Natural Resources Conservation Service s33

395 - Stream Habitat Improvement and Management Standard USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD ARIZONA

STREAM HABITAT IMPROVEMENT AND MANAGEMENT (Acre) CODE 395

DEFINITION include stream temperature moderation, recruitment of instream large wood and fine organic matter, Maintain, improve or restore physical, chemical and input of riparian nutrients and terrestrial insects, biological functions of a stream, and its associated streambank stability, and filtration of contaminants riparian zone, necessary for meeting the life history from surface runoff. requirements of desired aquatic species. Design in-stream structures that are compatible PURPOSES with the dynamic nature of streams and rivers, encourage natural geomorphic recovery when 1. Provide suitable habitat for desired fish and possible and minimize disruption of recreational and aquatic species. other traditional uses of the stream corridor. 2. Provide stream channel and associated riparian Structures installed for the purposes of this conditions that maintain stream corridor standard will not ecological processes and hydrological connections of diverse stream habitat types  impede or prevent passage of fish and other important to aquatic species. aquatic organisms at any time;

CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES  cause excessive bank erosion; All streams and their adjoining backwaters,  cause unintentional lateral migration, floodplains, associated wetlands, and riparian areas aggradation or degradation of the channel; where geomorphic conditions or habitat deficiencies limit reproduction, growth, survival and diversity of  hinder channel-floodplain interactions. aquatic species. Where practical, restore or maintain stream habitat CRITERIA and channel forming processes such as natural flow regime, meander migration, sediment transport, General Criteria recruitment and storage of large wood, and Planned stream habitat improvements will floodplain interactions with the stream.  address the aquatic species and life history All stream and riparian activities will occur within stages for which the stream is being managed, state and federal guidelines with regard to timing of  be based on a site-specific assessment of local spawning, incubation, and rearing of aquatic hydrology, channel morphology, geomorphic organisms, and breeding and nesting of terrestrial setting, fish and other aquatic species present, organisms. riparian and floodplain conditions, and any No action shall have long-term adverse impacts on habitat limitations including water quantity and endangered, threatened, or candidate species of quality, food supply, and restriction of upstream species of concern. and downstream movement of aquatic species All required permits will be obtained prior to using the NRCS Stream Visual Assessment installation of any stream improvement measures. Protocol, Version 2 or comparable evaluation Instream structure design should be compatible tool. with the dynamic nature of rivers and recreational and other uses of the stream corridor.  when applied, result in a conservation system that meets or exceeds the minimum quality When present, livestock will be managed to prevent criteria for stream habitat established in Section streambank erosion, bank trampling, over-grazing, III of the FOTG. and contamination of the stream from livestock waste. Manage adjoining riparian areas to support diverse natural vegetation suitable for the site conditions Planned stream habitat improvements will: and desired ecological benefits. Such benefits Page 1 of 3 NRCS, AZ July, 2010 428A, Practice Standard MAKE SURE TO CORRECT THIS FOR EACH STANDARD  Be based on an assessment of watershed 1. Incorporate stream habitat improvements into a conditions that affect the physical, biological, conservation plan that addresses prescribed and chemical conditions of the stream and its grazing, soil quality, nutrient management, pest riparian area (see References). management and other management practices  Be based on an assessment of current stream for reducing non-point sources of pollution. and riparian conditions. The assessment shall evaluate channel morphology, geomorphic 2. Reduce or manage excessive runoff due to setting, aquatic species, riparian and/or watershed development, roads or land-use floodplain conditions, and any habitat limitations activities. including restriction of upstream and downstream movement of aquatic species (see 3. Restore or protect riparian and floodplain References). vegetation and associated riverine wetlands.  Emphasize the establishment of an ecologically 4. Maintain adequate in-stream flows to sustain self-sustaining stream-riparian system diverse habitats for fish and other aquatic consistent with the watershed conditions and species, especially during critical life history geomorphic setting. stages of spawning, incubation and rearing.  Provide native fish passage upstream and downstream and allow movement of other 5. Provide heterogeneous and complex physical aquatic species and stream organic matter to habitat components consistent with the the extent possible (see Practice 396 – Fish physiographic setting and important to fish and Passage). other aquatic species in the watershed. These Additional Criteria Applicable To Provide include suitable spawning substrates, structural Suitable Habitat and Channel Morphology elements such as boulders and/or large wood Important to Desired Aquatic Species. where appropriate, resting pools, overhead cover, and riparian vegetation. Instream structures will be designed to facilitate establishment and viability of riparian plants. 6. Provide Instream barriers to exclude aquatic Structural steam improvement measures applied nuisance species from stream habitats where will be compatible with the stream’s prescribed by the appropriate state and federal geomorphology. fish management agencies to protect native fish or other wildlife populations. Incorporation of these stream channel criteria will generally involve restoration of an appropriate 7. Provide screens on water pumps, diversion channel width-to-depth ratio, suitable riffle-pool ditches, or any area where unintentional ratios, well-vegetated banks, and/or stream length- entrapment of aquatic species is likely to occur. gradient relationships in a meandering stream consistent with local conditions and stream 8. Improve floodplain-to-channel connectivity for geomorphology (see References) and will: development of seasonal or permanent  reflect sediment transport processes backwater, wetland and off-channel habitats characteristic of the designed stable channel. consistent with the local climate and hydrology of the stream.  have well vegetated banks and a healthy riparian root zone. 9. Maintain natural surface water, hyporheic, and  have stream bottom substrates suitable for ground water interactions to the extent spawning and/or rearing of desired aquatic possible. species. 10. Control spread of exotic plant and animal CONSIDERATIONS species. Before designing and implementing stream habitat improvements, consider the known or expected 11. Manage recreational and other land use concerns within the watershed, such as: point and activities to minimize impacts on stream banks, non-point source pollution, water diversions, and riparian vegetation and water quality. land management activities likely to influence Provide alternative streamside access for stream habitat conditions. Additional measures that 12. should be taken singularly or in combination to recreational use, livestock, and equipment. improve stream habitat include:

NRCS, CA July 1996 395 - Stream Habitat Improvement and Management Standard Consider listing in the conservation plan, the provide for periodic inspection and prompt repair or aquatic species and life history stage for which the modification of any structures that are found to stream is being managed. cause excessive streambank or streambed instability. All structural measures shall be Instream structures such as flow deflectors may be evaluated on an annual basis. considered to provide stream stability and/or habitat Annual post-project monitoring and evaluation of elements until the channel and adjacent riparian stream and riparian habitat conditions shall be area can function as a habitat of complex stream conducted to determine if actions implemented are structure in dynamic equilibrium. providing for management of the stream corridor Environmental Impact Concern: habitats as planned. Any repair actions, if needed, shall comply with Stream Habitat Management will improve aquatic state and federal guidelines for protecting habitats and may subsequently benefit endangered spawning, incubation and rearing times of aquatic or threatened species or species of concern and species and breeding and nesting times of other native aquatic species dependent on this terrestrial species environment. There may be short-term negative impacts when instream construction activities occur, i.e. sedimentation and turbidity, requiring REFERENCES consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Bureau of Land Management. 1998. Riparian Area Therefore, timing of project activity is extremely Management: A User Guide to Assessing Proper important to reduce negative impacts. Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas. TR-1737-15. PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working The plan will include a detailed site description, the Group (FISRWG). 1998. National Engineering sequence in which improvements or management Handbook 653 –Stream Corridor Restoration: actions will be completed, a vegetation planting Principles, Processes and Practices. plan and maintenance requirements. NRCS. 1998. The Practical Streambank Specifications shall include: Bioengineering Guide. (a) Location and extent of modification of the NRCS. 2002. Streambank Soil Bioengineering stream reach to accomplish the planned purpose; Field Guide for Low Precipitation Areas. (b) Riparian plant species and stocking rates if NRCS. 2005. National Biology Handbook Part needed to accomplish the planned purpose; 620. Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitat Resources. (c) Planting dates, care and handling of seed or NRCS. 2006. National Engineering Handbook Part planted materials to ensure an acceptable rate of 654. Stream Restoration Design Handbook. survival; NRCS. 2009. National Biology Handbook Part 614, (d) Site protection and preparation requirements for Subpart B. Stream Visual Assessment Protocol. establishment or recruitment of riparian vegetation if Version 2. needed. Roni, P. 2005. Monitoring stream and watershed (e) Drawings to illustrate installation or restoration. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, implementation requirements. MD. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE A detailed operation and maintenance plan shall be developed for all applications. The plan shall

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