On Thursday, February 4th, 2021, Chapter Ikes Mike Lane, Ray Powell, and Tim Doxey met at the chapter park to begin work on clearing trees from the dam’s backside slope in accordance with our DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) agent’s specific requirements for us to control erosion and maintain dam integrity. First, flags were measured and set to demarcate the boundary to be cleared, and trees within this boundary were marked with paint. This work crew cut down trees of 6″ diameter or less. It was determined from a safety standpoint that the logs and brush from this initial effort would need to be cleared before proceeding further. The group practiced social distancing and wore facial masks.
A hauling sled was fabricated from scrap sheet metal based on a design that Jimmy Fanny told us about
On Saturday, Februrary 18th, chapter Ike volunteers Shawn and Jacob Sherlock, Cody Heist, Bill Murat, Joshua Halford, Bill Uhl, and Ray Powell gathered at the Chapter dam to clear the brush and fallen logs that were the result of the previous week’s chain sawing effort. This group, too, practiced social distancing and wore facial masks.
Arlan’s truck placed into position with winch cable
More work crews were assembled on Sat/Sun, February 27th/28th with chapter Ikes Mike Lane, Arlan and Ethan Ferguson, Ray Powell, Shawn &Jacob Sherlock, Jacob Bosco, and Christopher Ferguson volunteering. This group practiced social distancing and wore facial masks as well. See photos below:
Ethan attaches cable to apply tension
TIMBER!
Trimming and Hauling out the log
On Tuesday, March 2nd, and again on March 4th, chapter Ikes Mike Lane and Ray Powell continued the effort by chain sawing and hauling out more large trees and clearing brush.
In summation, on all of these work crews, volunteers brought their own heavy duty equipment, expertise, and knowledge on how to do this work safely, and have made significant progress on clearing the dam. A very special thanks to all who helped out! There are still several large trees to be removed. Mother Nature is bringing more rain in the forecast, but once we get some more dry weather, the cycle will begin again with the scheduling of more chain saw/cleanup work crews.
CAUTION: A reminder, it is imperative that NO chapter Ike works alone at the park on chain sawing, log removal, or brush removal, nor without prior arrangement with chapter President Powell who will schedule work crew assignments on selected days. Also, the dam slope is steep, and it may be slippery even in dry weather. Much of this work requires specific expertise, proper equipment, and knowledge of best safety practices.
