Draft Tucannon Subbasin Summary
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Draft Tucannon Subbasin Summary February 23, 2001 Prepared for the Northwest Power Planning Council Editors Laura Gephart, Columbia Conservation District Debra Nordheim, Columbia Conservation District Subbasin Team Leader Terry Bruegman, Columbia Conservation District Contributors (in alphabetical order): Paul Ashley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Duane Bartels, Pomeroy Conservation District Michael Bireley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Anne Davidson, Ecopacific Debbie Fortner, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Pat Fowler, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Monte Fujishin, USDA Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest Delbert Groat, USDA Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest David Johnson, Nez Perce Tribe Steve Martin, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Glen Mendel, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife William Neve, Washington State Department of Ecology Carl Scheeler, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Greg Schlenz, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Mark Schuck, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Rick Stauty, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Val Turner, Columbia County Weed Board Mimi Wainwright, Washington State Department of Ecology DRAFT: This document has not yet been reviewed or approved by the Northwest Power Planning Council Tucannon Subbasin Summary Table of Contents Background........................................................................................................................................ 1 Subbasin Description........................................................................................................................... 2 General Description..................................................................................................................... 2 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................... 14 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................ 31 Fish and Wildlife Resources .............................................................................................................. 40 Fish and Wildlife Status.............................................................................................................. 40 Habitat Areas and Quality.......................................................................................................... 58 Watershed Assessment ............................................................................................................. 70 Limiting Factors ........................................................................................................................ 73 Artificial Production................................................................................................................... 78 Existing and Past Efforts............................................................................................................ 84 Present Subbasin Management.......................................................................................................... 96 Existing Management ................................................................................................................ 96 Existing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies...................................................................................104 Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Activities..........................................................................120 Statement of Fish and Wildlife Needs ........................................................................................124 References .....................................................................................................................................129 Appendix A: Washington State water quality standards .....................................................................142 Appendix B: WDOE’s Proposed Surface Water Quality Standards.....................................................143 Appendix C: Plant species in the Tucannon subbasin ..........................................................................144 Appendix D: Threatened and endangered wildlife, fish and plant species in Washington State ...............145 Appendix E: Rare plants found in Columbia County............................................................................147 Appendix F: Wildlife Species in the Tucannon Subbasin......................................................................148 Appendix G: The Tucannon River Model Watershed Plan..................................................................154 Appendix H: U.S. Forest Service Management Strategy Definitions....................................................163 Appendix I: PACFISH Guidelines.....................................................................................................166 Appendix J: U.S. Forest Service Prescribed Fire................................................................................174 Appendix K: Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP).........................................................182 i Tucannon Subbasin Summary i Figures Figure 1. Location of Tucannon subbasin including towns, counties, major roads and streams (ICBEMP data source, Map by Ecopacific).................................................................................................. 3 Figure 2. Land ownership within the Tucannon subbasin, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific) .................... 3 Figure 3. Elevations within the Tucannon subbasin, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific)............................. 4 Figure 4. Precipitation trends of the Tucannon subbasin, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific) ..................... 5 Figure 5. Bridge and River Mile locations along the Tucannon River, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific) ... 6 Figure 6. Center for Environmental Education (CEEd), Washington State University, water quality monitoring stations in the Tucannon subbasin, Washington. (CEEd, 1998) ..................................... 17 Figure 7. Zone of Critical Temperature for the Tucannon River, Washington, July and August, 1988-1994 (WDFW & USFS). (Tucannon MWP, 1997).............................................................................. 19 Figure 8. Bi-weekly averages of daily maximum temperatures in adult holding areas (RM 25-37) prior to spawning in the Tucannon River (1992). (Tucannon MWP, 1997) ................................................ 20 Figure 9. Bi-weekly averages of daily maximum temperatures: Tucannon River (1990) ........................ 23 Figure 10. Average water temperatures of Pataha Creek, Washington, 1998-2000 (CEEd, 2000).......... 24 Figure 11. Fecal coliform concentrations (coliform counts only) at Pataha Creek CEEd stations, 1998- 2000 (CEEd 2000). ................................................................................................................... 28 Figure 12. Historic vegetation types in the Tucannon subbasin, Washington (WDFW). .......................... 32 Figure 13. Current vegetation types within the Tucannon subbasin. (Map by Ecopacific) ...................... 32 Figure 14. Assessment and inventory reaches on the Tucannon River, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific)33 Figure 15. Land use within the Tucannon subbasin, Washington. (Map by Ecopacific)........................... 39 Figure 16. Land uses in the Tucannon River watershed, Washington. (Tucannon MWP 1997) ............... 39 Figure 17. Spring Chinook Distribution within the Tucannon subbasin. ................................................. 42 Figure 18. Spring chinook redds in historic index (RM 42-45) (Bumgarner et al. 2000). ......................... 43 Figure 19. Lower Snake River dams and hatcheries (Mendel et al. 1995)............................................ 45 Figure 20. Fall Chinook distribution within the Tucannon subbasin. ...................................................... 47 Figure 21. Summer Steelhead distribution within the Tucannon subbasin. ............................................. 48 Figure 22. Bull trout distribution within the Tucannon subbasin, Washington (WDFW).......................... 52 Figure 23. Priority Habitat Species in the Tucannon subbasin, Washington (WDFW data, S. Martin per. com., 2001). ............................................................................................................................. 54 Figure 24. Hatchery Facilities within the Tucannon subbasin. .............................................................. 79 Figure 25. Tucannon River Spring Chinook escapement (Bumgarner et al. 1997)................................. 81 Figure 26. USFS Fire Behavior Prediction System. ...........................................................................176 Tables Table 1. Peak Flows: Tucannon River, near Starbuck, Washington (River Mile 7.9). ............................ 11 Table 2. Mean monthly flows: Tucannon River (River Mile 7.9).......................................................... 11 Table 3. Water rights: Tucannon subbasin, Washington. ..................................................................... 12 Table 4. Water claims to date: Tucannon subbasin, Washington. ......................................................... 13 Table 5. WDFW recommended minimum streamflows at USGS gauge number 13344500, Tucannon River, Washington. ..................................................................................................................