The US has dropped 6,000 logs from helicopters across the country: it is pursuing a vital objective in an unprecedented aerial operation
Scientific studies support the use of submerged trees as a key tool to improve the health of rivers and streams.
The United States is placing more than 6,000 logs in hard-to-reach streams in central Washington and surrounding areas, strategically distributed along 38 kilometres of rivers and waterways, many of which are inaccessible by land. This initiative is part of a river restoration programme aimed at restoring the structural complexity of riverbeds.
During the 20th century, it was widely believed that logs in rivers should be removed, as a “clean” riverbed was thought to facilitate water flow and fish passage. In practice, however, the opposite occurred: habitats became impoverished, waters warmed, deep pools disappeared, and salmon populations declined.
To counteract these effects, the United States has developed a restoration approach that reactivates natural processes. This method involves placing trees at strategic points to create pools, widen the riverbed, cool the water in summer, and provide refuges for invertebrates, which in turn serve as food for other species. These interventions are primarily applied to rivers heavily modified by human activity and long considered “too clear.”
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Submerged wood helps create shelters, retain sediment, and redistribute the energy of the current. Scientific studies, including those cited by Smithsonian Magazine, confirm that wood in rivers is essential for forming healthy habitats. By reintroducing logs, these ecosystems can improve the quality of life for aquatic insects and larger species, such as fish and birds, in rivers previously—and mistakenly—deemed “disordered.”
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