US Forest Service decides to close the Tellico trails

[TJDIV]

The reality is that this is happening everyone and there are (whether we like it or not) a fair number of knuckle heads that ruin our image. And when they do, that sticks to memory forever. Little good stewardship can overcome just a single act of irresponsible land use.

We were scouting for the U.P. Overland 2010 trip in the Western U.P. and I was absolutely shocked at the number of gated roads that had a designed "ATV" width passage through, but no vehicle access.

Whomever is pushing this ATV movement and limited vehicle access is doing so successfully and everywhere. And I walk, miles upon miles when I trout fish and hunt and will tell you first hand, ATV's destroy everything they make a trail over. There is very little regulation.

It's a damn shame. My Grandfather is probably rolling in his grave.

 

[7wt]

It's a damn shame. My Grandfather is probably rolling in his grave.

I am either going to be cremated or get a fitted coffin to keep that from happening. The Tellico thing is complicated. I am not sure what the proper answer is but I do know I would be first in line if 4X4 trails were killing my fishing spots. I fish in storied waters where American flyfishing was born, long before the advent of 4 wheel drives. I also enjoy a good trek through the woods in my Taco. Sensible people can come up with solutions for the most part but there are lines that can't be crossed.

 

[Bodo]

What's really frustrating is that it's an all or nothing solution!

All the trails are closed and when that was mentioned in the public comments the answer was to point out that there are 1000mi of trail in a days drive from there. Having lived in that area (Jackson and Macon Counties in NC), i can tell you that it's a load of hogwash.

It's a shame that there couldn't have been a compromise. Public land should be able to be used by the public!

 

[paulj]

I posted the Humv crossing to show that the streams can get muddy. I'm not claiming, or implying, that their stream crossing stirred up the sediment.

I am well aware that major rains dump the majority of the sediment into streams. But where does the rain water get the sediment? Well vegetated slopes contribute little; the rain water either soaks in or flows off relatively clean. But a native surface trail can be a major source of sediment. Imagine a heavy rain storm after spinning tires have loosened the dirt for several months.

I was looking at some pictures of jeeps working their way among boulders (such as on the upper helipad trail). I wonder what those trails looked like back when they were used for logging and skidding. Probably like a typical shelf road, cut into the bank, but drivable without extraordinary clearance and articulation. My guess is that over the years of accelerated erosion has washed much of the soil away, leaving the boulders exposed.

Even unused roads can produce accelerated erosion. Culverts get clogged, water accumulates, and then overflows, producing a miniflash flood. The roads themselves can channel the flow, concentrating its erosional power. When the forest services in Washington and British Columbia decommision logging roads, they take out culverts and structures that can fail catastrophically, replacing them with low maintenance waterbars.

 

[paulj]

Here's an article about decommissioning a major logging road in Washington state, including removing a culvert under a 100ft of fill.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/02/taking-out-the-high-roads-to-save-the-skokomish/

 

[paulj]

I missed this on this first read, but the press release (OP) has a link to a fuller report

http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/tusquitee/tellico.htm

It includes maps of the alternatives that were considered, and the full EA.

Response to comment 3-172 (section 3.6 of the responses to comments) confirms my suspicion that some of the most difficult parts of these trails (the 'challenge areas') have become more difficult over the years due to use and erosion.

The responses to comments repeatedly state that the fundamental issue here is compliance with state and federal water quality standards. Like it or not, water quality issues are going to give ORV users (and land administrators like the FS) headaches for years to come.

 

[Bogo]

Sounds like we need to push for hard bed stream crossings wherever trails cross waterways. They aren't to hard to construct. Dig the mud out, put down a piece of geotextile cloth, then cover with moderate sized rocks to the original stream bed height plus a bit. I have a few on my farm. The geotextile cloth isn't required, but it helps the structure last longer.

 

[craig333]

Yeah bogo, but it won't be enough. We've built bridges across the rubicon and it hasn't been enough for the enviros. I don't believe they know the meaning of the word "remediation". I really feel those back at tellico. At least here in the west its going to take some time before we're finally run off the land.

 

[paulj]

So were there any changes along the Rubicon this summer after the Water Board told the county and Forest Service to commit to doing something to improve water quality?

 

[craig333]

Changes as in what? The water quality? Remediation efforts?

http://www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/new.htm#anchorMore

 

[bobDog]

From a 1996 trail ride report
http://www.humvee.net/pix/tellico/tellico.html

don't know about you guys but here the muddy color is cause the water is up and the flow increased....not cause anyone drove thru it. It rains and the river/streams go brown.
:snorkel:

 

[paulj]

I just noticed an interesting parallel between Tellico and Rubicon - increasing difficulty due to use and erosion.

While the current trail travels the same route from Wentworth Springs to Rubicon Springs that has been used since the 1860s, it changes a little each season, due to erosion and vehicle traffic. As vehicles bypass “bad spots” or avoid broken or abandoned vehicles, the trail deviates more significantly from the original route. Drivers looking for a more “fun” route cause additional damage, as do today’s larger and modified vehicles, making their way over the much smaller original wagon road.

http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/Rubicon/About.htm

There have even been intentional changes:

In recent years degradation of the Little Sluice has been caused by OHV users who have winched large rocks off of the north cliff wall and into the Trail to artificially increase the difficutly of the Trail to create a rock crawling play area.

and from Eldorado National Forest Service, regarding winter closures of many of their roads

During the winter and spring months vehicle use on dirt roads and trails is prohibited. Use of soaked roads and trails contributes to sedimentation of streams and costly trail damage that can be prevented by avoiding use when trails are holding water. By allowing roads and trails to dry sufficiently, users will ensure quality trail opportunities in the future

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/conditions/ohv/