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Mattole River Watershed Analysis Fish Habitat Assessment Appendix E

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Mattole River Watershed Analysis Fish Habitat Assessment Appendix E Mattole River Watershed Analysis Fish Habitat Assessment Appendix E Public Review Draft September 2011 Prepared by: Alice Berg, Alice Berg & Associates Dennis Halligan, Stillwater Sciences With Contributions From: Aaron Bleisner, Michael Stratman Natural Resource Management Corporation Michael Miles, Kathleen Sullivan Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC Fish Habitat Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF PHOTOS ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF MAPS (maps provided at end of report) ............................................................. v 1.0 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Analysis Overview ............................................................................................ 3 2.2 Report Organization .......................................................................................... 5 2.3 Watershed Setting ............................................................................................. 6 3.0 SALMONID LIFE HISTORY, ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION .................. 10 3.1 Salmonid Life History and Abundance ........................................................... 11 3.1.1 Steelhead .......................................................................................... 12 3.1.2 Chinook Salmon............................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Coho Salmon .................................................................................... 19 3.2 Current Salmonid Distribution in the WAU ................................................... 23 3.2.1 Barriers to Upstream Migration Within HRC’s Ownership ............ 26 4.0 FISH HABITAT ANALYSIS..................................................................................... 29 4.1 Historic Habitat Conditions ............................................................................ 29 4.2 Current Habitat Conditions ............................................................................. 30 4.2.1 Methods............................................................................................ 30 4.2.1.1 Instream Habitat Surveys .............................................................. 31 4.2.1.2 Substrate Monitoring .................................................................... 32 4.2.1.3 Canopy Measurements .................................................................. 33 4.2.1.4 Water Temperature Monitoring .................................................... 33 4.2.1.5 Large Wood Inventories ............................................................... 34 4.2.2 Results .............................................................................................. 34 4.2.3 Stream Summaries ........................................................................... 43 4.2.3.1 North Fork Mattole River ............................................................. 43 4.2.3.2 East Branch North Fork Mattole River ......................................... 44 Mattole River Watershed Analysis Page i Fish Habitat Assessment 4.2.3.3 Alwardt Creek ............................................................................... 48 4.2.3.4 Sulphur Creek ............................................................................... 49 4.2.3.5 McGinnis Creek ............................................................................ 55 4.2.3.6 Pritchard Creek ............................................................................. 60 4.2.3.7 Upper North Fork Mattole River .................................................. 61 4.2.3.8 Oil Creek ....................................................................................... 62 4.2.3.9 Left Bank Tributary #1 to Oil Creek (Green Ridge Creek) .......... 68 4.2.3.10 Left Bank Tributary #2 to Oil Creek ........................................... 71 4.2.3.11 Left Bank Tributary #3 to Oil Creek ........................................... 72 4.2.3.12 Right Bank Tributary #4 to Oil Creek ........................................ 73 4.2.3.13 Right Bank Tributary #5 to Oil Creek ........................................ 74 4.2.3.14 Left Bank Tributary #6 to Oil Creek ........................................... 75 4.2.3.15 Devils Creek ................................................................................ 75 4.2.3.16 Rattlesnake Creek/Upper North Fork Mattole ............................ 77 4.2.3.17 Rattlesnake Tributary #1 (Upper North Fork Mattole) ............... 83 4.2.3.18 Fox Camp Creek ......................................................................... 83 4.2.3.19 Fox Camp Creek Tributary ......................................................... 83 5.0 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 85 5.1 Habitat Conditions by Salmonid Life Stage ................................................... 87 5.1.1 Adult Migration ............................................................................... 87 5.1.2 Adult Spawning and Egg Incubation ............................................... 88 5.1.3 Summer Rearing .............................................................................. 88 5.2 Salmonid Distribution and Abundance ........................................................... 90 5.3 Opportunities................................................................................................... 91 5.4 Critical Questions............................................................................................ 91 6.0 CONFIDENCE IN WORK PRODUCTS ................................................................... 97 6.1 Habitat Conditions .......................................................................................... 97 6.2 Salmonid Distribution and abundance ............................................................ 97 7.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 99 Mattole River Watershed Analysis Page ii Fish Habitat Assessment LIST OF FIGURES Figure E-1. Sediment D50 Size.................................................................................................................. 36 Figure E-2. Percent Sediment <0.85 mm in Diameter ............................................................................... 37 Figure E-3. Percent Sediment <6.35 mm in Diameter ............................................................................... 37 Figure E-4. Percent Mid-channel Canopy Cover ....................................................................................... 38 Figure E-5. Maximum Weekly Average Temperature (MWAT) .............................................................. 38 Figure E-6. Percent Pool Area ................................................................................................................... 39 Figure E-7. Pool Frequency ....................................................................................................................... 39 Figure E-8. Average Residual Pool Depth ................................................................................................. 40 Figure E-9. Percent Pools Associated with Wood ..................................................................................... 40 Figure E-10. Total Piece Frequency .......................................................................................................... 41 Figure E-11. Key Piece Frequency ............................................................................................................ 41 Figure E-12. Total Piece Average Diameter .............................................................................................. 42 Figure E-13. Total Piece Volume .............................................................................................................. 42 LIST OF TABLES Table E-1. Life History Patterns of Salmon and Steelhead in the Mattole River. ..................................... 12 Table E-2. Mattole Salmon Group’s Downstream Migrant Trap Results for juvenile Steelhead – 2006-2009 (MSG 2006, 2007, 2008b, 2009a). ........................................................................ 15 Table E-3. Upstream Limits of Salmonid Migration Within HRC ownership. ......................................... 28 Table E-4. Summary of 1966-1999 CDFG Stream Survey Information. .................................................. 29 Table E-5. 2005 Habitat Information from PALCO Habitat Typing Surveys. .......................................... 35 Table E-6. 2005 Habitat Data from PALCO Migration Barrier Surveys (Upper Extent of Fish- Bearing Reach). ....................................................................................................................... 36 Table E-7. East Branch North Fork Mattole River Habitat Conditions Relative to PFC........................... 47 Table E-8. Sulphur Creek Habitat Conditions Relative to PFC (ATM #133). .......................................... 54 Table E-9. McGinnis Creek Habitat Conditions
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