Shocked Fish and Shovel like Crazy

Fire Weed and Hemlock tops

It has become clear that if I want to disclose the cool projects I have been witness to I must update you all more regularly!

Today I worked with a fellow intern and a biologist.  The biologist was hired to determine if there was fish in a couple streams on Western land.  She strapped on her shocker backpack and we led the way down the first stream.  If you have never seem fish be shocked well, today was not the greatest day to see it.  We walked the entire first stream to a larger one without finding any fish.  The water was mucky with orange sediment.  We later learned that a landslide had happened upstream prior.  The verdict of the stream was left for another day. Further investigation into the watershed will likely determine it as possible for fish habitat and will be treated as such. 

Hopping back in our truck we drove past Port Hardy to the road Rupert 400 to another bridge.  Replacing our gear on our backs we pumped ourselves up for another creek trek.  The brush looked thick.  Climbing down the steep edge near the bridge we carried on.  The biologist tested out the large pools, often with logs that provided protection.  In the very first pool she spotted a fish! Okay so yay for not having to trek the entire stream but, it means that the road crossing must be treated with extra caution.  Pros that the fish habitat will be protected with extra stream buffers and bridge construction will be not happen during prime season.  Cons are that the company has to spend more money and time planning an optimal solution.  And the history of logging in the area was not as conscientious as they are now, that there was logging right up against the stream line so the system may feel this impact already.   

 

Carrying on now… Last week I got the opportunity to ride in an off-highway log truck! An excellent driver Ceese was kind enough to let me ride along on his route up Raging Iron Road.  These trucks are especially large! They have been around a long while.  Their water brakes allows them to slow down and stop on particularly steep routes.  The truck goes from 20,000 lbs empty to close to 60,000lbs loaded.  As the truck was being loaded the operator let me watch from the inside of his loader cab.  It was a long and slow ride back to camp but Ceese and I rocked out to 80’s music blasted above the loud roar of the powerful engine. 

In my first week I got to go with a couple of engineers to an active construction site. They were setting up a berm or a barrier to protect the workshop from potential landslides.  A stream had to be rerouted. Luckily there was not water in the streambed so the shovel was able to work without issue.  An environmental monitor was on site in case anything went wrong regarding the stream health.  We all spent the day watching the shovel and rock truck work to form adequately strengthened walls and stream features.

Retaining Wall

 At the very end we had a very long drive home.  We made a quick detour to a new bridge.  It is a log bridge, made out of some of their largest logs to support the huge log loads.  We also treated ourselves to stop for a glance at huge retaining wall project.  It was about 10m long and intended to hold up the road edge.  The wall was very cool to see applied!

Log Bridge is greater than 6m across or else
is known as box culvert, with different regulations

In addition to log truck rides, berm or culvert installation block or unit layouts has been important.  At this point it is a lot of brush, wind blown logs, and trekking.  The woods here are wonderful and not without their challenges!  They are teaching me how to use the GPS to take coordinates of boundaries, points, roads, and streams.  It is applying the abstract schooling I have been taught to layouts they will actually use.  Scaling up steep slopes to see the block through the eyes of a forester provides road location, crew hazards, and timber value.  We look for Goss hawks and streambeds.  Wet areas and rocks are all concerns that must be given attention in the planning that happens years in advance to any action. 

The timber blow down we climbed for boundary lay out

There is lots to learn about how the forest industry and communities functions.   Coming soon are some shots from the Port McNeill Orca Fest! It is the big town festival of the year! People came from all over the island to play slow pitch ball.  There was a parade, dance, awards, food, and craft booths.  Lots of people watching to be had and meet.