F is for Fog Drip

Fog drip in a forested environment is when fog condenses on a conifer tree’s needle and then as water drips to the ground. Tall redwoods have scrubbed water out of Coastal skies for eons watering themselves and adjacent streams.  This is one reason redwoods are thought to be able to grow so tall.

Fog drip is also being recognized as an important contributor to Coastal summer stream flows.  Dr. Gordie Reeves with the United States Forest Service made this point during his recent talk at the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council.  Summer stream flows are usually low but facing warmer summer temperatures and less snow these flows are expected to be even lower.  Fog drip from big trees adjacent to streams could moderate the low flows by extracting fog and cloud borne water and dripping it to needy streams.  The number of days in which fog is sucked inland off the ocean is expected to increase with more frequent hot valley days as the climate warms up.  It will take big thinkers who can break from their preconceived notions (and currently regulated) of what a healthy streamside riparian area is to grow big trees and restore summer stream flows.