Thompson River Watershed Restoration Plan
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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 (Plains Field Office): Travis Lemke, Troy Hidy NorthWestern Energy: Brent Mabbott, Jordan Tollefson Sanders County: Carol Brooker, Katherine Maudrone Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana: Jessica Makus, Samantha Tappenbeck Thompson River Drainage Association: Jerry McGuire Trout Unlimited: Christine Brissette, Paul Parson, Rob Roberts United States Forest Service – Lolo National Forest: Chris Partyka, Dave Hattis, Heather Berman, Jon Hanson, Kristin Duckworth Richardson, Traci Sylte Weyerhaeuser Company: Brian Sugden Funders: Lolo National Forest Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation NorthWestern Energy Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana Page 2 of 99 Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6 1.1: Watershed Restoration Plans ............................................................................................................ 6 1.2: Impaired Streams and Total Maximum Daily Loads .......................................................................... 7 1.3: Causes and Sources of Impairments .................................................................................................. 7 1.4: Additional Streams and Water Quality Management Considerations ............................................ 11 1.5: Thompson River Watershed Restoration Plan Goals and Objectives .............................................. 12 Section 2: Thompson River Watershed ...................................................................................................... 14 2.1: Thompson River Watershed Characterization and Streams Identified ........................................... 14 2.2: Big Rock Creek Subwatershed.......................................................................................................... 22 2.3: Fishtrap Creek Subwatershed ......................................................................................................... 27 2.4: Lazier Creek Subwatershed .............................................................................................................. 31 2.5: Little Thompson River Subwatershed .............................................................................................. 34 2.6: McGinnis Creek Subwatershed ........................................................................................................ 40 2.7: McGregor Creek Subwatershed ....................................................................................................... 43 2.8: Thompson River (Mainstem) ........................................................................................................... 49 2.9: West Fork Thompson River Subwatershed ...................................................................................... 53 Section 3: Recommended Best Management Practices, Restoration, and Expected Pollutant Reductions .................................................................................................................................................................... 55 3.1: Best Management Practices and Restoration ................................................................................. 55 3.2: Expected Pollutant Reductions ....................................................................................................... 60 Section 4: Available Resources ................................................................................................................... 61 4.1: Technical Resources ......................................................................................................................... 63 4.2: Financial Resources .......................................................................................................................... 66 Section 5: WRP Development and Priorities for Restoration ..................................................................... 70 5.1: WRP Development Process .............................................................................................................. 70 5.2: Priorities for Restoration ................................................................................................................. 74 5.3: Adaptive Management – Shifting Priorities in the Face of Future Climate Change ........................ 80 Section 6: Progress Evaluation .................................................................................................................... 83 6.1: Milestones ........................................................................................................................................ 83 6.2: Monitoring ....................................................................................................................................... 84 Section 7: References .................................................................................................................................. 89 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 92 Page 3 of 99 A1: Ranking Criteria Matrix ..................................................................................................................... 92 A2: Investigation Project Rankings (Highest to Lowest) ........................................................................ 93 A3: Implementation Project Rankings (Highest to Lowest) .................................................................... 96 A4: Proposed Projects Not Yet Ranked ................................................................................................... 99 Page 4 of 99 List of Acronyms ACM: Anaconda Copper Mining Company BEHI: Bank Erosion Hazard Index BMP: Best Management Practice CR: County Route CWA: Clean Water Act DEQ: [Montana] Department of Environmental Quality DNRC: [Montana] Department of Natural Resources and Conservation EIS: Environmental Impact Statement EPA: Environmental Protection Agency ESCCD: Eastern Sanders County Conservation District FCD: Flathead Conservation District FR: Forest Route FWP: [Montana] Fish, Wildlife, and Parks GMCD: Green Mountain Conservation District HCP: Habitat Conservation Plan LCD: Lincoln Conservation District LCFWG: Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group LWD: Large Woody Debris MCA: Montana Climate Assessment MDT: Montana Department of Transportation MFISH: Montana Fish Information System MOU: Memorandum of Understanding MWCC: Montana Watershed Coordination Council MTNHP: Montana Natural Heritage Program NFS: National Forest System NPS: Nonpoint Source [Pollution] NRCS: Natural Resources Conservation Service RKM: River Kilometer RM: River Mile SMZ: Streamside Management Zone SWCDM: Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana TAC: Technical Advisory Committee TMDL: Total Maximum Daily Load TN: Total Nitrogen TP: Total Phosphorus USFS-KNF: United States Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest USFS-LNF: United States Forest Service - Lolo National Forest USFWS: United States Fish and Wildlife Service WRP: Watershed Restoration Plan WY: Weyerhaeuser Company Page 5 of 99 Section 1: Introduction 1.1: Watershed Restoration Plans A watershed restoration plan (WRP) is a locally developed document that provides a framework for managing, protecting, and restoring local water resources. Creating a plan is one of the requirements to receive grant funding under Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA, passed by congress in 1972 to be implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), establishes the basic structure for addressing discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States and its major goal is to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (DEQ 2014). Point sources, defined as pollution that comes from a single source, are regulated through discharge permits