black oily water after cutting down trees

mikeymouse

I cut down some large evergreens ;spruce and pines from a ditch a couple of weeks ago, now there's a constant trickle of black oily looking water seeping from the ditch.
Is this sap from the stumps , or have I disturbed some drainage?
There's no sap on the tops of the stumps.

Calahonda52

Pictures?

mikeymouse

I hope these work, not done photos before


https://imageshack.us/i/pmhC5t5oj

https://imageshack.us/i/po8rXr8gj

https://imageshack.us/i/pmJypQOLj

lottpaul

That's puzzling.
I doubt if it's sap from the stumps if they were only cut a few weeks ago - far too much of it and too "runny" for that.
Were there clippings or grass or anything like that stored or buried under or behind the trees at any stage? Even years ago. It reminds me of seepage from silage/grass or leaves/branches decomposing.
Is there a smell that could help you rule out the obvious like oil etc? Is your septic tank or sewer nearby and could it have been affected by roots?
It has to be either plant matter rotting and seeping away or a pipe carrying oil or somesuch.

mikeymouse

Thanks Lottpaul,
no oil or sewage pipes near there.
There's no smell that I can detect from it.
I had a look at the other side of the ditch and there's some there as well.
It's not my land , it's overgrown wasteland that was disturbed by the digger
the tree fellers used.
I hope it hasn't been used as a dumping ground in the past.
we've been here 3 years.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Could it be residue from oil leakage on the digger?

Calahonda52

where are the stumps, are they on other side of the wall in the second picture?
fotos don't give any sense of the surrounding area

FISMA.

Did you inspect the wood from the tree that was cut down?

I wonder if the "oily water" you refer to is related to the "bleeding" tree effect?

mikeymouse

Calahonda52 wrote: »

where are the stumps, are they on other side of the wall in the second picture?
fotos don't give any sense of the surrounding area

Calahonda,
I'll try to put up better pictures , I'm using webcam on laptop (luddite).
hard to explain the geography,
the wall you see is a retaining wall ,the ditch is on a higher level opposite this wall, about 10ft away and the seepage is coming from the ditch and running down behind the retaining wall

mikeymouse

Genesis Rhythmic Pumice wrote: »

Could it be residue from oil leakage on the digger?

It could be that , but I think I'd recognise oil on water,
This looks like a shiny glassy film and doesn't feel like oil to the touch,
you know when you rub your fingers together ,you can feel oil.

mikeymouse

FISMA. wrote: »

Did you inspect the wood from the tree that was cut down?

I wonder if the "oily water" you refer to is related to the "bleeding" tree effect?

The saw man said when he cut down a large douglas fir, sap "spurted up like oil"
I took that to mean it spurted like oil , as opposed to looking like oil.
I'll ask the guys to come back and have a look and maybe they will know what it is ,

SILVAMAN

mikeymouse wrote: »

I hope these work, not done photos before


https://imageshack.us/i/pmhC5t5oj

https://imageshack.us/i/po8rXr8gj

https://imageshack.us/i/pmJypQOLj

Looks like the effects of decomposing foliage-very common on spruce clearfells

endacl

It's the fairies. You cut down a fairy tree, and now the only luck you'll have is bad luck.

macraignil

mikeymouse wrote: »

Calahonda,
I'll try to put up better pictures , I'm using webcam on laptop (luddite).
hard to explain the geography,
the wall you see is a retaining wall ,the ditch is on a higher level opposite this wall, about 10ft away and the seepage is coming from the ditch and running down behind the retaining wall

The ground there looks to be recently disturbed and there are signs of heavy machinery having passed over. I'd guess it is a pocket of compressed rotting vegetation has got to the surface. The roots of the trees might have been helping keep the slurry contained until now.