Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat
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I 53.2: 53A2s U.S. Department of the Interior June 1995 AQ 3/c 4 Bureau of Land Management Medford District Office 3040 Biddle 9oad Medford, Oregon 97504 I U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service Rogue River National Forest P.O. Box 520 _________ 333 West 8th Street Sft>TRV&> Medford, Oregon 97501 iu~s• Siskiyou National Forest ~~' ~~P.O. Box 440 Rd 200 N.E. Greenfield Rd. Grants Pass, Oregon 97526 Applegate River Watershed Assessment Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat 41- As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interest of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. administration. BLWOR/WAIPL-95/031+1792 Applegate River Watershed Assessment: Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................... i TABLE OF FIGURES .............................................................. ii TABLE OF TABLES .............................................................. iii CHAPTER I - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................. 1 A. FINDINGS ............................................................... 3 B. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................... 8 CHAPTER II - ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................. 11 CHAPTER III - INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 13 CHAPTER IV - REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVES ........................... 18 CHAPTER V - KEY PROCESSES AND FUNCTIONS ................................................. 23 CHAPTER VI - HISTORIC AND CURRENT CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ............ 34 A. GEOLOGY .............................................................. 34 B. AQUATIC, FISHERIES, HYDROLOGY, AND RIPARIAN VEGETATION ..35 C. SPECIAL PLANTS, PLANT HABITATS, AND RANGE ............................ 54 D. INSECTS AND DISEASE .............................................................. 63 E. WILDLIFE .............................................................. 68 CHAPTER VII - DESIRED RANGE OF FUTURE CONDITIONS ............................... 83 CHAPTER VIII- RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 88 A. GEOLOGY .............................................................. 88 B. AQUATIC, FISHERIES, HYDROLOGY, AND RIPARIAN VEGETATION ... 89 C. SPECIAL PLANTS, PLANT HABITATS, AND RANGE ............................ 91 D. INSECTS AND DISEASE .............................................................. 92 E. WILDLIFE .............................................................. 93 CHAPTER IX - RESEARCH AND MONITORING ...................................................... 95 A. INFORMATION NEEDS .............................................................. 95 B. CURRENT RESEARCH AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES ....................... 97 CHAPTER X - REFERENCES .............................................................. 100 CHAPTER XI - APPENDIX .............................................................. 104 CHAPTER XII - ACRONYMS .............................................................. 110 Table of Contents 6/6/95 11111iRD7471 111 3 5138 005,4874 2 Applegate River Watershed Assessment: Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat Table of Figures FIGURE 01 - APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED IN RELATION TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ................ 2 FIGURE 02. - LOCATOR MAP OF THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED .............................................. 2 FIGURE 03. APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED IN RELATION TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST .. 13 FIGURE 04. LOCATOR MAP OF THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED .. ...........................................14 FIGURE 05 MAJOR SUB WATERSHEDS OF THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED ............................ 15 FIGURE 06 ROGUE BASIN MAP .................................................................. 21 FIGURE 07. COLLUVIAL CANYONS .................................................................. 28 FIGURE 08. BEDROCK CANYONS .................................................................. 28 FIGURE 09. ALLUVIATED CANYON .................................................................. 29 FIGURE 10. Low GRADIENT ALLUVIAL VALLEY STREAM, VALLEY/BOTTOMS . 30 FIGURE 11. MAP OF APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED STREAM SEGMENT TYPES . 31 FIGURE 12. APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED RANGE OF SALMONIDS . ............................................37 FIGURE 13. RANGE OF SALMONIDS (LONGITUDINAL RIVER PROFILE) ........................................... 38 FIGURE 14. GENERAL LIFE HISTORY OF ANADROMOUS SALMONIDS IN THE WATERSHED ............. 38 FIGURE 15. SUMMARY OF PHYSICAL PROCESSES AND HUMAN INFLUENCES ON AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS/RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES ............................................... 42 FIGURE 16. SEDIMENT DELIVERY ASSOCIATED WITH FIRE & STORM EVENTS .............................. 44 FIGURE 17. ROAD NETWORK INCREASES FREQUENCY OF SEDIMENT DELIVERY ........................... 44 FIGURE 18. STREAM MEANDERS ACROSS FLOOD TERRACE .......................................................... 45 FIGURE 19. ROAD AND TERRACE STRAIGHTENS STREAM AND RESTRICTS MEANDERS ................. 45 FIGURE 20. STREAM MEANDERS ACROSS WIDE FLOODPLAIN ....................................................... 46 FIGURE 21. ROADS, FIELDS AND BUILDINGS RESTRICT STREAM MOVEMENT ............................... 46 FIGURE 22. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ROADS IN THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED .............. 50 FIGURE 23. CRITICAL WATERSHEDS AND HIGH PRIORITY RIPARIAN AQUATIC HABITATS FOR SALMONIDS .................................................................. 90 - ii Table of Figures 6/6/95 Applegate River Watershed Assessment: Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat Table of Tables TABLE 01. MAJOR SUB WATERSHEDS OF THE APPLEGATE RIVER .. ..........................................15 TABLE 02. LARGE WOOD/MILE AND POOLS PER MILE IN THE WATERSHED ............................. 27 TABLE 03. FISH DISTRIBUTION IN THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED ................................... 39 TABLE 04. ESTIMATED SPAWNING POPULATIONS - ADULT ANADROMOUS FISH ...................... 40 TABLE 05. RESIDENT TROUT (RAINBOW & CUTTHROAT) ......................................................... 41 TABLE 06. SUMMER AND WINTER STEELHEAD ................................................................. 4 1 TABLE 07. COHO SALMON ................................................................. 41 TABLE 08. FALL CHINOOK SALMON ................................................................. 41 TABLE 09. IMPACTED BENEFICIAL USES ................................................................. 48 TABLE 1 0. SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE HIGH STREAM TEMPERATURES FOR SELECTED STREAMS ........ 49 TABLE 11. NON-NATIVE SPECIES, THAT ARE WIDESPREAD IN THE WATERSHED ........................ 55 TABLE 12 NOxIOUS WEEDS KNOWN TO BE PRESENT IN THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED .... 55 TABLE 13. RARE PLANT SPECIES KNOWN TO OCCUR IN THE WATERSHED ................................ 58 TABLE 14. VASCULAR PLANTS THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED ....... 62 TABLE 15. RARE INSECTS OF WESTERN OREGON ................................................................. 64 TABLE 16. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LITTLE APPLEGATE RIVER ............ .......................... 71 TABLE 17. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION UPPER APPLEGATE RIVER ............. ........................... 71 TABLE 18. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION THOMPSON CREEK ................................................... 71 TABLE 19. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION STAR/BEAVER/PALMER ........................................... 71 TABLE 20. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION FOREST CREEK ......................................................... 71 TABLE 2 1. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION MIDDLE APPLEGATE RIVER ..................................... 71 TABLE 22. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LOWER APPLEGATE RIVER ....................................... 72 TABLE 23. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION SLATE CREEK ........................................................... 72 TABLE 24. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION WILLIAMS CREEK .................................................... 72 TABLE 25. APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES ..................................... 75 TABLE 26. APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED HABITAT OF SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES ................. 77 TABLE 27. RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROJECT LIST ............................................................ 97 TABLE 28. LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................. 110 ' iii Table of Tables 6/6/95 Applegate River Watershed Assessment: Aquatic, Wildlife, and Special Plant Habitat Chapter I - Executive Summary The findings and/or suggestions from the team of resource specialists assembled to continue the assessment of the health of the Applegate River Watershed have been summarized and abbreviated for a quick overview. For a more comprehensive discussion of the