Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Big burr oak trees

So as my pond continues to fill via my well, I now realize that some large burr oak trees that I left will most definitely be below water by a foot or two. These trees are anywhere from 20 inch diameter up to probably 50 inch diameter trees. There is about six or seven of them.

My question is what do you recommend I do. Let the water fill around them, in which case I assume they will die. The other option is try to construct somehting to prevent water from getting to them like a wall or earthen structure. Any thoughts?

Here's a pic of trees before pond construction.
http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4006.jpg

Here those trees are on the left of the pic:
http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4125.jpg

Make the pond smaller and save the trees.

If you cannot save them, then harvest them.

RAH, I agree, smaller pond or cash crop.

Bing, add me to that list.

Yup...you're gonna have to make the choice. If you drown the roots, they will die. I hate to see a beautiful tree go, but the good thing is you plant another where you want it.

They do make some huge acorns that the deer relish!

Yeah the only trouble is I hardly have enough time to keep ahead of the deer, especially with all of the other projects going on. Being in a CWD management zone there are very liberal bag limits. This has caused me to have to invest in a walk-in cooler for those acorn eating four legged creatures.

2 things to add to the consideration list:
1)
lowering the pond level to be even with, or even a foot below, the trunk at grade may not be anywhere near enough to protect the roots from too much water. We had a similar situation with a huge cherry tree that was 2 feet above the water level, near the shore. It's woodpecker practice now.

2) If the heavy equipment was working in the vicinity of the tree, the roots may already be damaged from the passage of the weighty vehicles. I don't know how susceptible Burr oaks are, but we lost some Hickories from localized root damage caused by passage of heavy equipment.

If Matt is right that the Bur Oaks are large then I think he has only one way to go. He might as well cut the trees and if he wants to do so sell the timber. Then make the pond the level he originally intended. It has been a couple of years since I sold any Oak, but at that time it was bringing premium prices. I would definitely cut the trees before letting the pond fill.

Timber prices are very depressed right now. At least in west central IL. I have 24,000 board feet to be harvested and keep being told by my forester to wait. When I built my pond I personally harvested the oak and walnut trees that where in the way and sawed them into boards. These boards have since been turned into wood flooring and trim that I am installing in my new house right now. So a couple of things you could do. Bring in a sawmill and saw up the boards yourself. From there you could sell the boards (would bring much more money than a straight timber harvest) or use them in projects that may be coming up. If you decide to go this route and air dry the boards yourself I have lots of shade cloth that I would be willing to part with cheaply.