Regional Shoreline Master Program: Appendices a Through H (PDF)
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Appendix A. Inventory and analysis ............................................................................... 1 A.1 Ecosystem-wide processes and characterization ................................................ 1 A.2 Data inventory and materials ............................................................................. 13 A.3 Characterization ................................................................................................ 14 A.4 Analysis- reaches .............................................................................................. 19 A.5 Public access ..................................................................................................... 62 Appendix B. Restoration plan ......................................................................................... 1 B.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 B.2 Purpose and scope .............................................................................................. 1 B.3 Priority needs/areas ............................................................................................. 2 B.4. Existing efforts and programs ............................................................................. 9 B.5. Restoration goals and policies .......................................................................... 16 B.6. Implementation and monitoring ........................................................................ 18 Appendix C. Cumulative effects ......................................................................................... 1 C.1 No net loss .......................................................................................................... 2 C.2 Current circumstances affecting the shorelines and relevant natural processes . 3 C.3 Foreseeable future development and use of the shoreline .................................. 5 C.4 Analysis of future development ........................................................................... 8 C.5 Beneficial effects of any established regulatory programs under other local, state, and federal laws ............................................................................................. 23 Appendix D. Monitoring and evaluation ............................................................................. 1 Appendix E. Tables ............................................................................................................ 1 1. Location of environment designations .................................................................... 1 2. Habitat assessment of environment designations .................................................. 7 3. Analysis summary of reaches .............................................................................. 10 4. Reach break justifications .................................................................................... 35 Appendix F. Shoreline inventory maps .............................................................................. 1 Appendix G. Shoreline reach maps .................................................................................... 1 Appendix H. Shoreline critical area regulations ................................................................. 1 1. Bridgeport shoreline critical areas regulations ...................................................... 1 2. Rock Island shoreline critical areas regulations .................................................... 1 3. East Wenatchee shoreline critical areas regulations ............................................. 1 4. Douglas County shoreline critical areas regulations ............................................. 1 1 Appendix A. Inventory and analysis A . 1 Ecosystem-wide processes and characterization This section applies to the ecosystem-wide functions and processes described in WAC 173.206.201 (3)d.i. The discussion includes climate and weather, geology, soils, vegetation and land uses, water resource development, hydrography, hydrology, water quality, water uses, aquatic/fish resources, limiting factors, riparian condition, fine sediment, water quantity and quality, agricultural, urban and rural development, exotic species, terrestrial/wildlife resources, and a discussion on habitat types. It is important to keep in mind that within Douglas County there are no streams or rivers except for the Columbia River, so several elements suggested in the WAC guidelines do not apply, such as discussions on base flows, timing, volume and distribution of large woody debris, channel migration and others. Nearly all of the lakes are isolated and are closed basins. Area of drainage was not determined for most as the topography is flat to lightly rolling making boundaries difficult to discern- both in GIS and on paper. Many are alkaline and very little information, if any, exists for them. Lakes are specifically discussed in the reach sections because most have only one or two reaches. Hyporheic functions are largely unknown within the area. The spatial and temporal connectivity within watersheds and along shorelines were considered using a habitat rating system described in the geographic information system (GIS) inventory description. Drainage networks are largely open and connected between the interior lakes, but restricted either vertically or horizontally along the river, typically by development or roads. This was also addressed in the aforementioned analysis. One component of drainages running into the Columbia River is their use as corridors for mule deer. It is recognized that these exist, although the area along the jurisdictional area of the river is minimal. Douglas County critical areas standards are included in Appendix H and address this subject. Climate and Weather The climate of Douglas County is influenced by elevation, topography, distance and direction from the ocean, prevailing westerly winds and the position and intensity of the high and low pressure centers in the western Pacific Ocean. Located in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountain Range, the area is classified as arid to semiarid with low levels of annual precipitation, cold winters and hot, dry summers. Precipitation can vary widely in relation to topographic features but in general much of the subbasin receives less than 15 inches of annual precipitation and most of that precipitation falls in winter. Air temperatures vary widely depending on topography and location. Summertime air temperatures generally exceed 100 ºF for one to several days each year. Winter temperatures can also drop below 0 ºF, but in general they are in the 20 to 40 ºF range. Along the Columbia River, winter and spring air temperatures remain very stable. The Appendix A 1 growing season ranges from 170 days (May-September) at Bridgeport and East Wenatchee to 135 days on the eastern plateau. Due to the climate and geology, interior lakes and wetlands can vary quite dramatically from year to year. Most of the lakes are closed basins, so dryer and wetter years affect water quantity and quality. Geology Douglas County’s topography ranges from lowland areas along the Columbia River corridor to a high point on Badger Mountain with an approximate elevation of 4100 feet, but it is, for the most part, a mildly rolling plateau. Besides being surrounded by water, the County has several streams and lakes that provide a range of recreational opportunities. Douglas County is located close to the geographical center of Washington State. It lies on the northern edge of the Columbia Basin in the shelter of the Cascade Mountains to its West. It is bordered on the north and west by the Columbia River and on the east by the Grand Coulee Equalization Reservoir (Banks Lake) and Sun Lakes. Roughly oval in shape, it is about 70 miles long and 40 miles wide encompassing 1,831 square miles with its main axis lying in a northeasterly direction. Douglas County is on the western edge of the extensive Columbia River Plateau formed by the extrusion of lava throughout much of Eastern Washington during the Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The region was warped into the form of broad basins, some of which were formed by locally steeper folding and by faulting. During the Pleistocene or glacial epoch, the sub-basins accumulated deposits of clay, silt, sand and gravel. Some of the deposits left by the glaciers are more conspicuous. The gigantic blocks of basalt called haystack rocks (some of which are larger than a good sized house) were transported by glaciers and dropped in an area known as a terminal moraine, which marks the end of the glaciers’ southward journey. Three physiographic areas influence the geology of Douglas County and the Columbia River: the Columbia Mountain/Highlands to the north, the North Cascade Range to the west and the Columbia Basalt Plain to the east and south. The Columbia River flows over mainly Paleozoic metamorphic and intrusive rocks north of Rock Island Dam, while south of the dam the river passes through the Columbia basalt group. Major landforms include Dyer Hill, Waterville Plateau, Moses Coulee, and the Badger Mountain area. Soils The US Department of Agriculture has recognized 16 separate soil types within Douglas County. Along the Columbia River corridor the soils are predominantly sandy and gravely, which, when combined with irrigation, provide an excellent medium for orchards. Except for those found in the coulees and other geologic breaks, the remaining soils are typically a form of silt-loam utilized primarily for dryland