Laying the Groundwork

The Volta Lake project will put CSR Developments and Ghana at the forefront of a new global industry – submerged timber salvage. The company is undertaking world-class research and development to prepare for the large-scale salvage operations. It has systematically brought together leading-edge practices and technologies from forestry, offshore oil and gas operations, and marine engineering, as well as the advanced sonar and remote sensing fields.

CSR Developments is working closely with industry leading R&D interests in Europe, North America and Africa. In Ghana, it is partnering with the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) and government ministries.

The company has also been working with individuals from Oxford University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Louisiana State University, University of British Columbia, and many other organizations, experts and stakeholders.

Submerged Forest Inventory

A comprehensive and reliable inventory of the submerged forest based on historical data, maps and aerial photographs, as well as leading-edge sonar technology.
The inventory identified substantial areas containing 100 species of trees including Afrormosia, Danta, Ebony, Odum, Papao, Sapele and many others.
Over two thirds of the trees are estimated to have commercial value with good or medium quality.
The submerged timber is generally very well preserved due to the high density and durability of the timber and the low oxygen levels in the lake.

Historical aerial photo of the lake.

One essential element in a tree salvage operation of this scale is determining the quantity, quality and location of the submerged trees.

Assessing the Potential

For this purpose CSR Developments has undertaken an extensive timber inventory to assess the salvage operation’s potential.

This process involved entirely new methodologies, tools and equipment developed especially for this purpose.

The highly complex and difficult inventory process was conducted both in Ghana and Europe and completed in 2007.

Historical Data Analysis

The task began with reviewing all available sources of information on the submerged forests, including maps and historical records, and interviewing individuals familiar with the area. It also involved digitizing and piecing together over 2,000 aerial photographs taken prior to flooding.

In combination with the latest sonar technology, this painstaking research enabled locating individual trees under water and provided critical information on the submerged tree inventory, topography and structure of the underwater forests.

Sonar scan showing submerged forest canopy.

Many samples of the submerged trees have also been taken.

CSR Developments is working with FORIG, a world-class wood technology and forest research institute in Ghana, to identify and test the wood samples from the lake.

This will ensure that key properties, including appearance, durability and workability, match wood from other Ghanaian forests, since the Volta Lake trees have been submerged for more than 40 years.

While the analysis of historical data provides a good estimate, it cannot confirm what is actually in the lake today.

Mapping the Submerged Forest

So in a second phase of the survey, scientists, engineers and analysts from a broad range of fields will use proprietary systems to map the submerged forests. It will use data collected by specialized marine vessels equipped with the latest sonar and imaging systems, customized to the conditions of the Volta Lake.

The data will be down-loaded via satellite to company computers in Canada and analyzed to create a highly accurate inventory of the submerged forests using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and proprietary algorithms.

Additional, high-resolution sonar imaging will be undertaken during operations to guide salvage equipment to specific forest areas and even individual trees.

Tree being pulled from a barge

during the salvage trial.

Tree Salvage Trial

Since salvaging trees from an underwater forest is an emerging industry, an initial trial had to be undertaken to test operational procedures, as well as survey key environmental issues.

In November 2007, CSR Developments extracted 14 trees utilizing Volta River Authority staff and engineers under a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The trial yielded valuable information on tree size, species and timber quality, as well as for operation design.

In addition, the potential impacts of salvage operations on water quality and fisheries, two critical environmental receptors, were studied, providing important inputs into the ESIA.

Wood Quality

The company’s R&D program includes active research into the physical, chemical, and end-use properties and quality of wood in the major underwater inventory. Research to-date provides a strong indication that the timber will meet stringent international market requirements.

Operations will extract many tree species in great demand in markets around the world – as well as others currently considered as lesser-known species. The goal is to describe the properties of all of them – and to expand market opportunities for those that are less known.

Through the partnership with FORIG, CSR Developments has access to specialized tropical hardwood research facilities and scientists. Several successful studies have already confirmed that the salvaged wood matches or exceeds expectations.

Ongoing research includes expanding the list of studied species and further work in fundamental and end-use properties of the underwater inventory.