Endangered Species Biological Assessment for the Dirty Devil River

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ENDANGERED SPECIES BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

FOR THE

DIRTY DEVIL RIVER

UNIT

DECEMBER 1984 PROJECT SETTING

Location

The Dirty Devil River Unit is located in south central Utah. The unit includes the major tributaries of the Muddy Creek, Fremont River, Dirty Devil River and their tributaries. The unit area covers 4,300 square miles and includes portions of Sanpete, Sevier, Emery, Wayne, Piute, and Garfield Counties. The Bureau of Land Management (Bu) admin- isters approximately 75 percent of this land. The remaining area contains a large portion of Capitol Reef National Park, a small section of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, portions of Fish Lake, Dixie and Manti-LaSal National Forests, and sections of state and private land. Elevations range from about 3,600 feet at the mouth of the Dirty Devil River to 11,500 feet in the mountain ranges at the head of the drainage basins.

Purpose

The purpose of the Dirty Devil River Unit is to reduce salinity in the Colorado River. The Dirty Devil River drainage contributes an average of approximately 155,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River, increasing the salinity concentrations of the river at Imperial Dam by approximately 15.5 mg/L of salt. The objective of the unit is to remove as much of the salt loading from the Dirty Devil River as is eco- nomically justifiable.

Plan Description

Although a variety of plans were investigated, saline water collection from both Emery South Salt Wash and Hanksville Salt Wash remained the only plan considered acceptable (Figure 1). This alternative would collect base surface and subsurface flows from both washes. A total of 20,600 tons of salt annually would be removed by collecting saline water at a continuous rate of 2.75 cfs. This removal would be from both washes and would require separate collection and disposal facilities. Collection would be accomplished by alluvial wells.

The collected saline water would be disposed of by deep well injection'. The Coconino sandstone geologic formation is considered the most favorable disposal reservoir. One well would handle the flow at each wash. This formation is between 3,000 and 4,000 feet deep in both washes. It is isolated from fresh water aquifers above and below by very low permeable formations. The Coconino formation has adequate Teservoir capacity to contain the saline water for over 50 years. Permeabilities projected are high enough to allow injection at acceptable pressures. Well drilling would be standard techniques used for the

1 petroleum industry. Before injection, the saline water would be fil- tered- to remove the minor amount of suspended sediment. Algacide and stabilizing chemicals would be added to reduce scaling and algae growth. This process plus the high pressure injection pumping would be housed in one location in each wash. The injection wells can be located in any convenient site adjacent to collection and treatment facilities.

All facilities would be located on land presently owned by the Federal Government and administered by the ELM. Access to both washes would be maintained by upgrading existing roads. Facilities would be electrically powered. Existing private power transmission lines would be extended .along existing roads. Powerline locations would be established based on the Bureau of LanA Management visual resource management plan.

Hanksville Salt Wash

Collectable water is estimated to have a concentration of 5,900 mg/L of total dissolved solids (TDS) and a continuous flow of 2.5 cfs. This is a combination of surface and subsurface flows.

This water would be collected by constructing a series of alluvial wells to obtain underground flows as well as surface flows. The alluvial pumping facilities were sized with a simple groundwater assumption: the maximum or projected drawdown from each well was limited to 30 feet. This criterion limits each well to approximately 100 gpm and approximately 2.5 cfs to be collected, thereby requiring 12 wells and three additional wells to allow for operation and maintenance. Their total depth would be approximately 50 feet. Further optimizing of the number and spacing of wells would be left for future planning investigations.

All facilities in the wash would be protected from floods or located outside of the flood zone.

Late summer thunderstorms are common and flood flows in Hanksville Salt Wash were estimated to be; 100 year - 18,000 cfs, 50 year - 14,000, 25 year - 11,000.

The collection location was selected considering natural constric- tions confining the collection area, ease of access, and minimizing disturbance to the wash. The site, shown on Figure 2, is a narrow point in the canyon cut by the wash. Access is by existing roads and minor additional road construction. Disturbance is minimized by using existing roads and dewatering only the lower section of the wash.

• Monitoring wells would be installed down gradient of the collection site to monitor salinity reduction. Surface water sampling above and below the wash on Muddy Creek would also support this monitoring effort.

2 Saline water would be pumped directly from the collection wells through- 2,900 feet of buried PVC pipeline to the injection well facilities, .Inline valves and other controls were included for flow control and system operation, maintenance, and control.

Diiposal would be accomplished by deep-well injecting the saline water into a hydraulically isolated geologic formation. The major factor in deep-well injection is having adequate reservoir capacity. The Coconino Sandstone lies at approximately 3,700 feet in depth and is about 1,000 feet thick. The sandstone permeability appears consistently higher ranging from 200 to 650 and has a porosity range of 15 to 25 percent.

They have low permeabilities and are composed of mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, and some limestone. The lower confining zone is t -e Hermosa Group and Molas Formation, which is a competent bed of limestone with shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Based on these conservative assumptions, the entire 2.5 cfs can be injected into one well while main- taining acceptable injection pressures over a 50-year operation period. In summary, because of the shallower depth requiring less drilling and injection pressures plus the need for only 1 well, the Coconino Sand- stone was selected as the injection zone.

Surface facilities required along with the injection well consist of holding tanks, a sand filtration system, chemical addition equipment, injection pumps, guard filters, and instrumentation. Backwash from the filters would contain sediment from the alluvial wells. This backwash would be contained in an on-site evaporation pond. No hazardous ele- ments were found in the saline water.

To handle the corrosive fluids all flow lines and vessels would be constructed of non-metallic materials such as PVC and fiberglass. Linings such as rubber, teflon, and coal-tar epoxy would be used if non- metalic materials were unavailable.

Existing roads would be maintained and 6 miles of existing roads would be reconstructed to provide all weather use.

A maximum of 20 acres of land would be required for all plan facilities, not including existing roads. All proposed land is owned by the Federal Government and administered by the BLM.

Emery South Salt Wash

Collectable water is estimated to have a concentration ranging from 25,000 to 35,000 mg/L of total dissolved solids (TDS) and a continuous subsurface flow ranging from 0.15 to 0.25 cfs.

The same collection techniques were considered here as in Hanksville .Salt Wash. Subsurface saline water is suspected to enter directly into Muddy Creek- at the washes mouth as well as in the wash itself. For this reason subsurface wells were selected as the most effective collection

3 method. This factor also established the collection location, along Muddy Creek above and below the mouth of Emery South Salt Wash. It was assumed that 10 wells would be required to collect the 0.18 cfs of estimated subsurface inflow. The 10 wells would be outfitted with submer- sible pumps and combined into a common pipeline. All facilities in the wash would be protected from floods or located outside the flood zone. Summer tropical storms are common and flows of the following magnitude were estimates; 100 year - 9000 cfs, 50 year - 7000 cfs, 25 year - 5000 cfs.

Monitoring wells would be installed on the wash and within the collection well field to monitor the collection effectiveness. Surface water sampling above and below the wash on Muddy Creek is also recom- mended.

Saline water would be pumped directly from the collection wells through 12,000 feet of buried PVC pipeline to conveniently located injection well facilities.

Disposal of the saline water would be by deep-well injection. The major difference in the washes is the flow rates. The 0.18 cfs in Emery South Salt Wash could be injected into one well either into the Lead- ville Limestone or the Coconino Sandstone. Because the Coconino is shallower and has a more predictable higher permeability, it was chosen as the injection zone.

The Coconino Sandstone at this wash lies at approximately 3,400 feet in depth and is about 800 feet thick. Other formation properties are identical to those described in Hanksville Salt Wash including the confining zones.

Designs, using factors previously described, show one well would easily handle required flow rates over a 50 year period. Surface facilities and the injection well drilling and operation would be identical to those described in detail previously. They would be scaled back in size to reflect the lower flow rate.

It was projected that 9 miles of existing secondary roads would be reconstructed to provide all-weather use.

A maximum of 10 acres of land would be required for all plan facilities, not including existing roads or power1ine alignments. All proposed land is owned by the Federal Government and administered by the ELM.

Species Assessment

Introduction

Three federally protected endangered species were identified by the Fish and Wildlife Service as possibly occurring in the unit area: the Colorado squawfish (Pt7chocheilus lucius), the black-footed ferret

4 (Mustela nigripes), and the Wright's fish hook cactus (Sclerocactus wri htiae). Also, potential impacts are assessed to the razorback' sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), since it is still being considered as a cadidtie for listing and because of its rare status in the Upper Colorado River basin.

Colorado Squawfish

Colorado squawfish, native to the Colorado River drainage, were historically common throughout the Colorado River basin. Their popula- tion suffered a rapid decline corresponding with the development of the basin's water resources and the introduction of exotic fish species. The closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 both blocked upstream migration of the squawfish and inundated 187 miles of the Colorado River with Lake Powell. Very little research has been directed at identifying the status of the Colorado squawfish within Lake Powell. Fisherman periodi- cally catch the species incidental to sport fishing, with most of the reported catches in the upper portions of the reservoir near Hite Marina.

Razorback Sucker

Within the upper Colorado River basin, the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) is considered to be the rarest of native Colorado River fish. Although adult razorbacks can still be found, little evidence of successful recruitment by this species has been documented in the upper basin in recent years. This fish is genetically capable of living many years, but additional information on its spawning require- ments and larval needs are needed if the species is to be maintained under natural conditions.

Black-footed Ferret

Historically the Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was known to occupy a large geographical area ranging from Canada to Texas and from Nebraska to Arizona. As a highly specialized predator, ferrets were restricted to habitats that supported prairie dog colonies (Cynomys sPP-). The ranching industry, citing competition between cattle and prairie dogs for forage, was successful in pursuading the government to allow the use of Compound 1080. Compound 1080 is the only successful control agent employed to date for prairie dogs. Following the prairie dog eradication program the already small ferret populations dwindled.

Wright Fishhook Cactus

• The Wright fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus wrightiae) is known to occur only in Emery and Wayne Counties. The cactus is restricted to habitats between 3,000 and 5,000 feet on sites characterized by outcrops of Emery sandstone, rimrock and gravel slopes. The primary cause for -the endangered classification is over-collection by plant collectors.

5 Current status of species within project area • - Colorado Squawfish and Razorback Suckers

The' Dirty Devil arm of Lake Powell is located approximately 1 mile northwest of Rite Marina and extends to 14 miles up the old Dirty Devil River channel. Flows in the Dirty Devil River are extreme varying from a recorded high of 35,000 cfs to no flow. The drainage is highly ero- sive and, correspondingly, the river carries a high silt load. Water temperatures vary from over 80.F in the summer to 326F in the winter. Water quality is considered poor, with only the more highly tolerant fish species .capable of inhabiting the river. Although the river and its tributaries have been sampled in the past, no Colorado squawfish or razorback suckers have been collected. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are virtually non-existent in the lower portions of the river.

Once the river mixes with the reservoir, water quality increasingly improves downstream, creating a habitat favorable to a variety of fish species. Within this zone, a mix of riverine and reservoir fish species are found. For example, flannelmouth suckers and channel catfish, which are usually associated with the river, are found interspersed with reservoir species such as largemouth bass, sunfish, striped bass, black crappie, carp and walleye. In addition, threadfin shad were frequently observed on the reservoir's surface as they sought escape from predatory fish. Driftwood and partially submerged trees within this portion of the reservoir provided excellent reproductive habitat for the shad..

The Dirty Devil arm of the reservoir was sampled in the uppermost two miles with entanglement nets. Generally, the area was sampled for five days duration each month, from December, 1983, to September, 1984. Squawfish were not taken until March and were subsequently sampled on succeeding months through June, with the highest numbers taken in April. Each fish was weighed, measured and individually marked with a Fish and Wildlife Service Carlin tag. Only adult fish were sampled ranging in size from 521 to 705= (Table I). In all, 19 fish were taken and several were recaptured up to three months after initial capture. One fish, recaptured in June, was originally netted two months earlier in the Colorado River arm, approximately 55 miles away, indicating squawfish readily travel long distances within the reservoir.

All of the fish taken appeared to be in good condition, with several fish showing evidence of feeding on threadfin shad. The uppermost portions of the reservoir arm were sampled for evidence of squawfish natural reproduction. A small mesh circular seine was towed by a boat through a variety of potential larval fish habitats. Four species of larval fish common to Lake Powell or the Dirty Devil River were identified. No threatened or endangered larval fish were found:

6 TABLE I

Summa of Colorado s uavfish taken from Dirt Devil Arm of Lake Powell 1984 Length Weight (um) (Kg) Tag # Date Comments 57,5 1.53 0978 March 13 609 1.65 0913 March 13 Mortality 600 1.59 0951 March 14 545 1.36 0990 April 24 526 1.48 0942 April 24 583 1.74 3018 April 25 Radio Tagged Released In Colorado Arm 623 1.90 0914 April 25 676 2.78 0919 April 25 676 2.38 0992 April 25 575 1.42 3157 May 9 59-2 1.83 3186 May 9 667 2.30 3016 May 9 667 2.30 3016 May 10 Recapture Radio Tagged 623 1.90 0914 May 11 Recapture Radio Tagged 575 1.54 0978 May 11 Recapture 445 0.62 0943 May 24 Mortality 560 0.69 0953 May 24 Mortality 521 ------June 20 Mortality 705 --- 0907 June 20 570 --- 0978 June 20 540 --- 3125 June 21 Recapture from Colorado Arm

Razorbacks were found to seasonally inhabit the Dirty Devil Arm of Lake Powell. Seven razorbacks were collected using entanglement nets and all but one of these fish were marked with Fish and Wildlife Service Carlin tags (Table II). These fish were collected from January through May, with one adult male found to be sexually ripe. Four of the cap- tured fish were surgically implanted with radio tags, but, all future attempts at relocating these fish were unsuccessful. Apparently. the relative high water conductivities interfered with the radio transmissions and did not allow the receiver to pick up the weak signals. In late summer, the extreme upper end of the Dirty Devil Arm of Lake Powell was sampled for larval fish. No razorbacks were identified from the sample.

TABLE II

7 Summari'of razorback suckers taken from Dirty Devil Arm of Lake Powell 1984 Length Weight Tag # Date Comments (mm) (kg) 643 3.41 3196 Jan 17 . male 507 1.70 2555 Jan 19 male w/scoliosis recapture from June 83 612 2.50 0932 Jan 19 630 3.07 0982 March 14 641 3.55 0928 . March 15 Recapture old tag #3196 585 2.19 April 27 Ripe male 535 1.80 3206 May 9

Impacts

Colorado Squawfish and Razorback Sucker

Within the study area, Colorado squawfish and razorback suckers are only known to occur in Lake Powell. Although a comparatively high number of Colorado squawfish and razorback suckers were sampled from this portion of Lake Powell, there appears to be no direct dependence by these species on the Dirty Devil River inflow into Lake Powell. As with the Colorado squawfish, we believe the attraction of the razorbacks to the inflow area is food abundance. A maximum 3 cfs depletion should not impact either species, since the river is subject to large fluc- tuations in flow as well as periodic dewatering. There does not appear to be any long-term riverine habitat for endangered fish in the Dirty Devil River. Therefore, based on the information collected, the follow,- ing conclusions have been made:

1) The relative amount of inflow from the Dirty Devil River is not significant in terms of its direct effect on the Colorado squawfish and the razorback sucker in Lake Powell.

2) The Dirty Devil River/Lake Powell confluence area.ts a seasonal attractant to Colorado squawfish and the razorback sucker.

3) Colorado squawfish and razorback suckers may be seasonally - exploiting a concentration of threadfin shad and detritus, respec- tively.

4) Colorado squawfish and razorback Suckers probably do not use the Dirty Devil River for spawning.

Based on the present information the Bureau of Reclamation believes the Dirty Devil Unit will not 4e-op4:rlfize the Colorado squawfish or razorback suckers that reside in Lake Powell.

8 Wright's Fish Hook Cactus - The Wright's fish hook cactus has been collected from the Hanksville area oik:_;:federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Surveyilpf the unit area were conducted during the spring and summer of 1984, concentrating in areas being considered for rights-of-way improve- ments and deep-well injection sites. Sclerocactus species were collected throughout the area, most commonly as single individuals, but one group of approximately twenty-five individual plants was located. Since vegetative characteristics are very similar within this Genus, positive identification of the cactus under field conditions is possible only during the flowering stage. The surveys did not occur then. Future studies will be conducted in the spring of 1985 to observe the cactus dilring the flowering stage and ensure positive identification of the species.

If the cactus is identified as Sclerocatcus wrightiae, impacts to the cactus will be avoided by modifying pipeline alignment and road rights-of-way. Reclamation believes the unit would not affect the cactus.

Black-footed Ferret

The Dirty Devil Project area is on the western limit of the historic distribution of the black-footed ferret. Despite continued efforts to locate ferret individuals and populations, only two confirmed sightings have been made from January 1, 1981, to January 1, 1985. Both of these sightings were in areas removed from the project. White-tailed prairie dog populations (potential prey species for the ferret) exist in the iurrounding area; however, Reclamation surveys have failed to locate any colonies in the immediate project area. Reclamation believes the black- footed ferret is not present in the area.and, therefore, would not be iffected by the project.