River managers frequently need to make decisions with a balance of public safe passage and habitat protection in mind. Woody obstructions are critical to the health of aquatic ecosystems, and they can also present a public safety hazard. If the decision is made to remove woody obstructions, chainsaw work in/on water presents some very complex safety considerations. Compression, tension, buoyancy, gravity, current, and lack of visibility beneath the water are some of the factors that can affect a crew’s decisions about if and how to remove woody obstructions. This session will give you a brief introduction to comprehensive safety training on how to use chainsaws while wading in a river, and while cutting from a jon boat. The full training includes a narrated PowerPoint with photos of various scenarios, and 5 quizzes. This is typically followed by two days of field training, guided by lesson plans and field evaluation forms. By understanding the anatomy of woody obstructions, river managers and crews will improve their risk analysis and planning skills. The Minnesota State Water Trails system started in 1963 and includes 32 rivers and the North Shore of Lake Superior. The Minnesota DNR manages over 4,500 miles of routes for canoeing, kayaking, boating and camping.

1. Chainsaw Safety In/On Water:
A Training Program Overview

2. Save for American Trails – Best Trails State
1963 - 2013

3. Minnesota State Parks and Trails
State Parks, Recreation
Areas and Waysides
Biomes
State Forest
Campgrounds and
Day-use Areas
State Trails
State Water Trails
Pine Forests
Hardwood
Forests
Tallgrass
Prairies
Tallgrass
Aspen
Parkland

4. Minnesotans Love Their Water
 69,200 miles Rivers and Streams
 11,842 lakes
 Mississippi River headwaters
 World’s largest freshwater lake
 Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness
 2,889 public water accesses
 First and largest Water Trails
system in the nation
Minnesota is…
 #1 in U.S. in Boats per Capita
 #2 in U.S. in Number of Registered
Boats (809,138)

5. © Rolf Hagberg Photography

6. First and Largest Water Trail System in the Nation
33 State Water Trails
4,529 miles
662 Public Accesses
411 Campsites
337 Rest Areas
124 Portages

8. 1963
Bread = 22 ¢
Gas = 29 ¢
House = $3,160
MN Rivers = 15,000 miles
4 Canoe & Boating Routes
(777 miles)
2013
Bread = $1.98
Gas = $3.91
House = $263,200
MN Rivers = 69,200 miles
33 State Water Trails
(4,529 miles)

9. Early Advocates Clyde and Shirley Ryberg

11. Paddling Theater:
6 act play on the Minnesota River

18. 2013 Totals
• 130,296 Canoes
• 56,990 Kayaks
• 26% of Watercraft

19. FY13 Water Recreation Fund= $18,202,429
$10,788,435
$3,104,263
$1,081,690
$1,149,188 $696,947
Parks and Trails
Enforcement
Enforcement/Grants
Ecological Resources
Fish Mgmt

20. Clean Water, Land and Legacy Fund
14.25%
19.75%
33%
33%
2008
Constitutional
Amendment
3/8% sales tax
increase for 25
years
Fiscal Year 2013
$288,100,000

22. Interactive Water Trail Map

23. www.mndnr.gov/watertrails

24. Free Maps

25. Photo by Brian Peterson
•Curriculum-based
•20 cities by 2020

27. Since 1989:
3,300 Cleanups
90,000 Volunteers
11,500 Miles
6.2 million Pounds
Adopt a River

29. © Rolf Hagberg Photography

30. Work began in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and continues today
Snag/Obstruction Relocation

31. Balancing Public Safety and Habitat Protection

32. © Rolf Hagberg Photography
© Rolf Hagberg Photography

33. Training Curriculum Components
½ Day Classroom Training
75 page manual
Policy, Job Safety Analyses
PowerPoint (embedded
audio)
5 Written Quizzes
2 Day Field Training
Instructor Guide
Lesson Plan
Skills Evaluation Form

37. Policy Development
•Searched nationwide for safety policies
and training curriculum, including the
RMS listserv.
•1983 Wildlife Society/American Fisheries
Society Stream Obstruction Removal
Guidelines
•Far more materials available on putting
wood into the water.
•Policy covers:
•Use of chainsaws & other power
equipment over water and ice
•Mandatory safety equipment
•Purpose/goals of relocation

38. Policy Highlights
•Focus on balancing habitat protection
and public safety navigation
•“Relocation” of woody habitat
•Minimum 10’ wide clear channel, but not
bank to bank
•Advanced Chainsaw Training prerequisite
•Awareness of minimized escape routes
•Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
requirements

40. Chainsaw Safety In/On Water
Written in 2010 by Ben Dickinson and Erik Wrede

42. Training Objective:
To teach students
how to operate
chainsaws, boats,
and related
equipment safely
and efficiently.

43. Course Outline
 Unit 1: Safety
 Unit 2: Anatomy of Woody Obstructions
 Unit 3: Operating a Chainsaw in Water
 Unit 4: Boat Management
 Unit 5: Risk Analysis and Planning

44. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Hard helmet (face shield
recommended)
 Safety Glasses
 Consider polarized ones
 Hearing protection
 PFD
 Doubles as highway vest
 Chainsaw chaps/pants
 Safety-toed, cut resistant
boots

45. Wading Hazards: What Do You See?

46. Current
Current Direction
Rushing water

47. Tripping Hazards

48. Cutting from Downstream

49. Using a Saw From a Boat
Hazards:
 Crowded
workspace
 Proximity to
coworkers
 Lots of gear
 Slick footing

50. Using a Saw From a Boat (Cont.)
 Hazards:
 Limited escape
route
 Moving work
platform

51. Mitigating Boat Hazards (Cont.)
 Never tie boat to
the obstruction
 Approach from
downstream
 Avoid working
directly over or
under a log
 Steady the boat
while cutting

52. Obstruction Formation
 Leaning or falling trees collect
floating material.
Debris usually piles up in river
bends.
Over time, these problems may
cause an obstruction of the entire
river.

53. Single-Trunk Trees
 Often leaning over river
 Can be partially
submerged, flush with
water level
 Usually are simple

54. Channels With Trees Across Both
Banks
 Usually from river
changing course (oxbows)
 Can be deep, with fast
current
 Can have extreme
tension/compression
 Usually medium-large
trees

55. Large, Multi-Trunk Trees
 Overhead limbs are
extremely dangerous
 Supported by
“kickstand” branches
 Rolling and falling
threat
 Often Silver Maple or
Cottonwood

56. Logjams
 Can be intimidating
due to amount of
different wood, debris
 Scour hole/deep
water
 Form on river bends
more frequently
 Be aware of where re-
located material is
going

57. Logjams: What Do You See?

58. Current Direction

59. Anchoring Logs
Large
anchoring
logs

60. Debris
Accumulated
junk and small
woody debris
Organic
matter
turning
to soil

61. Erosion
New
tree
fallen
from
eroded
bank
Highly eroded
bank on the
outside bend

62. Compression and Tension Factors
 Multiple forces act upon
wood in rivers, such as:
 Current
 Gravity
 Hidden “Y” branches
 Condition of the
wood

63. Example of Compression/Tension

64. Characteristics of Dead Wood
 Dead wood can sink
or float, depending
on condition
 Still carries tension
 Brittle, reacts
suddenly
 Compression hard to
detect

65. Live Wood Characteristics
 More expressive
than dead wood
 Reacts more
predictably
 Floats but not
extremely buoyant
 Can carry a lot of
tension

66. Compression and Tension Factors:
What Do You See?

67. Buoyancy of
dead wood
Buoyancy

68. Potential for Y Branch
Possible
underwater
Y?

69. Current
Current pushing
downstream
toward sawyer

70. Gravity
Gravity
pulls log
down

71. Dealing With the Rooster Tail
 BAD: Soaking the boat and
coworkers with water.
GOOD: Aim it away from the boat by
utilizing a different position.

72. Getting Maximum Cutting Power
WRONG:
• Powerhead almost submerged.
• Bogging down, low power.
CORRECT: The bar is inserted
only as far into the water as
needed.

73. Looser Chain Tension
 More friction from water
than air
 Chain contracts in cool
water
 Loosen chain when cutting
in water
 Tighten chain when cutting
above water
 Check chain tension
frequently

74. Approach from Downstream
Material floats
away, downstream
Can release
hold to drift
away (escape
route)

75. Conclusion of Unit 5
 Water Trails work can be dangerous and often requires
technical and difficult work.
 Work will be challenging, teamwork is a must.
 Always think safety first – don’t do anything you aren’t
comfortable doing.
 Have fun!
Please take the last quiz at this time.

76. Sample Quiz Question
Which of the following will help get maximum
cutting power when the bar is submerged?
A. Revving the throttle before inserting the
bar
B. Sharpening the teeth to a more severe angle
than for cutting above water
C. Using biodegradable bar lubricant
D. Only inserting the bar as far as necessary
E. Both A & D

79. (651) 259-5624
erik.wrede@state.mn.us