The Wonder of Water Bars (Sec 1)

 

Democracy in action: the crew conferring about the optimal location for the water bar. Trail work is a team effort and each member has valuable input to contribute.

It was a full day of water bar construction and rehabbing for the Section One crew of Jim S, Jim D, Ed F and Christina W. This year’s frequent and torrential downpours have tested the limits of the new and existing water bars and really underscore the necessity for implementing good erosion-control measures on the trail. We could not have asked for more perfect weather conditions to work in, with a slight breeze, low humidity and very clement temperatures.

Crew leader Jim S got us started in the field just south of Rockfish Gap with an overview of Water Bars 101 for new crew member Jim D. We evaluated several recently constructed projects and determined they are doing their job well, by channeling water off the trail to prevent erosion, even in the face of the constant assaults of an unusually rainy season. Like snowflakes, each water bar is unique and each location has its particular challenges and attributes, ranging from the availability of building materials (rocks, logs, etc) which can be incorporated into the structure, to the type of soil available (clay soil is desirable because of its packing qualities) and the amount of sun exposure of the location. Unlike snowflakes, durability is essential and although they are “built to last”, constant upkeep is also a necessary part of the process.

The crew split up and Ed and Jim D got right to work building two new water bars and rehabbing a number of others while Jim S and Christina continued down the trail to complete installing a locust log water bar they began working on during last month’s work trip. Moving along, we tackled what seemed like every kind of water bar rehab in the book. Being part of a successful crew requires good collaboration and the input of all the members is valuable to the success of the project, and Jim D’s new perspective combined with an engineer’s eye made a valuable contribution to our team effort, as did the expertise, hard work and flexibility of all the crew members.

 

Breaking ground on another new water bar.  Note the large rock in the foreground, just roughed out of the trail and ready to incorporate into the structure.

 

 The final touches of debarking the locust log to prepare it for installation in the water bar.

 

A trench is dug and the log is ready to set into place.

 

 

 The log is reinforced by a row of small rocks packed in on both sides. A pick Mattock is a versatile tool and comes in useful for packing soil to anchor the log.

 

 Partially buried log: the felled tree on the upslope is a good candidate for a future log water bar.

 

Now you see me, now you don't...the only clue to the fact the foundation of this water bar contains a locust log is over to the left of the picture.

Hiking out we we able to take an inventory of our day’s work: three new waterbars installed and sixteen rehabbed. Not a bad day’s work! We also scouted the next set of seven water bars at the far southern end of the section, and they are flagged and on a “to-do” list for a future work trip. Once installed, this group will complete the rehab of Section One’s water bars, a project that has taken a lot of effort and great teamwork over several months to achieve. On this occasion, our water bars would not have to wait long to demonstrate their worth; the monsoon-like rains of Saturday night and Sunday would certainly put our skills to the test and it will be interesting to see next month how well they’ve held up to the test!  ~ Christina W.

  Crew members celebrate the completion of one of the new water bars.  In the picture on the right, Ed F is demonstrating where we would like to see hikers cross our water bars.

Thanks so much to Jim S. (crew leader) Ed F., Jim D. and Christina W. (photographer and reporter!) for a great team effort and lots of hard work with good results.

 ♦ ♦ ♦

(Photos & narrative: Christina W.)