Large woody debris in streams is one of the key indicators of how well fish will fare. In the right size and location, large woody debris clusters that are either floating or jammed into place along the length of a stream, can provide fish and amphibians cover from predators, as well as a cool refuge on a hot day.

In addition, water currents often swirl around these structures, scouring out the streambed, creating quiet pools that are critical habitat components for fish and amphibians. Functioning pieces of large woody debris provide numerous benefits to salmonid habitat. Large woody debris, frequently referred to as LWD, can also function in sorting the substrate of the stream, or separating the gravels by size, which provides spawning beds for fish.

Through careful monitoring during annual periods of low water flow, we measure the existence and development of these large woody debris structures to determine the quality and distribution of aquatic habitat that can be found on PALCO property.