Ecological Effects of Log Salvaging from Reservoirs

摘要

Pulpwood log drives in Maine, from the 1830s to 1976, left an estimated 1-2 million cords of logs submerged in the Kennebec River system, principally in two reservoirs: Wyman Lake and Indian Pond. Favorable economics have led to commercial log salvaging in these two reservoirs and elsewhere. Because of the large quantities of submerged logs in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, interest is high concerning the ecological impact of such salvaging. Yellow perch did not show a strong attraction for submerged pulpwood logs, though other species did, indicating that removal could have some impact on available cover for fishes. The colonization potential of newly submerged logs is apparently not impaired by log salvaging, but salvaging can have short-term effects on water quality and certain direct and indirect effects on fishes and invertebrates.