Bringing in the Sheaves

LD Henderson harvesting from logjams 

Bringing Logs to market.  www.Riverloggers.com uses a workboat, some chainsaws and about sixty five million permits and registrations to harvest wildfall, logjams and deadheads from some of the pristine rivers of NW Florida and Alabama. Most of the work is manual to avoid a lot of machinery and industrial clutter. This work, because of the environmental and natural resource issues is highly regulated. LD Henderson of River Resources  is one of the few with the persistence to follow through with all the permitting.  You will find more pictures of riverlogging AT THIS LINK.

The River Giveth

It has been a few months of serious scrappy work to get certified, registered and permitted for a number of river operations. DEP and Natural Resource regulations require the most professional approach to gain access to rivers. Some of the last hurdles of agreements for take-out points will settle this week.  As the weather improves for these operations, our teams are coming together for intense harvesting of Juniper and other wild-fall in these pristine rivers.  AT THIS POINT we are PULLING logs from one river and others are in the process of proper permitting. This RIVER LOGGER is bringing timber to the market for the most discerning buyers.  Look for some beautiful posts of Juniper and other wood varieties soon.

LD Henderson - River Logger

Thousand of logs clog the rivers from use by the public

The River Giveth and it Taketh its Own Time

Not every project will hit the timeline of a perfect plan, so Henderson has multiple streams of Business Income.  When logging permits and contracts are in review, or weather delays the logging effort, his diversification on River Resources pays off  .  Here is a photo essay of Henderson at work.

Progress with Alabama Trails

Here is a preview of what might actually begin to happen along the river trails for Alabama Forever Wild projects.  These Gulf Coast campsites are AMAZING.  Southern River Loggers is happy to be a part of bringing the river trails for hikers and canoeists to fruition along South Alabama rivers.

Removal of logjams should begin very soon.

Alabama Hiking Trails

Mr. Henderson and some associates attended a regular meeting of the Gulf Coast Alabama Hiking Trail Society where the Alabama Lands Manager talked about progress on hiking trails along the Perdido River. The project is a part of a statewide program that is part of the Alabama's Forever Wild Program land preservation program.  Mr. Henderson and his group were happy to meet the people of the Trail Society who volunteer their time and effort to help the state move the trails project forward. The state permitting process is nearly complete and Henderson has equipment and personnel lined up to begin environmentally sound log-jam removals.  This river and hiking trail will be a resource treasure for local recreation in the near future.

Some questions arose at the meeting about the pine forest and the way Forever Wild will eventually re-introduce  the lands to the native forest. The discussion requires some understanding of area history, geology and biological systems. From the history of the first Europeans who wrote about these lands, we know the original Southern Long Leaf Yellow Pine forests were a thing of wonder to them. Cabeza De Vacca wrote of the giant trees in the forest. 250 years later, David Crockett talked about marching through the great "pine barrens" with some of Jackson's troops and Indian Allies to attack the warring Creek Indians who were allied with the British in the war of 1812.  The tall slender trees formed a high canopy that shaded out much of the "barren" under-story carpeted by a thick mat of pine straw.  The "pine barrens" habitat supported many interdependent species. The gopher tortoise, the Northern Bobwhite, the diamond back rattlesnake,  the white tailed deer, rabbits, fox squirrels, fox and so much more. Since colonial times, the gradual harvesting of these great forests and eventual transition to a pulpwood economy has nearly erased the original native landscape.  Alabama and other states in the South, are working to return large tracts of land back to the the native species of Long Leaf Yellow Pine. This involves a systematic removal of the pulpwood species as time and economics permit.  I think in about 200 years, these forests will be back to their sustainable state of grandeur 500 years ago. "

A quiet float down the Perdido

This portion of the Perdido is not jammed up with logs.  Perhaps by this time next year the whole river will be canoe friendly. This river is the border of Florida and Alabama. The short video is just for quiet enjoyment. Listen for a few birds and ripples. Thanks to Cary Ellis a paddle challenged Creek Indian Chief .  This was filmed in October of 2014. Some of the logjams on the river are due for cleanup by www.riverloggers.com.  Please like or subscribe to the me3tv.org (youtube) channel. Thanks !

Muscogee Bridge - a day job

A one day job here to clear out the jam at the Muscogee Bridge on the Perdido River. This small jam is a  hazard for the county bridge and Southern River Loggers has an agreement with the county to keep it clear. For some people - this might be a month long project. For LD Henderson and a few trusty experts - it is ONE DAY.  Most of the logjams on the Perdido River are upstream from here and some are 100 times the size of this one. They will face Mr. Henderson and his crews very soon.
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VIEW THE DAYS PROGRESS up to Noon. By 10 pm - May 7 - this will be gone. AFTER pictures will follow soon.

Perdido Trails in Development

There are well over 40 miles of river with several major log jams in this pristine Perdido River stream. When cleaned up and trails laid on the Alabama side - this Florida / Alabama border River will be an outdoor paradise.  Southern River Loggers is proud to be a part of this rejuvenation of natural resources to benefit the people of our region. Enjoy this film - showing some of the trails already marked off and partially cleared for future hikers.  Both trails and river debris will be removed by SRL ... riverloggers.com.

Here are the people on top of the trails. HIKEALABAMA.ORG

Getting the BIG Picture

Bill Woodall of Chumuckla

One of the best ways to get a view of the problem is to look at it from above. Sometimes we have had the good fortune to fly with a retired Army sergeant in his private plane to look over the rivers. Bill Woodall of Chumuckla enjoys his plane and knows the area very well. So flying for pictures can be a rewarding  and educational experience.  Sometimes it is a surprise at just how radical the bends in the river can be. All this is the result of thousands of years of river blockages like log jams, that force the river to find an new path.  Look at the heavily studied soil charts of a section of the Mississippi River here.  It is amazing how much the river changes over time.  There are such maps of our local rivers, like the Escambia and Peridido and Alabama Rivers. Just flying over the rivers and obsrerving the changes in vegetation for miles either side will give a good idea of how much movement the rivers have in their seemingly mundane lives.

Master Dead Head Logger

Not many people can claim title to Master Dead Head Logger. LD Henderson, founder of Southern River Loggers is one such person. Deadheads are submerged logs, usually cypress or heart pine or other heavy timber that sank to the bottom years ago and was never recovered. Reclaiming such timber requires a sensitivity to the environment and a careful approach to removal so water and habitat are not overly disturbed. Light weight timber like Juniper is what is normally seen afloat and in the large Southern River log jams. These trees can be valuable because of their resistance to rot, having closed cell structure similar to balsa wood. But, in a river, they clog the stream and force the river to seek new passages. Over the eons of time, such log jams come and go as enormous river blockages.

This is one of the MAIN reasons oxbow lakes and sharp meandering curves in slow moving rivers become so prevalent. An overhead view of some rivers will show this phenomenon in stark detail. Mr. Henderson is himself a natural resource for those learning about the hydrology of rivers, the seasonal water-flows, the watershed capacity, the botany and the zoology of the habitat. A number of young environmental department workers have learned from his observations. Rivers and forests are complicated systems that cannot fully be appreciated from just reading about it.

The work is almost ready to start

Southern River Loggers preparing to make a start on takeout sites on the Perdido River in conjunction with Alabama's FOREVER WILD project. With the river clear of log jams and the wood responsibly recovered from the river and banks, the canoe and walking trails along the river will bring nature to thousands. Seewww.riverloggers.com . FInd more from this ALBUM HERE.

 

Tools of The Trade - THE SAW Blades

 In the timber business it is helpful to have a very strong affection for the saw blades.  It is the heart of the efficient operation.  The blades will be made for a particular brand and model of saw. They have to fit perfectly. Saw makers keep specific files on individual pieces of machinery for decades so blades can be made to specifications at any time. Each double coil of blades shown here will "unfold" to a much wider oval that can reach across a log. After a number of hours cutting, the blades must be resharpened. Often, blades are sharpened, tensioned and balanced to assure the very best possible cutting efficiency. It turns out, saw sharpening is both science and art.  Mr. Ray Griffin, near Jack's Branch in Molino is one of those who can make a saw "sing".

RIVER LOGGERS .com

LD Henderson and Ray Griffin

 

Perdido Log Jams

Photos by the Conservation Officers
The Log Jams on the Perdido and trash wood in the stream and along the shorelines will need to be removed with a delicate hand to avoid excessive erosion. Southern River Loggers is proud to be certified to handle this large project with the skill required. There is a 39 mile stretch of the Perdido River that borders Florida and that requires help to establish as a pristine and recreation friendly hiking and canoe paradise. In total the Alabama Wild Project will address about 190 miles of Riverways in SOUTH Alabama alone.  This is the kind of project Southern River Loggers can excel in. The world of South Alabama Rivers will open up to ecologically friendly recreation to serve all the people of the region.

Perdido River Trails

The Alabama Forever Wild project will eventually have 190 miles of River Hiking Trails along canoe accessible rivers the Gulf Coast region.  Here, Southern River Loggers is looking into the logistics for log jam and trail access.  PHOTO ALBUM - TRAIL and RIVER ACCESS - PERDIDO.

 

A Kayak down the Perdido River

Alabama's FOREVER WILD PROJECT will open canoe and walking trails along many of Baldwin County's rivers.  Southern River Loggers is part of the solution. Enjoy this 8 minute relaxing video and share with friends that wish they could spend a day FOREVER WILD.
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