www.singingfalls.com/seine

In response to premodern's query to a previous post.

Much has been lost by way of our understanding of properly interfacing with nature. Perhaps some aspects of this art have never been discovered. Seeking a cohesive management plan that includes sensitivity to those components of the natural processes that have built up and sustain the productivity of the environment in which we live is the art to be discovered/rediscovered.

Riparian zones are some of the most prolific and enriching regions of the landscape. Destroying the riparian zone is equivalent to cutting off an artery in the human body. Since the riparian zone contains so great riches it is the natural attraction for domestic livestock as well as wildlife. In particular this region of the homestead becomes the recurrent haunt of the herds and flocks during the annual drought season here in SW Oregon. Because domestic livestock are not given the luxury of roaming at will, confinement from the riparian zone is critical. Up until now we have not been at liberty to manage this region as we would have liked. As a result, certain areas along the streams that intersect our stewardship have been negatively impacted. Now we are in the position to remedy this problem by fencing and bridging the riparian areas, giving us greater flexibility and control in our management practices.

The bridge we are constructing will allow the stock to forage in a segment of the land that will particularly benefit from their grazing. This will be done without them eroding the stream bank through which they habitually would have had to pass.

The electrical fence we are installing will keep the stock out of the riparian area. In the last two years I have planted well over 1500 shrubs and trees in these riparian zones. This is an effort to replenish and diversify the large wood infrastructure that was removed at the onset of European declivity to these lands. The riparian zones at Singing Falls have been logged twice since 1850 when it was first settled by those of European background. It had a devastating effect on the aquatic species here. We are seeking to remedy this. Our riparian zones are in a much better state than most in our area but better is relative and we are seeking prime conditions. Most of the conifers along the stream are near 70 years old and thriving. We need more of them.

We have noted elsewhere on our website that many rare, threatened and endangered species either dwell or migrate through this land.

Normally fencing is a simple matter of inserting wooden and metal fence posts into the ground. Our riparian zone is a known Native American cultural resource area of particular interest to the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians. As such we have chosen to defer to their concerns by minimally disturbing the soils of the riparian reaches. This is done by not digging or auguring the soils for fence post insertions. Instead we build surface structures that accommodate over a cubic yard of rock to anchor strategically along the fence line. These structures are called "cribs".