Forestry in the Sideling Hill Creek Watershed
With over 75 percent of the watershed covered in forest, forestry has been an important part of the Sideling Hill Creek community. Forestry has also played a large role in maintaining the watershed's current level of health. In addition to providing building lumber and heating fuel for generations, the watershed's forests provide abundant recreational opportunities, intact forestland habitat, stream shading, and hydroperiod regulation.
This last point means that precipitation and snowmelt tends to sink into forest soils rather than running off. Thus, water percolates down rather than running off and recharges the groundwater system which, in turn, slowly and consistently feeds the stream and helps especially during times of drought.
Increasingly, landowners in the watershed are turning to sustainable forestry practices to increase timber profits and lessen the negative impacts of forestry on the watershed's health.
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