Appendix a Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitats

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Appendix a Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitats - ---- - - - - - _ ._.- _ . APPENDIX A SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FISH & WILDLIFE HABITATS --_._---- COASTAL FISH & WlLO LIFE HA BITAT RATINGFORM Name of Area: Oa k Orchard Creek . - Desi gnated: October 15. 1987 County: Orleans Town(s): carlton 7*' Quadrangle(s): Kent . NY Score Criterion 25 Ecosystem Rarity (ER ) One of about 5 maj or t r ibutari es of lake Ontar io. in a relatively undi sturbed cond i t ion; rare i n t he Great Lakes Pl ai n ecological region. o Sp ecies Vulnerabi lity (SV) No endangered. threatened or speci al concern spec ies are known to reside in t he area. 16 Human Use (HU) On e of the mos t popu l ar rec reational fi shi ng s i t es on Lake Ontario. attracti ng ang lers from throug hout New York State. 9 Popu Iat ion LeveI (PLl Concentrations of spawning salmo ni ds are amo ng the l argest occuring i n New York's Great Lakes tributarie s; unus ual i n the ecologica l region. 1.2 Replaceabil i ty (R) Ir replaceable SIGNIFICANCE VAL UE - [( ER + SV + HU + PL )X Rl = 60 SIGNIFI CANT COASTAL FISH ANO WILDL IF E HABITATS PROGRAM A PART OF THE NEW YORK COASTAL MANAGEMENTPROGRAM BACKGROUND New York State' s Coastal Management Program (eMP) includes a total of 44 policies whi ch are applicable to development and us e proposals within or affecting the State's coastal area. Any activity that i s subject to review under Federal or State laws, or under applicable local laws contained in an approved local wate rfront revitalization prog ram will be j udged for i t s consistency with these poli cies. Once a determination is made that the proposed action is subj ect to consistency review . a specifi c pol icy aimed at t he protect ion of fish and wildlife resources of statewide significance appli es. The specific policy statement is as follows : "Signif icant coastal fi sh and wildlife habitats will be protected, preserved. and , where practical . restored so as to maintain thei r viabi lity as habit at s." The New Yor l< State Dep artment of Environme nta l Conservat ion (DEC) evaluates the significance of coastal fi sh an d wil dl ife habi tats , and follOWing a recommendat ion from the DEC, the Departmen t of State desi gn ates an d maps specific areas. Although designated habitat areas are de l ineat ed on the coast al area map. the applicabil ity of thi s pol icy does not depend on the specific locat ion of t he habitat. but on the det erminat ion t hat t he propos ed action is subject to cons istency review. Signifi cant coastal fish and wildlife hab i ta t s are evaluated, designated and mapped under the authority of the Coastal Ma nagemen t Programls enabling legislation. the Waterf ront Revitalization and Coastal Re sources Act (Execu tive Law of New Yorl<, Article 42) . The se designat ions are sub sequently incorporated in t he Coastal Management Program under authority provi ded by the Federal Coa stal Zone Management Act. Thi s narrative. al ong with its accompany ing map. consti tutes a record of the basis for thi s significant coastal fi sh and wi ldli fe hab itat's designat i on and provides specific information regarding t he fish and wildl ife resou rces that depend on this area. General info rma t i on i s al so provi ded to assist i n evaluating impacts of proposed acti vities on paramete rs wh ich are essent ial to the habitat 's values. This information is to be used in conj unction with t he habitat irrpairment test found 1n t he imp act assessment sect i on to det enni ne whether the proposed acti vi ties are consi stent wi th the 5 i gnifi cant coasta1 hab itats policy• • DESIGNATED HAllITAT: OAK ORCHARD CREEK LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT: Oak Orchard Creek is located along the sou th sho re of Lake Ontario, approximately thirty miles west of the City of Roc hester, i n the Town of Carlton. Orleans County (7.5' Quadrangle: Kent, N.Y .) . The fi sh and wildlife habitat extends approximately six miles from the mouth at Point Breeze to the Waterport Dam, and includes the entire stream channel and associated islands and wetlands. The habitat also tncludes an approximate two mile segment of Marsh Creek, which flows into Oak Orchard Creek about one mile sou th of Point Breeze. Oak Orchard Creek i s a very large . low to medium gradient. warmwater stream. with a predominantly rock and gravel substrate, The creek drains approximately 270 square miles of relatively flat agricultural land, rural residential land, and extensive inland wetlands. Below Waterport Dam , which serves an act ive hydroelectric power plant. Oak Orchard Creek flows through a steep sided, undeveloped, wooded gorge, where habitat disturbances are minimal . However. below the confluence with Marsh Creek (also an undisturbed stream segment), there has been considerable shoreline development. including marinas. boat launches, seasonal and permanent residences. bulkheading, and installation of breakwalls ou t into the lake. Sizeable areas of emergent wetland vegetation and submergent aquatic beds occur in undisturbed shoreline areas along this lower section of the creek. Most of the land area bordering Oak Orchard Creek is privately owned, but major public access faci lities have been developed at the creek mou th. FISH AND WILDLIFE VALUES: Oak Orchard Creek is the largest stream in Orl eans County, and is one of about ten major tributaries in the Great Lakes Plain ecological region of New York. Undisturbed tributary streams that provide habitat for major spawning runs by sa1monids and other lake-based fish populations are especially important in this region. Beds of emergent and submergent aquatic vegetation in t he creek contribute to the maintenance of fish populations and serve as valuable habitats for wildlife. Oak Orchard Creek is particularly significant because large concentrations of coho and chinook salmon and brown trout migrate from La ke Ontario into the creek each fall , from late August through December (September - November, pri~~ri1y). when sa1monids ascend tributary streams to spawn (although unsuccessfully in most instances) . In addition, steel head (lake-run rainbow t rout > migrate into Oak Orchard Creek during the fall and between late Feb ruary and April. These fish populations are the result of an ongoing effort by the NYSDEC to establish a major salmonid fishery in the Great Lake s throu gh stocking. In 1984, approxi­ mately 300,000 chinook salmon, 14,000 steel head. and nearly 40,000 coho salmon were released in the creek. Oak orcnarc Creek was among the top ten lake Ontario tributaries for numbers of sa1monids stocked in 19B4. Oak Orchard Creek also contains a diverse warnMater fi shary , The area supports substanti a1 natural reproduction by sma1lmouth bass, northern pike. rock bass, black crapp ie , brown bullhead, and largemouth bass. Oak Orchard Creek also provides a limited smelt fishery in the spring. The wetlands and undisturbed WOOdland s bo rderi ng Oak Orchard Creek provide valuable habitats for wildlife that are uncommon in Orleans County's coastal area . Avariety of bird species inhabit the area, inclu ding great blue heron , greenbacked heron. mallard, wood duck, belted kingfisher, marsh wren, common yellowthroat, red-winged blackbird, and swamp sparrow. During spring and fall mig rations, .Oak Orchard Creek and Marsh Creek serve as resting and feed ing areas for locall y significant conc entrat ions of water fow l. Ot her wildlife species occurring along the creek include resi dent furb earers, such as muskrat. mink. and raccoon. The fi sh and wildlife resources associated with Oak Orchard Creek attract a significant amount of recreational use. althoug h accesS to the area i s limited by the steep banks and pri vate land ownership. This i s one of the most popular recreational fishing streams on Lake Ontari o, due primaril y to the large salmonid fun s in the area. Fishing pressure is concentrated bel ow the con fluence of Oak Orchard and Marsh Creeks, and i n the area imme diately below Waterport Dam . The i nt ervening segment of the creek is often fished by small boat or canoe, especially for the abundant warmwater species in the area. Oa k Orchard Creek attracts anglers from throughout New Yor k St ate and beyond . Local residents also util ize this area to a l imited extent for waterfowl hu nting and trapping. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: A habitat i~ai""ent test must be met for any activi ty that is su bject to consistency review under federal and Stat e laws, or under applicable local laws cont ai ned in an approved loce1 water front rev;ta1i zat ion program . If the proposed action is subject to cons istency revi ew , then the habitat protection policy applies, whethe r the proposed action is to occur within or outside the designated area, The speci f ic habitat impairment test that mu st be me t is as follows. In order to protect and preserve a sign; fi cant habitat. land and water uses or development shall not be under taken if such actions would : • destroy the habitat; or, • significantly i mpai r the viabil ity of a hab i tat. Hab itat destruction i s defined as the loss of fi sh or wildlife use through direct physi cal alt erat ion, disturbance, or pol lution of a de signated area or through the indi rect effects of these actions on a desi gnated area.
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