KUMBRABOW STATE FOREST - PHYSICAL FEATURES INVENTORY (August 1991 with 1999 revisions)

Transcription

1 (I) Roads: KUMBRABOW STATE FOREST - PHYSICAL FEATURES INVENTORY (August 1991 with 1999 revisions) This includes roads constructed on the forest for management purposes not including roadways maintained by the WV Division of Highways and available for use by the public. (A) Acres: The acreage dedicated to these roads was previously utilized to grow forest vegetation. This acreage no longer supports this type of growth having been converted to transportation uses. (1) haul roads: The following are management access roads suitable for travel by 4X4 vehicles or trucks of larger capacity: Trout Run Harvest 4.50 acres miles Morgan Camp Harvest 2.28 acres miles Glade Run Harvest 1.92 acres miles Beech Run Harvest 4.00 acres miles Rich Mt. Harvest 3.10 acres miles Mill Ridge Harvest 8.70 acres miles Clay Run Harvest 3.95 acres miles (2) skid roads: TOTAL acres miles In conjunction with certain management prescriptions roads and trails suitable for removing forest products were constructed from sites previously growing forest vegetation. These acreages are subsequently allowed to revert to natural vegetation. Although normally no longer classified as being productive timberland for the purposes of future calculations this acreage does contribute to the diversity of the forest. These roads are suitable for non-vehicular travel only. Trout Run Harvest 5.80 acres miles Morgan Camp Harvest 5.37 acres miles Glade Run Harvest 5.40 acres miles Beech Run Harvest 7.00 acres 3.85 miles Rich Mt. Harvest 6.42 acres miles B-1

2 Mill Ridge Harvest 4.67 acres miles Mowry Locust Harvest 4.15 acres miles Clay Run Harvest 9.30 acres miles TOTAL acres miles (3) forest roads: Other roads have been constructed on the forest to provide general access. These roads are restricted to non-motorized vehicles, but otherwise open to the public. The Division of Forestry often incorporates needed road repairs into timber harvest activities. Food plot access 3.6 acres miles Rich Mt. access 4.7 acres miles Phillips Camp access 2.1 acres (abandoned) miles Mill Ridge Fire Tr. 1.6 acres (abandoned) miles TOTAL 12.0 acres miles (4) county roads: The roads listed in this group are improved roads of the state highway system, regularly repaired and maintained by the Department of Highways. 219/ acres miles 45 (Turkeybone Road) 13.8 acres miles 219/26 (Cabin access Road) 7.6 acres miles TOTAL 58.6 acres miles TOTAL ACREAGE OF ALL ROADS acres TOTAL LENGTH OF ALL ROADS miles (B) Existing structures: This section seeks to list any significant construction associated with roads which either, (a) required a large area of disturbance, or (b) the installation of specified apparatus to avert continuous environmental impacts. B-2

3 (1) bridges: On the county road at the point where it crosses Mill Creek the state constructed an all wood composite bridge with a blacktop surface in Also the county road bridges at Potatohole and Oxley Runs were redecked with new wood planking in the same year. (2) major culverts: On the Trout Run - Mill Ridge Road at Trout Run there is a 36" corrugated culvert. Also on this road are two stream crossings with double 26" steel culverts. The Glade Run Road contains a 30" corrugated culvert. This culvert becomes blocked occasionally, causing some road access problems. It was repaired last in 1989, but a slip in the road above the culvert has prevented any further work. (C) Condition: The condition of these management roads changes with each passing year. The Division of Forestry s goal is to maintain each road in a condition suitable for periodic access and upgrade to minimum standards with easily obtained equipment. (1) haul roads: With the exception of the slip on the Glade Run Road, all of the roads are in excellent condition and are ready for immediate use. The Morgan Camp Road was retired last in August of 1991, and the Trout Run - Mill Ridge Road was most recently retired in May, The Rich Mt. Road was extensively worked in May, 1999 following the removal of some salvage timber. (2) skid roads: No slips or other occurrences have developed which would prevent the use of any of the previously installed skid roads. Some minimal work may be required to place them in service. (D) Abandoned roads (pre-existing): The Mill Ridge Fire Trail has been abandoned for several reasons. It passed through private land before entering the forest, was poorly located, and was impassable most of the time. For these reasons it has been replaced by a combination of forest management roads. B-3

4 The Phillips Camp Road was once used to log that particular drain but was never maintained, and as a result it is no longer a viable access road. It is growing red spruce trees on most of its surface. (E) Rights-of-way on and off the forests: There is a temporary agreement with Coastal Lumber Company involving the Morgan Camp Road which is occasionally renewed, subject to the rules concerning state forest roads. This right-of-way provides access for both parties to portions of each property through the other. The forest has had a right-of-way through Miles Lumber Company land in Clay Run which has been used as needed to access parts of Mowry Run. When and if, the extension to Elkwater is constructed this agreement will no longer be necessary. The entry to the Piney Ridge Trail is on private land. (II) Trails: Currently there are nine trails maintained on the forest. (A) length:} (B) acres:} Clay Run Tr. 4,224 feet (0.8 miles) 1.0 acres Meatbox Tr. 7,709 feet (1.5 miles) 1.8 acres Mill Ck. Tr. 12,144 feet (2.3 miles) 2.2 acres Mowry Run Tr. 9,504 feet (1.8 miles) 2.2 acres Piney Ridge Tr. 11,246 feet (2.1 miles) 7.7 acres Potatohole Tr. 9,504 feet (1.8 miles) 2.2 acres Raven Rocks Tr. 6,336 feet (1.2 miles) 1.5 acres Rich Mt. Tr. 7,392 feet (1.4 miles) 3.4 acres Whitman Tr. 12,936 feet (2.5 miles) 3.0 acres (C) Primary use: All forest trails are restricted to non-motorized transportation only and are therefore used for recreation activities such as hunting or hiking. On rare occasions segments of trails are needed to conduct cultural work. When these situations arise, the trails are closed and suitably posted to prevent access, and avoid injuries to users. B-4

5 (D) Condition: All trails are maintained during normal use periods. The trails used for extraordinary situations are returned to appropriate condition at the end of the activity. (E) Marked or unmarked: All permanent trails are marked with paint according to a scheme designed by the Parks Superintendent. Trails with the same color designation are in widely separated parts of the forest. The Rich Mt. Trail is marked with a green œ, Potatohole Trail with a yellow œ, Meatbox Trail a red œ, Raven Rocks Trail a white œ, Whitman Trail an orange œ, Mowry Run Trail a red œ, Mill Ridge Trail a green œ, and the Clay Run Trail a white œ. (F) Vegetation of interest: Forest site characteristics are the result of soils, climate, aspect, topography, and history. As a result Kumbrabow has a high concentration of timber types which are more common much farther north in the Appalachian Range. Well developed stands of black cherry cover much of the forest and are common along many of the trails. In the Clay Run - Mowry Run area, unusually large red oak is a familiar site. In the Phillips Camp - Piney Ridge area red spruce is again becoming the dominant species. Rhododendron stands are profuse along much of Mill Creek. (III) Food plots: After the acquisition of the forest in 1934 a series of wildlife food plots were developed to add some diversity of habitat to the area. Over the years, as practices change, these plots have received varying degrees of attention. Prior to 1966 the plots were periodically planted with wheat, buckwheat, soybeans, small grains, and clover. These efforts were expensive and labor intensive. This type of work also fell out of favor with wildlife managers who questioned the benefits to wild animal populations. From 1966 to 1979 all plots were limed, fertilized, and seeded to clovers. Since then periodic mowing has taken place to prevent the inevitable succession of woody plants. In 1998 areas number 13 through 18 were mowed with a tractor pulled brush-hog. Area number 1 has been abandoned because of lack of adequate access. Area number 2 is now used as part of the camping area. Area number 20 has largely reverted to forest and is no longer considered as part of the system. Several other areas have been cleared over the years and now contribute to the need for open areas. Two former deep mine openings on Rich Mountain are currently covered in grass and forbes. A core drilling site along the Turkey-bone Road is also similar to other wildlife openings on the forest. In addition numerous log landing B-5

6 sites, skid roads and truck roads have been planted to grasses beneficial to wildlife and are used extensively by them. (IV) Physical Features and Structures (natural and manmade): (A) Water holes: The forests close proximity to Pickens which is recognized as the wettest area of the state, is an indication of the amount of moisture received by the forest in any given year. This abundance of water provides numerous waterholes throughout the forest. Some of the flatter spots on the ridges are nearly sphagnum bogs. Beavers have lived from time to time on many of the streams on the forest. During the time they occupy a site and for several years after they abandon the site the dams they construct serve as water sources for many other species. Spring seeps are too numerous to count. In 1966 twenty waterholes were dynamited at ridgetop locations on Rich Mountain and Mill Ridge. These potholes served the desired function for many years, and several still hold water today. (B) Overlooks: Although numerous places on the forest offer scenic views, four spots allow an individual to observe large panoramic vistas for which West Virginia is renowned. The first is at the old mine site near the end of the Rich Mountain Forest Management Road. The view from here encompasses the headwaters of Beech Run looking southwest across Phillip s Camp Run to Piney Ridge, Turkey-bone, and the headwaters of the Buckhannon River. The second overlook is from Raven Rocks. This site is accessible by the Raven Rocks foot trail. From the Rocks the view is of Mill Creek and the opposite Mill Ridge to the southeast. This is an especially nice view in the fall during the leaf coloration period. The newest overlook is the most spectacular in scope. The site is from Mill Ridge near the head of Clay Run and looking east over the upper Tygart Valley River. This vista stretches to the other side of the valley to the crest of Cheat Mountain in the Barton Knob area. This overlook was developed in conjunction with the Mill Ridge Timber Harvest in The last of the primary overlooks on the forest is at the entrance of Kumbrabow at the crest of Mill Ridge on County Route 219/16. This view is farther north in the Tygart Valley than the previous described vista. The view is somewhat obscure because of trees from the adjoining property interfering. Winter and early spring are the best times to stop here. B-6

7 (C) Tree plantings (plantations): Tree plantings have been a part of the management scheme for the forest since its acquisition. Beginning very early, several of the less productive sites were planted to Norway spruce. These trees have been very successful and are most prevalent in the area near camp Bowers, the old CCC camp. Several plantings to enhance various aspects of wildlife habitat have also been made. Autumn olive and Russian olive have been planted along several of our timber harvest truck roads. Various other fruit tree plantings have been attempted over the years; most failed due to heavy browsing by deer before the seedlings got established. A planting of arrowwood was successful on food plot number 8 in the 1960's. A commitment to plant 500 black walnut seedlings in 1990 was realized. The planting failed because of a lack of suitable sites, primarily open land on the forest. (D) Wetlands: Areas on Kumbrabow which are sometimes classified as wetlands are similar to high mountain bogs and can generally be attributed to the activities of beaver. These areas occur in the upper reaches of Mill Creek, near the CCC camp, on Oxley Run, and in the head of Potatohole Fork. All of these areas are located along or near the crest of Rich Mountain. Other wet areas exist at various places on the forest including the head of the Back Fork of Elk, Phillip s Camp and Beech Run. (E) Excluded areas: The area around the cabins, about 10 acres, is excluded, as well as, 1 acre around a shelter on Glade Run. Approximately 5 acres at the Mill Creek camp ground, 10 acres at the picnic area on Mill Creek at Meatbox Run, and another 5 acres around the residence of the superintendent at the mouth of Potatohole Fork are also exempt from forest management prescriptions. These zones are managed as high traffic recreation areas. Riparian buffer zones, road and trail buffer zones, and utility rights-of-way are also excluded areas with regard to silvicultural prescriptions. (F) Demonstration and research areas: All seven of the timber harvest areas on the forest are both demonstration areas and research areas. In addition there exists a 14 acre clearcut, the result of a storm, and two 15 acre clearcuts established specifically to test the regeneration of black cherry. A series of one to four B-7

8 acre clearcuts were done in conjunction with the Beech Run Harvest for the same purpose. The before mentioned tree and shrub plantings also serve this function. (G) Archeological finds: Signs of pre-state forest logging activities are evident although no known finds of any historic significance have been discovered. (H) Cemeteries: None are known to exist on this state forest. (I) Mine openings: Two openings on this forest, the result of mining activities, are located along the Rich Mountain Access road. Each is about 4 acres in size and has been backfilled and reclaimed. One is near Whitman Knob and the other is near Buck Knob. A strip mine on Beech Mountain stops right at our boundary (V) Streams: The Fisheries Management Unit of the Wildlife Section of the Division of Natural Resources devised a system of identifying individual streams within the state based on the route the waters from any given stream take to leave the state. This system led to stream designations like MTB-32-I-1 for Phillip s Camp Run. This meant that the waters of Phillip s Camp Run could be traced up the Monongahela River (M), to the Tygarts Valley River (T), to the Buckhannon River (B), to the 32 nd tributary of the Buckhannon River (Left Fork of the Buckhannon River), to the 9 th (I) branch of the Left Fork of the Buckhannon River (Morgan s Camp Run), to the 1 st tributary of Morgan s Camp Run, Phillip s Camp Run.. This system was cumbersome and not well understood by non-users. When better methods of mapping arose, a system of using UTM s (Universal Transverse Mercator) was adopted. These coordinates are derived at the mouth of a stream and enable the user to distinguish between two different Laurel Runs. The major streams of the forest and their respective designations are: Back Fork of Elk River Beech Run Coal Run Glade Run Meatbox Run KE-111 MTB-32-H MT-64-D MT-64-C MT-64-E B-8

9 Mill Creek Morgan Camp Run Mowry Run Phillips Camp Run Potatohole Fork MT-64 MTB-32-I MT-74-A MTB-32-I-1 MT-64-F Mill Creek and its tributaries support populations of native trout, but the fertility of the waters are barely enough to sustain growth. The introduction of limestone fines into these streams once a year is sufficient to produce noticeable growth in the fish of Mill Creek. The tributaries of the Buckhannon River are currently receiving some acid mine drainage and therefore have very few fish in them. These streams are being considered for the limestone fines project. The Back Fork of Elk supports reproducing populations of brown trout, as well as brook trout. (VI) Boundaries: During the life of the last forest management plan 95% of the boundary was cleaned and painted. Most of this work was done by GSYP (Governor s Summer Youth Program) crews. These crews are made up of low income high school students working under the direct supervision of an adult, usually a teacher from the local school. The earliest of this work, along with the unfinished sections, need to be worked again. During the spring of 1998 and the winter of GPS (Global Positioning System) fixes were acquired on all of the corners of the forest which could be identified. About seven points were taken in the vicinity while the rest were established at permanent monuments or obvious changes in the direction of the line. These fixes on the actual corners as they exist on the ground are accurate to within ten meters. This will aid in any future efforts to relocate these points. This work has led to much more accurate measurements of acreages for the forest and the units of the forest. No recent surveys have been conducted by the state on the forest, however, some adjoining parcels have been. In the area of the Tay-Ha development there is some question as to encroachment onto the forest. One or more structures may be on or over the line. We also are aware of a potential overlap in the Tygarts Valley entrance area. An older survey of land currently owned by Beckwith Lumber Company envelops about six acres inside the original wire boundary. There are numerous historic overlaps of land surveys in this area of Randolph Co. The original wire which was strung around the perimeter is still evident in most places, although often broken. B-9