowp]

Research it. There's libraries and internet. I have a friend who has no formal education in Natural Resources, but she has read up and studied and is quite sharp on that stuff.

My experience was that clearcutting lodgepole caused the water table to rise, making the road system a muddy one. But if MY spring was doing OK, I wouldn't mess with it. And you are not in Northern Warshington State so I have no idea what would happen there. Read up, ask questions of people in the know who are LOCAL.

 

[M.R.]

It is a true spring, it's fed from what I would call a large swale or small valley near the top of some hills. I'm wondering if the small valley, the collection area, should be cleared or left forested.

Like slowp said. Research, too many unknowned variables even with the experts.

Worked a little bit & on the Buckhollow project in Wasco & Sherman
counties, when we were in The Dalles in 90-95.
There may be some info online, Ron Graves who headed/ works for the WSCD in The Dalles office would be the person to contact if a search dosen't turn anything up.

A real WAG, the way it is will have more sustained/even flows thru out the year [think of all that vegatation like a slow release sponge], the cleared upper watershed will likely see higher peak flows in the spring, then may even become intermittent or dry by fall.

 

[trailmaker]

Thanks for the responses. If it ain't broke don't fix it is good advice. There are so many variables involved I don't think it would be possible to predict the outcome of clearing the collection area.

 

[willt1981]

ive cleared alot of land in the last five years and the areas that ive cleared the water flow is much higher than it was before. this is in western NC though. dont know about your area. like others said, ask locally.