Tree ID is this black locust (River Logs)?

[ReggieT]

Me & the wife were out enjoying the weather and walking the TN river shore down @ a local park today. I snapped some pics of these logs and was wondering about Wood/Tree ID... "Hard as Concrete, Tight End Grain!" & somebody's been cutting up a storm, there were chunks laying everywhere!

Most looks like black locust lying about...yet no bark, or leaves to help out.
Park Ranger says I can harvest as much as I like!  8)

 

Thanks
Reg
 

  

 

[WDH]

Black locust usually only has about two annual rings of sapwood.  The sapwood ring in your pics looks much too wide for black locust.

[Dodgy Loner]

Definitely not black locust. My guess would be red oak but hard to say with pics from so far away.

[ReggieT]

Is Red Oak & Elm known to survive long stints water logged or as driftwood?

[WDH]

I believe so.  Take a close up pic of the end grain.  You might have to make a clean slice with a razor blade to see the pore structure. 

[mesquite buckeye]

The trunk form does look elmish.

[bitternut]

Reminds me of elm also. Try splitting a piece, that will tell you if it is elm.

[ReggieT]

Hmm...kinda never been a huge fan of splitting elm... >:(

[Dodgy Loner]

If it's red oak, the medullary rays should be visible even on a chainsawed surface. If it's elm, you may need a cleaner cut to see the wavy latewood pores. Either way, we need a closer view of the end grain or this is all conjecture.

[hacknchop]

No amount of experience with elm but red oak will survive being submerged and saw out nicely but your pictures dont remind me of any submerged oak ive seen.

[SwampDonkey]

Elm will hold together quite awhile submerged. Below a local hydro dam was a small Island covered in elms. But it was not this dam that flooded it, a second dam built below did. Anyway, been old stumps there that you can see when the water is low. Been there since the 60's. If it was up this way I would say elm, or maple that washed away from a river bank. Not ever been down your way I'm not familiar with the forests and abundance of tree species along your streams. Can't really be positive without end grain photos. ;D

[Ianab]

Is Red Oak & Elm known to survive long stints water logged or as driftwood?

Elm will last a LONG time as long as it's kept wet. Hollow elm logs were used as water pipes in Medieval Europe because the wood lasted so well. But if has to be WET, if it's just damp or in ground contact it rots pretty quick.

But a sinker log would last for a LONG time, they are still digging up bits of elm water pipes around England that are 100s of years old.

[Autocar]

My two cents , river bottom trees with a little pink color I would say Box Elder.