Crab Creek Subbasin Plan
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Crab Creek Subbasin Plan 5/26/2004 Prepared for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District Prepared by KWA Ecological Sciences Inc. Subbasin Contributors Subbasin Team Leader Patrick Verhey, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Contributors (in alphabetical order): Juli Anderson, WDFW Paul Ashley, WDFW Jim Blanchard, United States Bureau of Reclamation Dennis Bly Mike Clement, Grant County PUD Bobby Cummins, Yakama Nation Don Derifield, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District Tom Dresser, Grant County PUD Greg Fitzgerald, WDFW Robert Flores, US Fish and Wildlife Service Keith Franklin, Quincy Irrigation District Crayton Guhlke Anita Harman Betsy Jordan, Quincy Irrigation District Oscar Kuch John Larson, Upper Grant Conservation District Tracy Lloyd, WDFW David Lundgren, Lincoln County Conservation District Shannon McDaniel, South Columbia Basin Irrigation District Mike LaPlant Moses Lake Irrigation Reclamation District Randy Hill, US Fish and Wildlife Service Jeff Korth, WDFW Dan Roseburg, Moses Lake Conservation District Richard Stevens Kate Terrell, US Fish and Wildlife Service Todd Thompson, Bureau of Land Management Bill White, Yakama Nation Dean White, Lincoln County Conservation District Coordinators Paul Wagner, KWA Ecological Sciences, Inc. Sammi Buzzard, KWA Ecological Sciences, Inc. Crab Creek Subbasin Plan Approach and Public Involvement Outreach The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District partnered to coordinate Subbasin Planning for the Crab Creek Subbasin. Lincoln County Conservation District has been responsible for outreach and public involvement. The timeline established by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) has necessitated a very compressed process that has allowed little flexibility in stakeholder involvement. The rigorous schedule and limited budget have restricted the time available for outreach. In addition, the volume of work to be completed has resulted in many long meetings. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District’s commitment is to make it possible for local stakeholders to continue to be heard, and to contribute to decisions about issues that affect both their livelihoods and their quality of life. The NWPCC proposed a three year rolling review of subbasin plans, will make the plans relevant and enable them to be updated regularly, and adapted to new knowledge and information. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District staff and contractors have used the media and a series of public meetings to communicate with the general public about Subbasin Planning in the Crab Creek subbasin. In addition, the Coordinators delivered press releases to media representatives, and recruited stakeholders to represent local interests on the Subbasin Core Team (SCT). Outreach list In February, 2004, the Coordinators assembled an initial outreach list comprising about 50 names. The list included representatives of the following interests: • Agriculture • Business • Conservation and the environment • Government (including local government, and local and regional representatives of state, tribe and federal agencies) • Media • Recreation The list has continued to grow as individuals express interest in Subbasin Planning. It has been used throughout Subbasin Planning to promulgate information, extend invitations, and issue updates on the progress of the process and changes to the planning schedule. Information sheet The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District used an information sheet, “Subbasin Planning 101”, provided by the NWPCC to introduce Subbasin Planning to stakeholders and the media and explain opportunities for public involvement. The information included a telephone number and email, postal mail, and web site addresses that individuals could use to obtain more information. Infrastructure and Organization Subbasin Core Team The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lincoln County Conservation District initiated formation of the Subbasin Core Team (SCT) with kickoff meetings in Harrington and Moses Lake on February 10, 2004. Twenty-three stakeholders attended the meeting in Harrington and sixteen stakeholders attended the meeting in Moses Lake. The agenda included an introduction to Subbasin Planning, an overview of the process, an explanation of the assessment methodology and work undertaken to date, and a description of anticipated roles and the SCT meeting schedule. The SCT met four times in February, 2004 and twice in March, 2004 for a reach designation and five Qualitative Habitat Assessment (QHA) meetings. At those meetings, Technical Group members presented QHA outcomes based on their initial assessment work, and worked with SCT members to refine the outcomes based on local knowledge and to develop preliminary lists of management strategies appropriate to the limiting factors indicated by the QHA outcomes. The SCT meetings occupied most of each day (9 AM-5 PM) due to the amount of time needed to review the QHA outcomes. Approach Start up The coordinators used the outreach list to invite stakeholders to participate in Subbasin Planning, and to release information to the media. Those avenues were used to initiate public involvement as follows: • February 1, 2004: Mailing of initial press release to all members of the outreach list Briefings to introduce Subbasin Planning and explain the process, timeline, and roles: • February 10, 2004: Two kickoff meetings were held; one in Harrington and one in Moses Lake • February and March, 2004; QHA model were and reviewed by stakeholders Drafts will be placed in local public libraries and sent to stakeholders on request. Stakeholders will have two weeks to submit comments on the first draft, and 90 days to comment on the final draft during the formal public review period. The meetings have been advertised, and releases sent to local media outlets. The media releases include an update on Subbasin Planning, outline next steps, and invite stakeholder participation. Public comments Comments collected at public meetings and during public review of draft Subbasin Plans have been appended to this plan as Appendix D. Crab Creek Subbasin Plan Table of Contents Subbasin Contributors..................................................................................................... 2 Coordinators.................................................................................................................2 Crab Creek Subbasin Plan Approach and Public Involvement ...................................... 2 Outreach.......................................................................................................................2 Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 9 Purpose and Scope .......................................................................................................9 Socio-economic Objectives .......................................................................................11 Overview....................................................................................................................... 12 Subbasin Overview and Regional Context ................................................................... 12 Crab Creek Watershed ...............................................................................................12 Topography/Geomorphology.....................................................................................19 Climate.......................................................................................................................19 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................19 Land Use and Demographics .....................................................................................20 Riparian and Wetland.................................................................................................21 Other Habitats ............................................................................................................22 Hydrologic Function ..................................................................................................22 Fish distribution .........................................................................................................23 Artificial Production ..................................................................................................23 Terrestrial / Wildlife Resources.................................................................................... 24 Birds...........................................................................................................................31 Mammals....................................................................................................................35 Shrubsteppe Obligates ...............................................................................................35 Other Shrubsteppe Obligates .....................................................................................36 Reptiles and Amphibians ...........................................................................................37 Shrubsteppe obligates ................................................................................................37 Other Reptiles and Amphibians .................................................................................37