Road & Bridge|

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities: How to Efficiently Heat Your Home, Conserve Water, Preserve Wildlife Habitat, Mitigate Flooding & Mitigate Wildfires

Article by Charles Bryant, County Noxious Weed Manager

Even though we are entering the long awaited days of summer, many in our rural areas start warily eyeing their depleted firewood stack, a victim of the long winter months. Many will spend a considerable amount of time in the sweltering summer sun collecting their preferred species, knowing that the heat of the sun will be recreated in a usable form within their home on the coldest of winter days.  Others will seek out a vendor that offers their preferred wood of choice, with pin᷉on, aspen, cedar, scrub oak and ponderosa pine usually being the most common and desired in my particular southern Colorado area.  A considerable amount of mileage, effort and money will be exhausted in the pursuit of securing the independence and peace of mind that only a wood stove can offer.

What if you could not only secure your winter wood supply, but also aid in the conservation of our finite water resources, wildlife habitat and reduce the threats of flooding and wildfires?  Enter Russian olive.  This highly invasive woody species has taken over hundreds of thousands of riparian acres in the west since it was first introduced over a century ago for erosion control, windbreaks and as a near bullet-proof ornamental.  Ranging in size from a small shrub to medium sized tree, Russian olive tends to stand out in the landscape with its unique bluish-green foliage and often times corkscrew like trunk that seems to despise the typical vertical growth pattern of more reputable tree species.  Originating from Europe and western Asia, Russian olive has compromised the health of our native ecosystems through the displacement of native species and its insatiable thirst for water.  Both biodiversity and water levels are lowered when Russian olives become the dominant species within a site.  One need only look at most stream corridors below 7,000 feet within the southern part of our state to see just how prolific this species is.

While this writer could easily exhaust the limited space left relaying the woes associated with the species, let us circle back to the original point of this article, which is, turning an obstacle into an opportunity. Oftentimes regarded as a “trash wood”, Russian olive actually possesses a BTU rating higher than some of the most desirable firewood species that most western state folks could only dream of having,  namely, cherry, black walnut, green ash and red maple, while being comparable to red oak and sugar maple.  The average Russian olive BTU rating of 23 and its obscurity as a fuel wood is somewhat astonishing given the fact that the locally popular ponderosa pine, cottonwood and aspen only possesses BTU ratings of around 14-15, while pin᷉on rates slightly higher at 19-21.

Folks that burn Russian olive will notice a considerable reduction in the accumulation of creosote within the firebox and stove flue given the fact that there is virtually no sap\pitch like we are so accustomed to our pine species having.  They will also notice that Russian olive provides usable coals much longer than other species, especially when compared to our common native species.  This lends itself to a much more consistent overnight temperature in your home, sparing the uncomfortable task of lighting a cold stove at dawn.  Opinions are mixed regarding the aroma of the smoke produced by Russian olive, with most that dislike it having been victims of smelling the acrid smoke of improperly cured logs.  A fair description of the aroma of properly cured Russian olive was best related by a former Huerfano World Journal newspaper writer named Nelson Holmes who described it as being similar to “granddad’s pipe tobacco”.

Like any fuel wood, proper seasoning is of the greatest importance.  Even in our dry climate, Russian olive and other firewood species should be cut, split, stacked and covered for a minimum of one year before use.  If feasible, two years of seasoning is ideal for Russian olive that is harvested green as its water content can be exceptionally high, being comparable to green-cut cottonwood.   Be forewarned though, large green Russian olive logs can be nearly impossible to split without the aid of a hydraulic splitter.  The process becomes much easier if the logs are somewhat dry prior to spitting.  Limbs and smaller diameter vertical growing trunks are oftentimes fairly straight grained with a texture similar to cedar, while larger diameter trunks and “corkscrew” horizontal growth can often have a somewhat tangled\burled grain.  Those cutting live Russian olive should also be aware that it will come back with a vengeance if the freshly cut surfaces are not treated with an appropriate herbicide.  Performing a simple cut-stump herbicide application will prevent hundreds of thorny shoots from sprouting around the crown of the stump.

In closing, please consider the usefulness of this invasive species as a firewood source and the exceptional benefits of utilizing it.  Oftentimes the reward of invasive species mitigation is not realized for years, even decades down the road and a return on investment can be somewhat abstract or obscure.  It is not often that the invasive species itself can be turned into a nearly ever renewing commodity as the case is with Russian olive.  The population density is so great and the control resources are so little, Russian olive will likely continue to be a problem well into the future.  It is this writer’s hope that more people will realize the tremendous energy resource that this invasive species provides and take into account the following benefits when they move Russian olives from the stream bank to the firebox:

  1. Flooding potential and associated debris blockages will be lessened by removing this channel constricting species
  2. Fire potential\severity will be lessened due to a reduction of fine\ladder fuels
  3. Enhanced native plant species recruitment\establishment due to removal of excessive canopy enclosure and manipulated soil chemistry-results in higher biodiversity
  4. Improved access to waterways for humans, livestock and wildlife
  5. Increased agricultural productivity\usability of land
  6. Conservation of limited water resources

BTU Rating Source: https://www.wood-heating-solutions.com/wood-species-btu-values/
CDA Fact Sheet: https://drive.google.com/a/state.co.us/file/d/18pDzVp6Gwl42CQmQZdyQh4PvMqkatahk/view?usp=sharing

Russian Olive along a waterway as viewed from a bridge
Russian Olive Tree
Leaves of the Russian Olive Tree

Comments are closed.

Close Search Window