Summary of Information on Aquatic Biota and Their Habitats in the Willamette Basin, Oregon, Through 1995
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Summary of Information on Aquatic Biota and Their Habitats in the Willamette Basin, Oregon, through 1995 By BOB ALTMAN, AVIFAUNA NORTHWEST; COLLEEN M. HENSON, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE; AND IAN R. WAITE, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 97–4023 Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE and as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Portland, Oregon 1997 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services 10615 South East Cherry Blossom Drive Box 25286 Portland, Oregon 97216 Denver, CO 80225-0286 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (303) 202-4210 Information regarding the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. You may connect to the NAWQA Home Page at the Universal Resource Locator (URL): <http://wwwrvares.er.usgs.gov/nawqa/nawqa_home.html> Information regarding the Willamette NAWQA is available on the Internet by connecting to the Willamette NAWQA Home Page at: <http://oregon.usgs.gov/projs_dir/pn366/nawqa.html> Information regarding Oregon District Activities is available on the Internet by connecting to the Oregon District Home Page at: <http://oregon.usgs.gov/> FOREWORD • Improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions. The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the This information will help support the development earth resources of the Nation and to provide informa- and evaluation of management, regulatory, and moni- tion that will assist resource managers and policymak- toring decisions by other Federal, State, and local ers at Federal, State, and local levels in making sound agencies to protect, use, and enhance water resources. decisions. Assessment of water-quality conditions and The goals of the NAWQA Program are being trends is an important part of this overall mission. achieved through ongoing and proposed investigations One of the greatest challenges faced by water- of 60 of the Nation’s most important river basins and resources scientists is acquiring reliable information aquifer systems, which are referred to as study units. that will guide the use and protection of the Nation’s These study units are distributed throughout the water resources. That challenge is being addressed by Nation and cover a diversity of hydrogeologic settings. Federal, State, interstate, and local water-resource agencies and by many academic institutions. These More than two-thirds of the Nation’s freshwater use organizations are collecting water-quality data for a occurs within the 60 study units and more than two- host of purposes that include: compliance with permits thirds of the people served by public water-supply sys- and water-supply standards; development of remedia- tems live within their boundaries. tion plans for specific contamination problems; opera- National synthesis of data analysis, based on tional decisions on industrial, wastewater, or water- aggregation of comparable information obtained from supply facilities; and research on factors that affect the study units, is a major component of the program. water quality. An additional need for water-quality This effort focuses on selected water-quality topics information is to provide a basis on which regional- using nationally consistent information. Comparative and national-level policy decisions can be based. Wise studies will explain differences and similarities in decisions must be based on sound information. As a society we need to know whether certain types of observed water-quality conditions among study areas water-quality problems are isolated or ubiquitous, and will identify changes and trends and their causes. whether there are significant differences in conditions The first topics addressed by the national synthesis are among regions, whether the conditions are changing pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, and over time, and why these conditions change from aquatic biology. Discussions on these and other water- place to place and over time. The information can be quality topics will be published in periodic summaries used to help determine the efficacy of existing water- of the quality of the Nation’s ground and surface water quality policies and to help analysts determine the as the information becomes available. need for and likely consequences of new policies. This report is an element of the comprehensive To address these needs, the U.S. Congress appropri- body of information developed as part of the NAWQA ated funds in 1986 for the USGS to begin a pilot pro- gram in seven project areas to develop and refine the Program. The program depends heavily on the advice, National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Pro- cooperation, and information from many Federal, gram. In 1991, the USGS began full implementation of State, interstate, Tribal, and local agencies and the the program. The NAWQA Program builds upon an public. The assistance and suggestions of all are existing base of water-quality studies of the USGS, as greatly appreciated. well as those of other Federal, State, and local agencies. The objectives of the NAWQA Program are to: • Describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation’s freshwater streams, rivers, and aquifers. • Describe how water quality is changing over Robert M. Hirsch time. Chief Hydrologist IV CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Rationale for a Review of Biological Information.............................................................................................. 2 Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Sources of Information........................................................................................................................................ 4 Background Studies .................................................................................................................................. 5 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................... 5 Environmental Setting................................................................................................................................................... 6 Physiographic Characterizations......................................................................................................................... 6 Climate .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Land Use and Population .................................................................................................................................. 11 Aquatic and Riparian Habitat...................................................................................................................................... 12 Aquatic Biological Communities................................................................................................................................ 14 Aquatic Biota .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Algae ................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Macroinvertebrates............................................................................................................................................ 18 Fish.................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Fishery Plans ........................................................................................................................................... 30 Semiaquatic Taxa .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Amphibians and Reptiles ........................................................................................................................ 30 Birds ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Mammals................................................................................................................................................. 32 Introduced Species ...........................................................................................................................................