Logging and Water Issues
Mature Native Forest is also important to our water supply. Water conservation has become the issue of the 90's and clearing of our forests and bushlands has caused major problems in water supply and quality.
Forests are the beginning of our rivers and when the forest is clear felled the stream flows are diminished. With the loss of the canopy the sun reaches in, turns the water into gas and it floats away into the atmosphere instead of moving through the ground and into our creeks and rivers.
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Re-vegetation uses huge amounts of water which is usually used to flush the rivers to keep them clean so the river life forms can survive. After the water flow drops we get life forms forming like Blue Green Algae which choke everything as well as making it un-drinkable. Old Growth Forest is a regulator of our rivers water supply.
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In cleared and open areas the water rushes unimpeded to the rivers picking up the dirt as it goes causing erosion and floods away very quickly. In Old Growth areas the forest impedes the water and releases it more slowly effectively keeping our river flow levels up. This is because the forest floor holds so much water in the thick leaf mulch. It's like a dam trapping most of the flood waters and then releasing it more slowly.
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