Little Thompson Watershed Restoration Master Plan

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Little Thompson Watershed Restoration Master Plan Little Thompson Watershed Restoration Master Plan Prepared for: Little Thompson Watershed Restoration Coalition sponsored by the Big Thompson Conservation District with support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Prepared by: Tetra Tech, Inc. 3801 Automation Way, Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80525 with support from: Logan Simpson Design, Inc. Fort Collins, CO EMPSi Inc. Boulder, CO HabiTech, Inc. Laramie, WY December 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS December 2014 3.1.2 Reach II. Little Thompson, Berthoud: Interstate 25 to Weld-Larimer County Line.................. 27 3.1.3 Reach III. Little Thompson, Berthoud: Weld-Larimer to Larimer-Boulder County Lines ......... 28 3.1.4 Reach IV. Little Thompson, Boulder County .......................................................................... 28 3.1.5 Reach V. Little Thompson, Blue Mountain ............................................................................ 28 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 3.1.6 Reach V. North Fork, Blue Mountain ..................................................................................... 29 1.1 Authorization .................................................................................................................................. 1 3.1.7 Reach VI. Little Thompson, Pinewood Springs...................................................................... 29 1.2 Purpose and Need ......................................................................................................................... 1 3.1.8 Reach VII(a). Little Thompson, Headwaters .......................................................................... 30 1.3 Project Scope ................................................................................................................................ 2 3.1.9 Reach VII(b). West Fork, Big Elk Meadows ........................................................................... 30 1.4 Project Area Description ................................................................................................................ 2 3.1.10 Summary of Geomorphic and Overall Channel Conditions ................................................... 31 1.5 Data, Mapping and Information Procurement ................................................................................. 2 3.2 Post Flood Vegetation and Riparian Conditions ........................................................................... 31 1.6 Stakeholder Engagement ............................................................................................................... 2 3.3 Assessment of Post Flood Conditions for Fish and Aquatic Life ................................................... 31 1.7 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 3 3.4 Bridge and Culvert Assessments ................................................................................................. 32 ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 3.5 Loss of Homes and Buildings ....................................................................................................... 32 2 WATERSHED DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION .............................................................................. 7 4 RESTORATION RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STRATEGIES .................... 33 2.1 Geomorphic Setting ....................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 Restoration Recommendations .................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Hydrology ...................................................................................................................................... 7 4.1.1 Reach I. Little Thompson, Milliken/Johnstown: Weld County to Interstate 25 ........................ 33 2.2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................ 7 4.1.2 Reach II. Little Thompson, Berthoud: Interstate 25 to Weld-Larimer County Line.................. 33 2.2.2 September 2013 Flood ......................................................................................................... 12 4.1.3 Reach III. Little Thompson, Berthoud: Weld-Larimer to Larimer-Boulder County Lines ......... 34 2.2.3 Stream Gage Data ................................................................................................................ 12 4.1.4 Reach IV. Little Thompson, Boulder County .......................................................................... 34 2.2.4 Existing Studies .................................................................................................................... 17 4.1.5 Reach V. Little Thompson, Blue Mountain ............................................................................ 34 2.2.5 FEMA Studies and Effective 100-year Discharges ................................................................ 17 4.1.6 Reach V. North Fork, Blue Mountain ..................................................................................... 34 2.2.6 Future Studies ...................................................................................................................... 17 4.1.7 Reach VI. Little Thompson, Pinewood Springs...................................................................... 34 2.2.7 Reservoirs ............................................................................................................................ 17 4.1.8 Reach VII. Little Thompson, Headwaters .............................................................................. 35 2.2.8 Diversions ............................................................................................................................. 18 4.1.9 Reach VII. West Fork, Big Elk Meadows ............................................................................... 35 2.2.9 Water Supply ........................................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Conceptual Design Strategies ...................................................................................................... 35 2.3 Hydraulics and Extent of Flooding ................................................................................................ 18 4.2.1 Create/Refine Low-flow Channel ........................................................................................... 35 2.4 Vegetation and Wetlands ............................................................................................................. 18 4.2.2 Excavate and Grade Low-flow Channel (capacity) ................................................................ 36 2.4.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.3 Bank Restoration .................................................................................................................. 37 2.4.2 Pre-flood Conditions ............................................................................................................. 18 4.2.4 Floodplain Grading and Stabilization ..................................................................................... 38 2.4.3 Pre-Flood Sensitive Species ................................................................................................. 21 4.2.5 Land Reclamation and Fill of Overbanks ............................................................................... 39 2.5 Fish and Aquatic Life ................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.6 Riparian Regeneration .......................................................................................................... 39 3 POST FLOOD SITE ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................ 25 4.2.7 Active Revegetation .............................................................................................................. 40 3.1 Geomorphologic and Overall Channel Conditions ........................................................................ 25 4.2.8 Fish Habitat ........................................................................................................................... 40 3.1.1 Reach I. Little Thompson, Milliken/Johnstown: Weld County to Interstate 25 ........................ 27 4.2.9 Debris Clean-up .................................................................................................................... 40 LITTLE THOMPSON WATERSHED RESTORATION MASTER PLAN Page i TABLE OF CONTENTS December 2014 4.2.10 Ponds ................................................................................................................................... 40 List of Figures 4.2.11 Culvert and/or Bridge Replacement ...................................................................................... 41 4.2.12 Water Supply ........................................................................................................................ 41 Figure 1.1. Little Thompson River in a typical canyon-bound reach. ....................................................... 1 4.2.13 Resiliency Planning..............................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • PROCEEDINGS of the BOARD of COUNTY COMMISSIONERS of SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA January 3, 2017
    PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA January 3, 2017 The Board of Commissioners of Sanders County, Montana, met in regular session on Tuesday, January 3, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Present were Carol Brooker, Presiding Officer; Glen E. Magera, Commissioner, and Anthony B. Cox, Commissioner. The Boards and Committees that the Commissioners will attend in 2017 are as follows: Commissioner Cox Commissioner Brooker Commissioner Magera Avista Management Committee Child Development Center Board Sanders County 911 Advisory Board Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency of Directors, Chairman Area Agency on Aging Board Area VI, Corporation, Board of Directors Governors Board of County Printing Chairman Sanders County Board of Health MACo Natural Resources/Public Lands Community Action Partnership Sanders County Solid Waste Refuse Litigation Fund Committee Hot Springs Refuse Disposal District Disposal District MACo Public Land Committee Sanders County Board of Health MACo Board of Directors Sanders County Board of Health Sanders County Community Housing Sanders County Aquatic Invasive Plants Sanders County Community Organization (AIP) Task Force Development Corporation, Board of Sanders County Council on Aging Boards Attended: Directors Sanders County Council on Aging Sanders County DUI Task Force Sanders County Solid Waste Refuse Financial Committee Committee Disposal District Board Sanders County Solid Waste Refuse Resource Advisory Committee Thompson Falls Community Trails Disposal District Terrestrial Resources Tech
    [Show full text]
  • Olive Clubtail (Stylurus Olivaceus) in Canada, Prepared Under Contract with Environment Canada
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus in Canada ENDANGERED 2011 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2011. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 58 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Robert A. Cannings, Sydney G. Cannings, Leah R. Ramsay and Richard J. Cannings for writing the status report on Olive Clubtail (Stylurus olivaceus) in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada. This report was overseen and edited by Paul Catling, Co-chair of the COSEWIC Arthropods Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-953-3215 Fax: 819-994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur le gomphe olive (Stylurus olivaceus) au Canada. Cover illustration/photo: Olive Clubtail — Photo by Jim Johnson. Permission granted for reproduction. ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2011. Catalogue No. CW69-14/637-2011E-PDF ISBN 978-1-100-18707-5 Recycled paper COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment Summary – May 2011 Common name Olive Clubtail Scientific name Stylurus olivaceus Status Endangered Reason for designation This highly rare, stream-dwelling dragonfly with striking blue eyes is known from only 5 locations within three separate regions of British Columbia.
    [Show full text]
  • A Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Rocky Mountain National Park
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center A Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Rocky Mountain National Park Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRR—2010/228 ON THE COVER Rocky Mountain National Park Photograph by: Billy Schweiger A Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Rocky Mountain National Park Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRR—2010/228 David M. Theobald1,2 Jill S. Baron2,3 Peter Newman1 Barry Noon4 John B. Norman III1,2 Ian Leinwand1 Sophia E. Linn1 Richard Sherer4 Katherine E. Williams2,5 Melannie Hartman2 1Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1480 2Natural Resource Ecology Lab, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499 3U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80523 4Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474 5Current address: Department of Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 This report was prepared under Task Order J2380060103 (Cooperative Agreement #H1200040001) July 2010 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. Natural Resource Reports are the designated medium for disseminating high priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application.
    [Show full text]
  • Independent Review of the Science and Management of Thompson River Steelhead
    Independent Review of the Science and Management of Thompson River Steelhead Prepared for: Thompson Steelhead Technical Subcommittee c/o Cooks Ferry Indian Band PO Box 130, Spence's Bridge, BC Canada V0K 2L0 March, 2014 Independent Review of the Science and Management of Thompson River Steelhead David A. Levy and Eric Parkinson Levy Research Services Ltd. 315 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. Canada V7M 2G3 March 2014 ______________________ Recommended citation for this report: Levy, D.A. and E. Parkinson. 2014. Independent review of the science and management of Thompson River steelhead. Prepared for Thompson Steelhead Technical Subcommittee c/o Cook's Ferry Indian Band, Spences Bridge, BC. 104p. Executive Summary In response to the decline in steelhead productivity that has been occurring since the early 1990's, the Thompson Steelhead Technical Subcommittee commissioned the present report to evaluate steelhead status, causes for the decline, effectiveness of management tools and prospects for recovery. The work was motivated by a strong desire among Thompson River First Nations to develop a sound conservation strategy that ensures long-term sustainability and a recovery of the traditional food, social and ceremonial fishery. Thompson River steelhead support a world-class recreational fishery which is managed by the Province of BC. DFO is intimately involved in the management process by developing salmon harvest regulations to mitigate commercial by-catch mortality. First Nations are largely outside of the management process and meaningful consultations have been absent to date. Science and management tools included harvest analysis, juvenile assessment, forecasting procedures, spawner enumeration and enhancement. Conservation thresholds place steelhead numbers in the conservation concern zone in most years.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Prehistoric Cultural Horizons on the Canadian Plateau
    LATE PREHISTORIC CULTURAL HORIZONS ON THE CANADIAN PLATEAU Department of Archaeology Thomas H. Richards Simon Fraser University Michael K. Rousseau Publication Number 16 1987 Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Roy L. Carlson (Chairman) Knut R. Fladmark Brian Hayden Philip M. Hobler Jack D. Nance Erie Nelson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 0-86491-077-0 PRINTED IN CANADA The Department of Archaeology publishes papers and monographs which relate to its teaching and research interests. Communications concerning publications should be directed to the Chairman of the Publications Committee. © Copyright 1987 Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Late Prehistoric Cultural Horizons on the Canadian Plateau by Thomas H. Richards and Michael K. Rousseau Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Publication Number 16 1987 Burnaby, British Columbia We respectfully dedicate this volume to the memory of CHARLES E. BORDEN (1905-1978) the father of British Columbia archaeology. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................vii List of Figures.....................................................................................................................................iv
    [Show full text]
  • Code of Colorado Regulations
    DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT Water Quality Control Commission REGULATION NO. 94 COLORADO’S MONITORING AND EVALUATION LIST 5 CCR 1002-94 [Editor’s Notes follow the text of the rules at the end of this CCR Document.] 94.1 Authority These regulations are promulgated pursuant to section 25-8-101 et seq C.R.S. as amended, and in particular, 25-8-202 (1) (a), (b), (i), (2) and (6); 25-8-203 and 25-8-204. 94.2 Purpose This regulation establishes Colorado’s Monitoring and Evaluation List. This list identifies water bodies where there is reason to suspect water quality problems, but there is also uncertainty regarding one or more factors, such as the representative nature of the data. Water bodies that are impaired, but it is unclear whether the cause of impairment is attributable to pollutants as opposed to pollution, are also placed on the Monitoring and Evaluation List. 94.3 Water Bodies Identified for Monitoring and Evaluation WBID Segment Description Portion Parameter COAR Arkansas River Basin . COARFO03 Tributaries to Fountain Fourmile Creek, on USFS sediment Creek on USFS or AFA Land lands, Monument Creek to Arkansas River COARFO03 Tributaries to Fountain Bear Creek on USFS sediment Creek on USFS or AFA Land lands, Monument Creek to Arkansas River COARFO03 Tributaries to Fountain Cheyenne Creek, on sediment Creek on USFS or AFA USFS Land lands, Monument Creek to Arkansas River COARLA07 Purgatoire River, I-25 to all sediment Arkansas River COARLA09a Mainstem of Adobe Horse Creek Cu Creek and Gageby Creek… COARLA09c Rule Creek, Muddy Rule Creek Zn Creek, Caddoa Creek, Clay Creek, Cat Creek… COARLA11 John Martin Reservoir all Se COARMA04a Wildhorse Creek all NO 2 , NO 3 COARMA18 Boggs Creek all NO 2 , NO 3 , D.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Order of the Executive Director May 14, 2020
    PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Park Act Order of the Executive Director TO: Public Notice DATE: May 14, 2020 WHEREAS: A. This Order applies to all Crown land established or continued as a park, conservancy, recreation area, or ecological reserve under the Park Act, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act or protected areas established under provisions of the Environment and Land Use Act. B. This Order is made in the public interest in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the purposes of the protection of human health and safety. C. This Order is in regard to all public access, facilities or uses that exist in any of the lands mentioned in Section A above, and includes but is not limited to: campgrounds, day-use areas, trails, playgrounds, shelters, visitor centers, cabins, chalets, lodges, resort areas, group campsites, and all other facilities or lands owned or operated by or on behalf of BC Parks. D. This Order is in replacement of the Order of the Executive Director dated April 8, 2020 and is subject to further amendment, revocation or repeal as necessary to respond to changing circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic. Exemptions that were issued in relation to the previous Order, and were still in effect, are carried forward and applied to this Order in the same manner and effect. Province of British Columbia Park Act Order of the Executive Director 1 E. The protection of park visitor health, the health of all BC Parks staff, Park Operators, contractors and permittees is the primary consideration in the making of this Order.
    [Show full text]
  • Thompson River Watershed Restoration Plan
    Thompson River Watershed Restoration Plan March 8, 2018 Upper Thompson River near Bend. Photo Credit: Brian Sugden Page 1 of 99 Acknowledgements Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG) has taken the lead in organizing and drafting the Thompson River Watershed Restoration Plan, but the completion of this plan was only possible with the contribution of many local stakeholders throughout the Thompson River Watershed. A special thank you to all of the community members within the Thompson River Watershed who took the time to complete our online survey and provide us with local input. Authors: Sarah Bowman – Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group Brita Olson – Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group Secondary Authors: Ryan Kreiner – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Samantha Tappenbeck – Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana Brian Sugden – Weyerhaeuser Company Contributing Stakeholders: Clark Fork Coalition: John DeArment Eastern Sanders County Conservation District: Steve Dagger Flathead Conservation District: Valerie Kurth Green Mountain Conservation District: Leona Gollen Lincoln Conservation District: Becky Lihme Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group: Brita Olson, Jay Stuckey, Jean Dunn, Ruth Watkins, Sarah Bowman, Sean Moran Montana Department of Environmental Quality: Eric Trum Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation: Dave Mousel, Dave Olsen, Mike Anderson, Tony Nelson Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Ryan Kreiner Natural Resources Conservation Service (Kalispell Field Office): Angel Rosario Natural Resources Conservation Service
    [Show full text]
  • Thompson River Comprehensive Report (2017)
    Thompson River Fisheries Investigations: A Compilation Through 2017 Prepared by: Ryan Kreiner and Marc Terrazas Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Thompson Falls, MT 2018 Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Landownership .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Roads ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Fish Stocking Summary ............................................................................................................................. 7 Angler pressure ......................................................................................................................................... 8 MAINSTEM FISHERIES MONITORING ............................................................................................. 9 Methods ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Rainbow Trout .................................................................................................................................... 13 Brown Trout
    [Show full text]
  • The Fur Trade in the Columbia River Basin Prior to 1811
    The Fur Trade in the Columbia River Basin Prior to 1811 By T.C.ELLIOTT Member of American Historical Association and of Oregon Historical Society. The Ivy Press Portland, Oregon 1915 Photo, by H. Ries. Aug. 1912 See page 8 The Source of the Columbia River View looking South across the Portage to Kootenay River | C^T&vV^- 3L /,l- ,U-!,\:r7^ THE FUR TRADE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN PRIOR TO 1811 By T. C. ELLIOTT* One of the present activities of the historical societies of Oregon and Washington is the publication of source material relating to the early fur trade along the Columbia River. It has been a popular and to an extent a scientific habit to refer to the city of Astoria as the oldest trade center of the Old Oregon Country; some of our histories furnish evidence to that effect. It was on the 12th of April, 1811, that the officers and employees of the Pacific Fur Company were landed from the ship Tonquin and established a temporary encampment on the south side of the Columbia River, ten miles from Cape Disappointment, and immediately thereafter began the erec­ tion of the trading post named by them Fort Astoria. On the 15th of July, four months later, David Thompson, the North-West Company fur trader and astronomer, coming from the source of the river recorded in his journal: "At 1 P. M., thank God for our safe arrival, we came to the house of Mr. Astor's Company, Messrs. McDougall, Stuart and Stuart, who received me in the most polite manner." And in another con­ nection Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Root Little Thompson River Hydrologic Analysis
    Final Report Little Thompson River Hydrologic Analysis Prepared for Colorado Department of Transportation August 2014 9191 S. Jamaica Street Englewood, CO 80112 Contents Section Page Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. v Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... ES-1 1.0 Purpose and Objective ........................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Area Description .................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2.1 Little Thompson River ......................................................................................... 1-1 1.2.2 West Fork Little Thompson River ........................................................................ 1-1 1.3 Mapping ........................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.5 Flood History .................................................................................................................... 1-2 2.0 Hydrologic Analyses ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Eocene Paleo-Physiography and Drainage Directions, Southern Interior Plateau, British Columbia1
    215 Eocene paleo-physiography and drainage directions, southern Interior Plateau, British Columbia1 Selina Tribe Abstract: A map of reconstructed Eocene physiography and drainage directions is presented for the southern Interior Plateau region, British Columbia south of 53°N. Eocene landforms are inferred from the distribution and depositional paleoenvironment of Eocene rocks and from crosscutting relationships between regional-scale geomorphology and bedrock geology of known age. Eocene drainage directions are inferred from physiography, relief, and base level elevations of the sub-Eocene unconformity and the documented distribution, provenance, and paleocurrents of early Cenozoic fluvial sediments. The Eocene landscape of the southern Interior Plateau resembled its modern counterpart, with highlands, plains, and deeply incised drainages, except regional drainage was to the north. An anabranching valley system trending west and northwest from Quesnel and Shuswap Highlands, across the Cariboo Plateau to the Fraser River valley, contained north-flowing streams from Eocene to early Quaternary time. Other valleys dating back at least to Middle Eocene time include the North Thompson valley south of Clearwater, Thompson valley from Kamloops to Spences Bridge, the valley containing Nicola Lake, Bridge River valley, and Okanagan Lake valley. During the early Cenozoic, highlands existed where the Coast Mountains are today. Southward drainage along the modern Fraser, Chilcotin, and Thompson River valleys was established after the Late Miocene. Résumé : Cet article présente une carte reconstituée de la géographie physique et des directions de drainage, à l’Éocène, pour la région du plateau intérieur de la Colombie-Britannique, au sud du 53e parallèle Nord. Les formes de terrain à l’Éocène sont déduites de la distribution et du paléoenvironnement de déposition des roches de l’Éocène et à partir de relations de recoupement entre la géomorphologie à l’échelle régionale et la géologie du socle, d’âge connu.
    [Show full text]