Draft Fish and Wildlife Habitat Areas BAS Memo
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DRAFT KITTITAS COUNTY CRITICAL AREA ORDINANCE – FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION AREAS BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE REVIEW AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR CODE UPDATE Prepared for: June 2012 Kittitas County Kittitas County CAO– FWHCAs Best Available Science Review & Consideration For Code Update TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 1.0 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas .......................................................................... 1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF INVENTORY ................................................................................................................... 3 1.1.1 Species and Habitats ............................................................................................................. 3 1.1.2 State Priority Habitats and Species ....................................................................................... 9 1.1.3 Habitats and Species of Local Importance .......................................................................... 10 1.1.4 Naturally Occurring Ponds ................................................................................................. 10 1.1.5 Waters of the State ............................................................................................................... 10 1.1.6 Waters Planted with Game Fish .......................................................................................... 11 1.1.7 State Natural Areas ............................................................................................................. 11 1.1.8 Lands Essential for Habitat Connectivity ............................................................................ 11 1.2 HABITAT EVALUATION OF KITTITAS COUNTY .................................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Kittitas County Vegetative Matrix ....................................................................................... 12 1.3 OVERVIEW OF HABITAT FUNCTIONS AND VALUES ............................................................................. 26 1.3.1 Habitat Functions ................................................................................................................ 26 1.4 HUMAN ACTIVITY AND HABITAT FUNCTIONS .................................................................................... 27 1.4.1 Ecological Disturbance ....................................................................................................... 27 1.4.2 Behavioral Disturbance ....................................................................................................... 30 1.5 HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION TOOLS ............................................................................ 31 1.5.1 Acquisition, Designation, Rating, and Classification .......................................................... 31 1.5.2 Buffers ................................................................................................................................. 31 1.5.3 Reporting Requirements ...................................................................................................... 33 1.5.4 Timing Restrictions .............................................................................................................. 33 1.5.5 Habitat Mitigation ............................................................................................................... 34 1.6 REVIEW OF KITTITAS COUNTY FWHCA REGULATIONS – WILDLIFE ................................................. 34 1.6.1 Existing Kittitas County Code ............................................................................................. 34 1.6.2 Considerations for Code Updates ....................................................................................... 35 2.0 Fish and Other Aquatic Species .................................................................................................. 37 2.1 OVERVIEW OF INVENTORY ................................................................................................................. 37 2.1.1 Species and Habitats ........................................................................................................... 37 2.1.2 Aquatic Habitats .................................................................................................................. 43 2.1.3 Overview of Aquatic Habitat Functions and Values ............................................................ 48 2.1.4 Channel Migration Zones (CMZs) ....................................................................................... 52 2.1.5 Large Woody Debris Recruitment (LWD) ........................................................................... 52 2.1.6 Shading and Temperature.................................................................................................... 53 2.1.7 Bank Stabilization and Habitat Formation .......................................................................... 53 2.1.8 Filtering of Sediment, Nutrients, and Chemicals ................................................................. 54 2.1.9 Organic Input and Nutrient Source ..................................................................................... 55 2.1.10 Microclimate ........................................................................................................................ 55 2.2 HUMAN ACTIVITY AND AQUATIC HABITAT FUNCTIONS ..................................................................... 55 2.2.1 Freshwater Riverine Limiting Factors ................................................................................ 55 2.2.2 Altered Flow Regime ........................................................................................................... 57 2.2.3 Habitat Concerns ................................................................................................................. 58 2.2.4 Climate and Oceanic Conditions ......................................................................................... 58 2.2.5 Harvest and Habitat Factors ............................................................................................... 60 2.2.6 Habitat Management and Protection Tools ......................................................................... 60 2.2.7 Protection and Management of Anadromous Species ......................................................... 64 2.3 REVIEW OF KITTITAS COUNTY FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION AREAS REGULATIONS – FISH AND AQUATIC HABITAT ......................................................................................................................... 67 2.3.1 Incorporation of GMA Guidance on Identification of FWHCAs ......................................... 68 2.3.2 Incorporation of Best Available Science With Respect to Functions and Values of FWHCAs ............................................................................................................................ 70 2.3.3 Reporting Requirements for FWHCAs ................................................................................ 71 Environmental Science Associates Page i June 2012 Kittitas County CAO– FWHCAs Best Available Science Review & Consideration For Code Update 2.3.4 Mitigation Sequencing ......................................................................................................... 72 2.3.5 Timing Restrictions .............................................................................................................. 73 3.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 74 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. WDFW Designated Priority Habitats that Occur in Kittitas County. ............................... 2 Table 2. Listed, Sensitive, and Candidate Species Known or Suspected to Occur in Kittitas County. .................................................................................................................................... 4 Table 3. Priority Species Known or Suspected to Occur in Kittitas County .................................. 9 Table 4. Effects of Disturbance and Habitat Alteration on Wildlife ............................................ 28 Table 5. Recommended Buffer Widths to Provide Effective Wildlife Habitat ............................ 32 Table 6. Habitat Associations and Distribution of Priority and Listed Fish Species in Kittitas ... 44 Table 7. Stream Riparian Functions and Appropriate Widths Identified by May (2000). ........... 49 Table 8. Stream Riparian Functions and Appropriate Widths Identified by Knutson and Naef (1997). ................................................................................................................................... 49 Table 9. Stream Riparian Functions and Appropriate Widths Identified by FEMAT (1993). ..... 49 Table 10. Water Type Conversions from WAC 222-16-031. ....................................................... 61 Table 11. Allowable In-Water Work Windows for Kittitas County Streams ............................... 63 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Curves correlating to the percent effectiveness of a function in relation to SPTH (FEMAT 1993). .................................................................................................................... 51 Page ii Environmental Science Associates June 2012 Kittitas County CAO– FWHCAs Best Available Science Review & Consideration For Code Update 1.0 FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION AREAS1 Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) (RCW 36.70A.060) requires counties and cities to adopt development regulations