Is lake wood any good?

[Chris611]

I live by a 23000 acre man made lake that is an old river dammed up, but still allows water to pass through. We have had bad ice storms the last couple years and then the lake rises in the spring. With the flow down river, we get whole trees and large limbs collecting around the edges of the lake when the water receeds. Can these trees and limb by cut and split for fire wood? It easy access and free, that's why I'm wondering.

Thanks
Chris

 

[fossil]

Floating around in fresh water for a while isn't going to do anything bad to the wood. Nice delivery system. Buck it, split it, stack it, measure the MC % and watch it season. Rick

 

[smokinj]

Nice way to get free wood

 

[Bubbavh]

you sure can... I wish I had it that easy!!

 

[flyingcow]

matter of fact if you can, try to make a rough eddy or catch basin. Leave a couple of trees hung out into the water flow, arrange them so as to catch passing wood. Ropes tied upstream, pull trees back towards shore when you "catch" a tree.

I know I ain't right.

 

[JBinKC]

I burn on average a face cord of freshwater driftwood per year and it burns fine. It really doesn't take that long to season since most of the sourced logs end up debarked.

The only minor drawback is you can run across wood that is either past its prime and/or since the source of wood is usually from bottom land forest and the trees tend to be from lower btu species.

 

[Shari]

Well.... I believe I have heard it is illegal to burn 'driftwood'. Whether or not this would be considered 'driftwood' and what the laws are in your area state would be the determining factor. If you follow the History Channel's program called Aqua Loggers they got in trouble in the state of Washington for not having a permit to 'log' logs in a river.

Shari

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .

I know I ain't right.

You're from the County . . . so you're forgiven.

 

[firefighterjake]

Well.... I believe I have heard it is illegal to burn 'driftwood'. Whether or not this would be considered 'driftwood' and what the laws are in your area state would be the determining factor. If you follow the History Channel's program called Aqua Loggers they got in trouble in the state of Washington for not having a permit to 'log' logs in a river.

Shari

I don't know about it being illegal to burn driftwood . . . I have heard it's not good to burn driftwood from salt water as it may cause problems with cat converters and have wicked up the salt and other minerals in the wood which could be bad for the metal.

I think you would find that the loggers were in trouble because they were either taking the wood off the bottom of a river or using the river to move logs (not having seen the show). . . vs. a home owner just removing a log or two from his lake front.

Of course, as Shari mentions . . . state laws may vary from state to state.

 

[Shari]

I forgot to add: On another list I am on there is a fella I believe in Ireland who lives on an an estuary (a inland finger off the ocean). Every now an then a tree drifts down past his place. He snags it with a rope, waits for the tide to go out and then pulls it in for firewood in his outside wood burner. Interesting way to 'gather' firewood!

Re: my driftwood statement - I believe I have heard burning driftwood from Lake Michigan is illegal but that would be subject to verification.

Shari

 

[JBinKC]

I obtained a free permit for driftwood firewood from the federal government (the US Corp of Engineers) when they had a flood 2 years ago on Truman lake. What wasn't taken the government ended up burning it at a cost of a million of taxpayer's money. Lake of the Ozarks is governed by a corporation where it is illegal to have floating driftwood in the lake in the first place. I did them a favor by removing it free of cost.

In Wisconsin I would not be surprised that it could be illegal. The DNR and state government has a hand in everything you do up there.

 

[Bubbavh]

If it's illegal you better hurry up and burn the evidence!!
As it wood be too hard to flush!

 

[Shari]

In Wisconsin I would not be surprised that it could be illegal. The DNR and state government has a hand in everything you do up there.

Yup.

Shari

 

[Delta-T]

In the Great North Woods of NH it is illegal to remove trees from particular rivers and lakes that are part of a designated wilderness areas. If your property runs along these rivers you are obligated to push the wood back in and send it on its way. I know a Native American gent that got fined for trying to cut these floaters that landed in his yard after a flood. I'm sure the rules are different for resevoirs and stuff too.

In the Mountain Kingdom of Buhtan its a federal crime to pick even fallen limbs off the ground to use for firewood! 85% of their country is a national park and they have tree farms to supply all the wood (i bet you yack dung is the primary fuel).