Underwater logging is possible because many sub

Underwater logging is possible because many submerged trees and logs are barely affected by their decades of submersion. Lake and river water is often too cold and too deficient in oxygen for decay organisms to survive. Studies of logs raised from Lake Superior show slight color changes, but “the properties are virtually the same as modern timber,” says Terry Mace, who has studied underwater log retrieval for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. And although sugars have leached from the Lake Superior logs, this effectively seasons the wood, making it highly desirable for use in musical instruments.

With underwater logging, every acre of drowned trees that is chain sawed in a hydroelectric reservoir should translate into an acre of forest that’s left standing. And that, in turn, could translate into significant environmental benefits for the world.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247634/