Clear cutting

Why is clear cutting so detrimental to fisheries. I heard over this past weekend a few Montana fisheries stoped a few years ago and saved the fishery. Now these rivers are near world class. Fill me in.

I support logging 100% as my dad was a timber cutter until his last tree left him unable to work anymnore. but for clearcutting it takes away from a lot of natural binding in the soil and alows sediment to be washed down ito the watersystem. And im sure thre are a lot other scientific things to be said but that about sums it up. Also use paper not plastic at the store.

Earlier eras of logging in addition to allowing large sediment run offs allowed cutting down to tributary creeks and main streams them selves leaving the water exposed to direct sunlight for large portions of surface area. Increased water temperatures hurt the runs in the hotter months, sediment run offs in the winter, and less habitat in the spawning areas, IE wood debris/ logs etc.

Theres a ton of regulations now that go into logging around streams, IE buffer zones along streams where you must leave a barrier of trees X distance from the water/ riparian zone. Replanting is a lot more strict now, in the time frame it must be done after cutting accrued. In addition to regulations on the volume of land that can be harvested at one time. Its really a lot healthier than what it used to be.


Im 100% for harvesting timber.

Thanks squatch and thuggin(that sounds odd). That is good info...I know I can research it myself, but nice to get locals take on things. And sometimes the research one will find can be one sided. I know there are more opinions out there.

Sasquatch is right on. Here in my native Southern Oregon, there was one stream in particular that was hurt by clearcutting. Beaver Dam Creek (Jackson County) had large portions of streamside forest removed. It raised water temperatures, which severely cut down the population of coldwater brookies, and it caused algae and weed growth in a number of pools.

Now, there are only a few stretches which are even fishable with my favorite spinners...