Characteristics of Coarse Woody Debris for Several Coastal Streams of Southeast Alaska, USA

Abstract

Coarse woody debris (> 0.2 m in diameter and 1.5 m long) was measured along five undisturbed low-gradient stream reaches; volume, decay class, and horizontal orientation in relation to channel flow of first-, second-, third-, and fourth-order coastal streams were determined. Debris was also classified into four influence zones based on stream hydraulics and fish habitat. Average debris length, diameter, and volume per piece increased with stream size. Eighty percent of debris volume of the first-order and the smaller second-order streams was suspended above or lying outside the bankfull channel, while less than 40% was similarly positioned in the fourth-order stream. Approximately one-third of all debris was oriented perpendicular to stream flow, regardless of stream size. First-, second-, and third-order streams had a higher proportion of recent debris in the channel than the fourth-order stream ([Formula: see text]19 vs. 8%), most new debris being attributable to a major 1984 windstorm. Tree blowdown had a major influence on debris distribution along the smaller stream reaches. Debris jams and accumulations in the largest stream were formed from floated debris. These characterizations are useful for evaluating the distribution and amount of woody debris associated with land-management activities.