Sinker logs no longer sunk

[Jeff]

Ron Scott, I'm hoping you have a ready answer for this one.

We have had a heck of a hard blow up here the last few days and one of the near by bays shore is suddenly covered with dozens of sinker logs.  The shoreline is right in front of a state pulloff fon 134. Icould easily get the logs with my arch. I'm wondering if there is a legal way  to do it. I know the next big storm and they will probably be all gone again for another 100 years. I took several photos, but only a couple with the camera on te phone . I'll try and send those to Tom 

[Gary_C]

Probably the best legal way is don't ask, don't tell. If anyone questions you, just say you thought it was alright to take things out of the water, you just could not dump anything in the water.   

That must have been some strange underwater current that would bring those logs up on shore.

[Don K]

If I was faced with this situation in the remote north, I would probably be up all night hauling logs before the wind changed directions.

[DanG]

Sounds like driftwood to me.

[Jeff]

One real problem is the young gungho (a better word sounds similar to gungho but more like basspole) DNR lives not far away.

[Furby]

Jeff's pics:






DanG, can ya belive the state owns driftwood as well?

Actually, are you sure those logs washed up?
There has been a major water level drop in Lake Michigan in the last few weeks.
I first noticed it at the Kallamazoo river where US-31 crosses it near the lakeshore.
Found 4 places over the weekend up at the lake showing a major drop, and then found the same thing in Spring Lake Monday.
Google searches shows as much as 5" drop in water levels in a little over a month.
Based on what I saw, I was guessing 6"-12" drop.

[DanG]

Do they own sawdust and boards?

[Jeff]

I know this bay very well. fished it swam it waded it all my life. 

[Brian Beauchamp]

Are they marked with who owned them when they sank? ...not that they'll be around to come pick the up or anything  ...just curious.

[beenthere]

Be careful Jeff...not a way to get to visit wit Chet...

Swimmin there looks tough..

[cantcutter]

beg or barrow a boat and drag a few of them down to the next farthest boat ramp. I would not snag them from shore.....I am sure they will get you on wetlands destruction or something.

[SwampDonkey]

Lake Superior is low this year.

Can ya get a salvage permit?


Jeff, the Michigan Beach Comber. You old Relic. 





Jeff, I would think the jurisdiction over those logs would be with the Feds since it's international navigational waters.

[Gary_C]

Might be a good job for this weekend. 

[Corley5]

Get the T, R, and Sec and get a firewood permit for that spot from the local DNR Field Office 

[crtreedude]

Complain that you nearly smashed your boat on property of the state and tell them instead of suing them for mental anquish that as a concerned citizen you are willing to dispose of the logs. 

[Haytrader]

First thing...don't tell anybody about them.
Then do what ya want.

OOPS.......you told us.

Well, now you need to post that you have become uninterested in them at all.
(and then do what ya want)

[Daren]

beg or barrow a boat and drag a few of them down to the next farthest boat ramp.

On the shore where they are they are probably considered habitat...near the boat ramp they are a danger. I would haul them down there and charge for "removal" as a public safety measure. 

[sawguy21]

Be careful here. Unauthorized salvage might be considered theft.

[Tom]

 

I see what happened.  There was a prehistoric indian (the inventor of the "bow" saw)  in his boat, carrying the logs home for firewood when a tsunami overtook the Lake and he overturned and drowned.  The significance was that he was the high and mighty chief of all of North America and his death caused the downfall of his family crest, a long revered name of Suompdoki.  After this trajedy, the family lived in exile awaiting a leader to appear.  Eyes have been turned east for thousands of years waiting for a charming soul from the hidden land of nieubrunzwk where it is rumored a new leader will appear. The world is hosting hundreds of vestal virgins whose sole purpose in life will be to recreate the line of blue blood.  

The logs are virgin timber too.

[sawguy21]

  That is too funny.

[SwampDonkey]

I go to the woods for awhile and come back and see how I'm abused. 

[Ron Scott]

Jeff,
The logs are on Michigan bottom lands and you would need to get a log salvage permit from the MDNR to remove them. They would scale the volume and determine the salvage value for the log sale. That is if they do not consider them woody debri for fish and wetland habitat.

Check with the local MDNR office there and see what they say. It's worth a discussion and to let them know of your interest in them.

By the time you were able to get a permit though, the water level might be back up and the logs no longer an easy salvage venture.

Do you know what species they might be and if they have any ownership log marks on them?

[Tom]

Down here, you have 12 hours till the next tide.  You better hurry!

[SwampDonkey]

Man, that would be one mighty tide up there. I don't think we built the house high enough. 

[LOGDOG]

   Down here you need to get permission from the Army Corps of Engineers as they have authority over the waterways and the State Land Office. Logs like this are considered abandoned property since in realitythey belonged to the timber companies who had originally either bought the stumpage or the land they were on - harvested them and abandoned them when they sank. I'm permitted in Louisiana to pull both by the Corps and the State Land Office.

   Here's what you do if you'd really like to have the wood. (And by the way, there's no way I'd pass these up SERIOUSLY!) Go out there and take some large eye bolts with you and a cordless drill with a couple batteries. Tap the logs with a bit smaller than the diamter of your eyebolts and then turn the bolts in. Also bring some long sections of rope. Strong rope. Tie one end to the eyebolt and the other to a jug. If you have a gps -maybe even mark each spot in case the water comes back in. The jugs should do the trick though. Just make sure you've leave enough length to account for the normal depth in a high water time of year.

   Go get your permission or find out what you need to. Then come back. If the beach is dry - use the arch. If the beach is under water bring the boat and go to the jugs. Then go about pulling them to the landing. You get the idea. If you need any help locating the right branch to contact holler. I want to see the inside of those logs!!! 


LOGDOG

[Furby]

A couple things to point out LogDog, this is one of the great lakes.
If these are indeed sinkers as Jeff said, they will be pulled back out into the lake during the next heavy storm.
With winter coming, there will be some major storms/waves up there and tying a jug to the logs will do no good.
Might, and I stress might, be able to tether them to shore, but that's a big if and probly breaking a few laws there as well.
I'm really doubting Jeff getting legal permission to remove them while they are on the beach.
Bout the only way I can see him getting them, is if they are floaters.
Could be wrong though.

[LOGDOG]

Just an FYI ... I know an individual personally that runs the largest Sinker Log recovery operation on the Great Lakes - and that's multiple Great Lakes. I'm also from up there. Not my first time at this dance.  This can be done.

LOGDOG