In April, the Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club (Sierra Club) visited Compartment 11 in Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF). This is the Little Lake Creek Area which borders the Little Lake Creek Roadless Area and Little Lake Creek Wilderness Area.
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is planning a proposed Compartments 11/12 Project. The Sierra Club provided some early comments for that proposal. The Sierra Club has engaged the FS in working on this proposal as a collaborative effort. The Sierra Club requested that it have an in-the-field meeting with the FS to visit Compartments 11/12.
The Sierra Club walked Forest Road (FR) 244 from Bethel Road to Sand Branch, then walked the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) where it crosses FR 244 (east to west) and goes to a pond and then goes to Bethel Road.
Much of the vegetation seen was upland forest, along with some slope and riparian forest, and included Post Oak, Black Hickory, Shortleaf Pine, Loblolly Pine, Southern Red Oak, Sassafras, Mexican Plum, Mockernut Hickory, Sweetgum, Winged Elm, American Beautyberry, Yaupon Holly, Red Mulberry, Dwarf Palmetto, Redbud, American Elm, Arrowwood Viburnum, and Eastern Hornbeam.
The Sierra Club measured several trees during the visit. These trees included: Post Oak: 18.47” and 17.83”; Loblolly Pine: 33.12”, 30.57”, and 42.68”; Shortleaf Pine: 22.29“; Sweetgum: 13.69” diameter.
The Sierra Club observed Little Wood Satyr, Queen, and Buckeye Butterflies, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and American Crows.
The Sierra Club was impressed with the number of hickories seen. These hickories appeared to be Black and Mockernut Hickories, with Mockernut more numerous. The Sierra Club encouraged the FS to focus on hickories for the proposed Compartment 11/12 Project.
The Sierra Club found erosion problems on or next to Forest Road (FR) 244. One site is at the intersection of a woods road/fire lane and FR 244 where water carries eroded soil onto FR 244 and has begun eroding channels down FR 244.
The Sierra Club found culverts that weren’t placed at the bottom of streams so that fish, invertebrates, other aquatic life, and plants, can migrate back and forth, up and down the stream. This loss of migratory continuity reduces biodiversity in streams and the forests they feed.
Many of the culverts that the Sierra Club observed on FR 244 were bent and damaged or partially blocked with debris and need to be repaired, cleaned out, or replaced.
The largest culvert problem is at Sand Branch. Two large culverts were recently installed at Sand Branch on FR 244 and one of those culverts doesn’t rest on the bottom of Sand Branch which blocks aquatic life migration upstream. This culvert is beginning to widen the stream and deepen it which causes more sedimentation downstream.
The worst erosion and sedimentation caused by FR 244 is found just north of Sand Branch. There is a small tributary to Sand Branch that is only a few dozen feet north from Sand Branch. This tributary is silting up due to erosion from FR 244 and a natural first terrace of that small tributary/Sand Branch that was used by the FS for a road/truck turnaround/log landing just north of this stream. The culverts in this small tributary are heavily damaged and deposits of sediment can be seen on the downstream side of the culverts.
This erosion, sedimentation, and degradation to biodiversity should be addressed now because it’s having an obvious and visible impact on this stream. The Sierra Club requests that the FS address this problem now.
Two hardwood inclusions that the Sierra Club found along the north side of FR 244 should be demarcated and protected from environmental impacts from the proposed Compartments 11/12 Project.
The Little Lake Creek Roadless Area exists north of FR 244 and south of Little Lake Creek Wilderness Area. The Sierra Club requested that the FS work with it to determine the exact size, location, stands or parts of stands, and what activities are allowed in this area.
Small, understory or midstory fruit trees should be flagged and protected for scenic and biodiversity reasons. These trees include Flowering Dogwood, Farkleberry, Rusty Black Haw, Mexican Plum, and Fringe Tree.
The Sierra Club recommends that the LSHT be buffered at least 50 feet on each side (100-foot total width) with a no cut/mulch zone. Large vehicles should not be driven on the LSHT except for occasional perpendicular crossings.
The Sierra Club will continue to work with the FS on this proposal and update Sierrans in the future.
Photo by Brandt Mannchen.