Lower Illinois River Watershed Analysis (Below Silver Creek), Iteration 1.0, Was Initiated to Analyze the Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Social Resources of the Watershed
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A 13.66/2: I %,'\\" " 11 Ii . 'AI , , . --- I I i , i . I I .. I-) li SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 5138 00651966 1 --1- -- ;--- . -1- - - I have read this analysis and find it meets the Standards and Guidelines for watershed analysis required by the Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern or, Spotted Owl (USDA and USD1, 1994). Signed- Date_ District Ranger Gold Beach Ranger District Siskiyou National Forest Cover Photo Fall Creek on the Illinois River Photographer Connie Risley I TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................I Illinois River Basin ............................................................. I Lower Illinois River W atershed ............................................................ I Management Direction ............................................................. I KEY FINDINGS .................................................... 3 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM NARRATIVE .................................................... 4 GEOLOGY...............................................................................................................................4 Illinois River Basin ................................................................... 4 Illinois River and Tributaries below Silver Creek ............................................................. 4 Landforms and Geologic Structure ................................................................... 7 Subwatershed Descriptions ................................................................... 8 HYDROLOGY....................................................................................................................... 10 Climate................................................................................................................................. 10 River Flow............................................................................................................................ 10 Water Quality .................................................................. I I Illinois River and Tributaries, below Silver Creek ............................................................ 12 Tributaries .............................................. .................... 18 Turbidity.............................................................................................................................. 20 Temperature......................................................................................................................... 20 Mainstem Illinois River .................................................................. 24 Large Tributaries .................................................................. 24 Smaller Tributaries .................................................................. 25 RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM NARRATIVE ................................................... 26 Stream T ypes .................................................................. 26 Nutrient Routing .................................................................. 27 Conifer Forest Riparian .................................................................. 27 Hardwood Forest Riparian .................................................................. 28 Meadow and Oak Savanna Riparian ................................................................... 29 Ultramafic Riparian ................................................................... 29 TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM NARRATIVE ................................................... 32 Vegetative Characterization .................................................................. 32 W ildlife Habitat Characterization .................................................................. 33 Meadow, Open Pine Savanna and Open White/Black Oak Savanna Conditions ......................... 36 Other Special Wildlife Sites ................................................................... 36 Proposed endangered, threatened and sensitive (PETS) species ....................... ......................... 37 Sensitive Species .................................................................. 37 Unique Tree Species .................................................................. 38 Amphibians and Mammals: Amphibians and Mammals ............................................. ............. 39 Neotropical Migratory Birds: .................................................................. 39 Bald Eagle and Osprey .................................................................. 39 Spotted Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, and American (Pine) Marten ................... ......................... 40 Port-Orford-cedar Information .................................................................. 43 Effects of Port-Orford-cedar root disease Photophthorca lleralis on the watershed ......... ........... 44 Historic Fire Activity .................................................................. 46 Interpretation........................................................................................................................ 47 SOCIAL ASPECTS ......................... 49 Cultural Characterization ......................... 49 Paleo-Lndian to Northwest Coast Culture ................................. 49 The Northwest Coast Culture ................................. 50 The Gold Rush ................................. 53 The Rogue River Indian Wars .................................. 54 Euro-American Settlement ................................. 55 The U.S. Forest Service ................................. 56 The Depression Era .................................. 57 The Modem Era ................................. 57 Historic Recreational Use ................................. 59 Current Recreational Use ................................. 59 M ining..................................................................................................................................... 60 REFERENCES ......................... I LIST OF PREPARERS .............................. I APPENDIX A ......................... I I ____ - I - -_ - -- - -.. - ----- -, __- I LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Land Ownership ........................................................................ I Table 2. Management Areas ........................................................................ 2 Table 3. Subwatersheds............................................................................................................... 2 Table 4. USGS Gaging Stations . ........................................................................ 0 Table 5. Water Withdrawal Permits ............................ ............................................ 12 Table 6. Timber Harvest and Roads by Seventh Field Watershed (includes all land ownership) .............................................................................................................................................14 Table 7. Seven Day Average Maximum Temperatures ..................................... ....................... 20 Table 8. Riparian Condition ........................................................................ 30 Table 9. Distribution of Interior Late-Successional Forest Blocks within the watershed ......... 34 Table 10. Special Habitat Sites (Management Area 9)..................................................................... 36 Table 11. Habitat Trends for Selected Indicator Species .................................................................. 40 Table 12. Historic Elk Habitat Type (1940) ............................................ ............................ 41 Table 13. Current Elk Habitat Type (1995) ........................................... ............................. 41 Table 14. Recorded fire history ........................................................................ 46 Table 15. List of Roads (excluding roads in Lawson and Horse Sign watersheds) . 61 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The Last 20 Thousand Years .......................... .............................................. 5 Figure 2. Geologic Structure ........................................................................ 7 M INTRODUCTION The Lower Illinois River Watershed Analysis (below Silver Creek), Iteration 1.0, was initiated to analyze the aquatic, terrestrial, and social resources of the watershed. The watershed analysis was completed by an interdisciplinary team using the six-step process outlined in Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale (Version 2.2, August 1995). The analysis includes the entire defined portion of the watershed, but focuses more detail on National Forest land. This document has the following components: the aquatic ecosystem, the terrestrial ecosystem, and social aspects. The information gathered and analyzed will be used to guide future resource management, and ensure that Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives and other Standards and Guidelines contained in the Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (USDA and USDI, 1994) will be met on Federal lands. Illinois River Basin The Illinois River is a major tributary to the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon. The Illinois River Basin contains approximately 984 square miles, nearly 20 percent of the Rogue River Basin. It is located primarily within Josephine and Curry Counties in Oregon, and includes a small portion of Siskiyou County in northwestern California.