Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dbob on November 23, 2012 at 7:00

Drone - Yes, fracking solutions, particularly once they have been "down hole' can kill timber due to excessive salts.  However, a blow out that returns frac fluid to the surface is extraordinarily unlikely.  Surface spills are much more likely.  That said, the drought of 2011 is still killing timber.   

If you have a cluster of dead trees near a well site, or a linear kill of trees, it might be worth looking into.  If it seems more random, and extends a good distance from the well site, I'd start with a county extension agent or equivalent, as I think drought it more likely.  

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Permalink Reply by Krkyoldhag on November 23, 2012 at 11:02

I have lost over 20 Oak and Elm and there is no fracking or drilling within two miles of my place. When they cut the trees the inside of the trees are rotted black.  Also have lost whole sections of the pine forest.  Another thing, I have two wells on my place..one is a shallow well that has not gone dry since dug in 1912.  Its bone dry now.  The deep well only runs an hour or so til it slows to a drizzle.  All of the several springs are now dry.

That tells me that either the water table here has changed and/or the drought caused the problems.

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Permalink Reply by olddog573 on November 24, 2012 at 3:03

I have had 7 wells drilled on my property and the trees are doing fine.

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Permalink Reply by Drone on November 24, 2012 at 7:36

What section are you in. I'm sure that it does not affect everyone the same because of subterranean differences.

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Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on November 24, 2012 at 8:03

If there is a problem I feel certain it arises from the operator and is unrelated to site geology. And the damage, if any, it would be creaed by surface spillage. But, if one suspects damage they can have some soils tested. I think any damage due to subsurface conditions are more than 1 in a million, or more. Growing up in an oil field I have seen lots of trees killed by salt water. When I was a kid they used to turn salt water into creeks. Over the last 80 years the land did recover an now has good timber on it. So, I say "NOT TO WORRY"  

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Permalink Reply by Drone on November 24, 2012 at 8:18

Its hard not to worry about a forty acre brush pile made up of prime pine and hardwood timber.

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Permalink Reply by dbob on November 24, 2012 at 9:09

Drone- if you are concerned its from frac fluid, I suggest getting a few samples and having them analyzed by a lab for chloride.  you ought to be able to find a lab that will do it for less than $40/sample.  The local NRCS can tell you roughly what type of chloride concentration you should see in your soil.  

I still remain skeptical that it is frac fluid or oil field related

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Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on November 24, 2012 at 12:31

You may be able to get soil scientist from NRCS to go to site with you to examine soil and might possibly do some tests on samples.

I worked 30 years as geologist in AZ, NC and TX.

I would be very concerned if that happened to my land in LA.

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Permalink Reply by Drone on November 24, 2012 at 13:27

Thanks fellows, I guess the next move is mine. Thanks again.

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Permalink Reply by Hopeful About Natural Gas on November 24, 2012 at 21:28

Drone,

Could you post back on your thread when you get the results of your soil/water tests? I would be interested to know what they said, good or bad for drilling. Just come back here and post on this same thread to update it. 

Sorry it's happening on your land. I would want to know why myself. I don't live in LA now but I visited during the severest part of the drought in 2210.  I saw many, many great oak trees hundreds of years old dying. So sad, but these were in town and not near a fracking site. Good luck on the study and please do post back what you find out.

 

Permalink Reply by dbob on November 25, 2012 at 4:03

One other thing you might look at, although its harder to do in the fall - are the plants in the understory generally healthy or are they dead too?  

Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on November 26, 2012 at 4:09

I think that it will be a waste of time and money to do any soil testing to determine cause of dying timber. It is a well known fact that drought and heat lead to stress in trees which leads to disease and insects which cause trees to die.

I just talked to a forester mentioned on this site. He identified drought, heat, insects and disease as major contributors to the death of trees. He had no opinions as to effects of fracking on tree death. My opinion is that fracking is not the culprit. I will monitor effects of fracing on my land as a result of recent fracing on my land and report on my observations.

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