Lostine Corridor Public Safety Project AQUATICS
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02/21/2017 Lostine Safety Project Lostine Corridor Public Safety Project AQUATICS Aquatic Resources There are 3 documents that go with the aquatics resources input for the Lostine Public Safety Corridor Project: - Aquatics Biological Evaluation (10/05/2016), - Salmonid Project Design Criteria Compliance Worksheet (11/29/2016), and - Letter of Concurrence level 1 Agreement – Lostine Corridor Vegetation (12/2/2016) The proposed action detailed in both the Aquatics Biological Evaluation (BE) and the Salmonid Project Design Criteria Compliance Worksheet (Worksheet) were more intensive than what has the current Project Activities (Appendix A, Decision Memo). The project activities are lessened in scope and scale and therefore, are within the range of activities consulted on with National Marie Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Services. Effects Determination Summary Table 1. Effects determinations for aquatic resources for ESA listed species, Wallowa Whitman management indicator species, and Region 6 sensitive species. Aquatics – Federally listed Threatened, Endangered, Proposed or Candidate (TEPC) Species Common name of species Effects Determination Snake River Steelhead May Affect, not Likely to Adversely Affect Snake River Spring/Summer May Affect, not Likely to Adversely Affect Chinook Salmon Columbia River Bull Trout May Affect, not Likely to Adversely Affect Aquatics –Region 6 Sensitive Species Redband Trout* MIIH Pacific Lamprey MIIH Western Ridge Mussel MIIH Shortfaced Lanx MIIH Columbia Pebblesnail MIIH MIIH = May impact individuals or habitat, but will not likely contribute to a trend toward federal listing causing a loss of viability to the population. * Redband Trout are also a Management Indicator Species for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. 1 02/21/2017 Lostine Safety Project Consistencies Based on the information documented in this report, the proposed actions under the Lostine Project are found to be consistent with Forest Plan as amended by the Lostine Wild and Scenic River Plan. 2 Lostine Corridor Project Biological Evaluation For Aquatic Species Date: 10/05/2016 Lostine River near Turkey Flat. Photo by Gretchen Sausen Prepared by: Alan Miller Fisheries Biologist Wallowa RD, Joseph, Oregon Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................................... 1 Analysis Area .............................................................................................................................. 3 Special Status Aquatic Species ................................................................................................... 3 ESA-listed Fish Species .......................................................................................................... 3 Region 6 Aquatic Sensitive Species ....................................................................................... 3 Proposed Action .............................................................................................................................. 3 Existing Condition ...................................................................................................................... 3 Desired Condition ....................................................................................................................... 4 Project Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 5 Proposed Activities ..................................................................................................................... 5 Relevant Design/Mitigation Features ....................................................................................... 14 Aquatics ................................................................................................................................ 14 Forest Plan Direction (Aquatics) .............................................................................................. 16 ESA-listed Fish Species ................................................................................................................ 17 Proposed, Endangered, and Threatened Fish Species ............................................................... 17 SR Steelhead (Threatened) ................................................................................................... 17 SR Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon (ESA Threatened) ..................................................... 20 Bull Trout (ESA Threatened)................................................................................................ 23 Environmental Baseline ................................................................................................................ 29 Aquatic Habitat ..................................................................................................................... 29 Effects of Proposed Action ........................................................................................................... 30 Direct and Indirect Effects to Forest Plan RMOs ..................................................................... 30 Fine Sediment RMO ............................................................................................................. 30 Water Temperature RMO ..................................................................................................... 34 LWD RMO ........................................................................................................................... 35 Pool, Width-to Depth and Streambank Stability RMOs ....................................................... 37 Effects to ESA Matrix Habitat Indicators ............................................................................. 38 Effects Determinations.................................................................................................................. 45 SR Steelhead ............................................................................................................................. 45 SR Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon ....................................................................................... 46 CR Bull Trout ........................................................................................................................... 46 Effects to Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................. 47 SR Steelhead Critical Habitat ................................................................................................... 47 Primary Constituent Elements .............................................................................................. 47 SR Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon Critical Habitat.............................................................. 48 Essential Habitat Features ..................................................................................................... 48 Bull Trout Critical Habitat ........................................................................................................ 50 Primary Constituent Elements .............................................................................................. 50 Effects Determinations.............................................................................................................. 52 SR Steelhead Critical Habitat ............................................................................................... 52 SR Spring/Summer Salmon Critical Habitat ........................................................................ 53 CR Bull Trout Critical Habitat .............................................................................................. 53 Cumulative Effects........................................................................................................................ 53 Magnuson-Stevens Act ................................................................................................................. 55 Essential Fish Habitat ............................................................................................................... 55 Region 6 Sensitive Fish and Aquatic Invertebrate Species ...................................................... 56 Redband Trout (Inland Columbia Basin) .............................................................................. 56 Pacific Lamprey .................................................................................................................... 56 Western Ridge Mussel .......................................................................................................... 58 Shortfaced Lanx .................................................................................................................... 60 Columbia Pebblesnail ........................................................................................................... 61 References ..................................................................................................................................... 63 Appendix A – Road Maintenance BMPs/Conservation Measures ............................................... 67 Appendix B – Blue Mtn Project Design Criteria .......................................................................... 71 Table 1. Principle Watersheds and Subwatersheds for the Lostine Corridor Project. ..................