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Demonstration site Agnelån

A welcome sign showing a map over the demonstration site a photo of the river Agnelån with lots of boulders and rocks in the river and a blue dragonfly. Welcome to Agnelån’s demonstration area for stream habitat restoration Our waterways Agnelån, like many of our waterways in northern Sweden, has been used to float timber. Now that we use trucks and trains to transport timber, we no longer need to use our rivers and streams. Therefore, we need to ensure that the streams and rivers are restored to how they once looked and functioned. Follow the path that starts here at the sign. Eventually you will arrive at Agnelån. There, measures have been taken to restore the watercourse after the floating. Along the path you will find information about timber floating, watercourse restoration and some of the animal and plant species that live here. This is what Agnelån looks like after the restoration. If you go down to the river, you might see a blue dragonfly or a trout swimming in the water. Hopefully you’ll learn something you didn’t know about log rafting and watercourse restoration.
A sign with information about the timber floating era. Old photos of timber floating in a large river and a man in a wooden boat floating downstream in rapid water. A map showing all rivers in Sweden officially used for timber floating. Floating of timber "The floating opened up the wilderness. The landscape changed in a profound way, at least from the perspective of that time. Brooks, streams, and rivers were cleared and straightened, chests and chutes were built, hinged booms and channels were deployed. Lakes and marshes were dammed. Bridges were reconstructed. Shacks and boathouses were erected along the rivers. Timber floated in all waterways..." From: Hellstrand, 1980. Timber Floating in Dalälven. Sweden was suited for timber floating Timber floating developed to meet the increased demand for timber during industrialization. Throughout Jämtland, a large proportion of waterways have been used for timber floating. Timber was floated over long distances from the inland forests to the large sawmills on the coast. During that time, before the road network was expanded and timber began to be transported by truck, waterways were the fastest and most efficient means of transportation. Timber floating was therefore an important part of forestry at that time, but it also caused significant damage to the environment. Timber floating gradually increased from the mid-19th century until the 1910s when the annual volume of floated goods reached over 10 million cubic meters. This volume was maintained until 1960 when the timber floating routes began to be dismantled. The last timber floating in Sweden took place in the Klarälven in 1991. Stream clearance To facilitate timber floating, larger stones and blocks were removed from the waterways, and the water flow was concentrated by building channels and closing off side channels. Rocks and larger blocks were blasted away. Stream clearance resulted in environments with no variation in water velocity and bottom structure. The closure of side channels led to the loss of important habitat for aquatic organisms and spawning grounds for fish, as the larger stones no longer held onto the finer material. Straightenings and clearances also caused sediment, organic material, and nutrients to flow more rapidly through the water systems and be washed away. The habitats for fish and other organisms deteriorated significantly.
A sign showing two photos of old timer chutes that were used to float timber. Timber chutes- older remains Timber chutes were a way to efficiently navigate logs past sections of watercourses where it was challenging to float them. Usually, you find timber chutes at waterfalls, where the watercourse flows slowly and meanders, especially where there are large boulders, as is the case here. Constructing timber chutes was time-consuming and expensive; moreover, they required significant maintenance. With the advent of new technologies such as dynamite and excavation machinery, it simply became cheaper to blast apart rocks and stones than to maintain the old timber chutes. For this reason, timber chutes are often considered an older part of the timber floating route. The watercourse sections where timber chutes were constructed but where timber rafting concluded before the use of dynamite and excavation machinery, are usually quite pristine today as they are relatively unaffected. Agnelåns timber chutes When you lift your gaze from this sign, you can see the traces of one of Agnelån’s timber chutes. A hundred years ago, these remnants were an imposingly timbered chute; today, the traces of it are almost entirely gone. Often, the remnants of the chutes can be seen in the form of corridors of ”stave spruce,” that is, small spruces growing on top of the remnants of the chute. Here, we have cleared a corridor around the old chute so that you can more easily see where the chute was located.
A sign showing information about cleared rapids. Three photos showing rivers with large boulders and rocks cleared to the sides of the rivers. Cleared rapids Right now, you are standing on one of the many cleared rapids along Agnelån. Cleared rapids are very common remnants of timber floating. In order to transport the logs in our watercourses, they needed to be cleared of rocks and blocks that protruded and hindered the timber. The rocks that were removed were often used to build embankments. As a result, the watercourse became straight with a smooth bottom – perfect for transporting timber, but detrimental to almost everything living in the watercourse. The oldest cleared rapids were entirely cleared by hand, involving hard work where watercourses were manually cleared, and the material was thrown up to form embankments. Later, stump extractors started being used to lift larger blocks. Eventually, the work was mechanized with excavators and bulldozers. Around 1950, a new channel was blasted in Agnelån where you are standing now. The result was an entirely new canal for the timber floating route. After the blasting, all the blasted stones were lifted, and this cleared rapid was constructed. If you look across to the other side, it’s evident that the embankment was built using the blasted material.
A sign with information about freshwater pearl mussels. One photo of pearls on an old swedish kings horse sadel. One photo of three mussels lying in a hand. One of the three target species for Rivers of LIFE is the freshwater pearl mussel. The mussels are currently highly endangered due to factors such as historical pearl fishing, deteriorated water quality, degraded habitats, and a reduced number of host fish.
A sign with information about restoring watercourses. We need to heal the wounds in nature left by timber floating. Since timber floating is no longer practiced, it is a natural step to restore the function in and around watercourses as much as possible. Why watercourse restoration? Restoring a watercourse involves putting back stones and blocks and recreating the habitats that fish and insects need. The restoration can be likened to furnishing an empty house. In a diverse, varied watercourse, there is room for a multitude of species. Many species also mean more food for predators like trout, grayling, and otters. A restoration often lowers the water’s speed. This allows small animals and plants more time to absorb particles and nutrients. The number of animals and plants increases when the living space becomes larger. Consequently, water purification becomes more effective as nutrients are processed instead of being transported to lakes, causing eutrophication. Restoration with an Excavator. The restoration involves using an excavator to reintroduce gravel, stones, and blocks from the edges and shores of the watercourse back into the water. Typically, the goal is to widen the water channel, raise the bottom level, and recreate the meandering flow of the water in the landscape to restore its natural connection with the shoreline. Almost all restorations differ because the approach must be adapted based on the varying conditions of the watercourses. Factors such as water flow have a significant impact on material transport in the watercourse. Consideration must be given to anchoring materials like deadwood and blocks, taking into account the expected high flows. The amount of cleared debris varies, as does the quantity of trees suitable for deadwood.
A sign showing information about natural watercourses. Two photos show rivers with a lot of dead wood in the water. Also lots of rocks, boulders and a variation of bottom substrates. Almost all watercourses in Sweden are influenced by human activity. So, how do we know what a natural watercourse looks like? Factors describing a watercourse Morphology, (Appearance of the watercourse): • Distribution of boulders, stones, and gravel in the water and in the shoreline zones • Depth and width of the water • Meandering of the watercourse in the landscape • Impact of ice on the watercourse and shores • Presence of deadwood Hydrology (The study of water on land areas, its occurrence, distribution, characteristics, and cycles): • The volume of water flowing in the watercourse during different parts of the year • Flow velocity in various parts of the watercourse channel • Flooding of shores. • Influence of groundwater in the shoreline zone Water chemistry (Presence of substances in the water): • pH value, indicating the acidity of the water • Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus • Heavy metals or other environmental pollutants Biology (Life in and around the water): • Naturally occurring species • Viable populations, meaning a sufficient number of individuals of a species and opportunities for reproduction • Presence of invasive species that may pose a risk of outcompeting the naturally occurring species Watercourse processes When human activities have not influenced the morphology or hydrology of a watercourse, the natural processes of the watercourse can function fully. This means, for example, that: • Water spills over the shores during high flows, carrying nutrients from the soil to the watercourse. • Erosion along the shore edges contributes to trees falling into the water, creating habitats and food for aquatic animals. • Finer bottom materials like sand and gravel are moved around, creating environments crucial for various animals and plants in the water.
A sign showing information about the projects target species. Two illustrations; one showing two broun trout and one showing an otter. A photo showing a microskope picture of a microskapania. Within the project, we have three target species: microscapania, otter, and freshwater pearl mussel. Target species means that we are implementing specific efforts in the project for these particular species. Although trout is not designated as a target species, it is crucial for both freshwater pearl mussels and otters. We are restoring watercourses to recreate the environments where these species thrive. Consequently, species that have disappeared or declined due to timber floating can have the opportunity to return. Microscapania (Scapania carinthiaca) The small liverwort microscapania is so tiny that one needs a magnifying glass to see it. It lives in and on intermittently flooded dead or dying wood near watercourses. It depends on high and consistent humidity in old, undisturbed forest environments. It is sensitive to rapid changes in light and wind conditions, as well as drying out. Otter (Lutra lutra) The otter is a carnivorous mammal and is related to the wolverine, marten, badger, polecat, stoat, ermine, and mink. It is found in several locations in Sweden and has become more common in the last 10-20 years. The otter is a predator that feeds on fish, crayfish, amphibians, and mussels. Like other mammals, the otter has a home range. The home range is patrolled carefully and marked with droppings. The droppings are often placed in highly visible locations such as on top of rocks and mounds near the water. It is through surveying these droppings that the number of otters is determined. Otters are sometimes hit by vehicles when crossing roads. They do not prefer to swim in the water under bridges and road culverts but need a dry passage beneath the road. Therefore, it is important to consider the existence of such a passage when constructing roads over streams and rivers. (wwf.se)
A sign showing information about the manager of the demonstration area. A photo shows a pine tree fallen on top of the wind shelter. County Administrative Board manages the area. Welcome to the demonstration area at Agnelån Do you see anything that doesn’t seem right? Has anything been damaged? Contact the Water Unit at the County Administrative Board in Jämtland Telephone switchboard: 010 225 30 00 Email: jamtland@lansstyrelsen.se