Upper Quinault River Salmon Restoration NEPA Compliance; Environmental Assessment – FINAL
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7/19/2011 Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance FINAL This National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance document, in the form of an Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses the restoration of salmon habitat of the Upper Quinault River located within the geologic floodplain of the Quinault River (coastal Washington State, in the west slope of the Olympic Mountains). This EA considers the preferred alternative of installing Engineered Logjams and restorative planting of conifer and hardwood trees to meet the goals of improving river processes and salmon habitat,habitat, especially for BluebackBlueback salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). This NEPA Compliance document has been prepared by the Quinault Indian Nation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs servingserving as the Lead Federal Agency Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL William E. Schlosser, William E. Armstrong, Birgit R. Schlosser Quinault Indian Nation Quinault Indian Nation 7/19/2011 2 Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL This Quinault Indian Nation Environmental Assessment is completed in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the fulfilment of National Environmental Policy Act requirements to implement salmon habitat restoration in the Upper Quinault River in Coastal Washington State of the Olympic Mountains. Quinault Indian Nation William E. (Bill) Armstrong, B.S. Salmon Resources Scientist, Department of Fisheries, Division of Natural Resources P.O. Box 189 1214 Aalis St. Building C Taholah, WA 98587 Planning services and document lead authorship provided by William E. (Dr. Bill) Schlosser, Ph.D. Kamiak Ridge, LLC 1515 NW Kenny Dr. Pullman, WA 99163 www.Resource-Analysis.com This planning effort has been completed with the consultation of a Planning Committee comprised of representatives of administrative Divisions from the Quinault Indian Nation, representatives from adjacent government agencies including the offices of Congressman Norm Dicks, Olympic National Forest, Olympic National Park, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA Restoration Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, Jefferson County, Grays Harbor County, The Nature Conservancy, The Wild Salmon Center, Upper Quinault River Committee, and planning consultants from Kamiak Ridge, LLC. Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL ii Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance Epigraph Joe DeLaCruz, President, Quinault Indian Nation (Storm, et al. 1990) Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance iii Significant Analyses Incorporated by Reference Two notable guiding documents have been developed to address the Upper Quinault River, the historical process of resource degradation, potential restoration activities to recover the sockeye (Blueback) salmon, and other salmonid species in the river ecosystem, and both are hereby incorporated in this document by reference. These documents, along with others, are cited within this Environmental Assessment to provide the scientific basis for implementing actions intended to achieve the desired future condition. These two documents provide the foundation for analyzing the expected outcomes of the river restoration and salmon habitat restoration in the Upper Quinault River. Bureau of Reclamation. (2005). Geomorphic Investigation of Quinault River, Washington; 18 Km Reach of Quinault River Upstream from Lake Quinault. Denver, Colorado: US Bureau of Reclamation. Quinault Indian Nation. (2008). Salmon Habitat Restoration Plan; Upper Quinault River. Quinault Indian Nation, QDNR, Department of Fisheries. Taholah, Washington: Including contributions by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. The Geomorphic Investigation of Quinault River conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) identified and examined the causes and scale of habitat loss; the restoration plan identified the restoration strategy and approach necessary to achieve salmon habitat restoration. The BOR evaluated the current large-scale physical river processes (its past and present shape, or morphology) against the background of available historical data, and analyzed the rates of change in that morphology as influenced by the river’s hydrology, its sediment supply, existing vegetation, human impacts, and geological controls on the valley system. These were evaluated with the final conclusion that further degradation of the river is inevitable due to its inability, if left on its own, to heal itself, thus providing a necessary basis for the identification and implementation of the recommended integrated restoration strategies on the Upper Quinault River that will lead to a more self-sustaining system. The Salmon Habitat Restoration Plan – Upper Quinault River, describes in detail the scientific basis and a procedural framework initiated in the wake of the BOR geomorphic study for actions, local in nature and short-term in perspective, which are aimed at sockeye spawning habitat restoration, along with what is described as the long-term ultimate objective involving the entire floodplain: To recapture the initially existing natural balance within the river system, the essence of which lies in tying together physical and biological processes of the entire floodplain that results in a healthy functioning ecosystem. Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL iv Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance Table of Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................1 1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................4 1.2. Purpose and Need for Action ...............................................................................................7 1.3. Desired Future Condition.....................................................................................................9 2. Alternatives ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.1. Alternatives Considered but Not Analyzed in Detail............................................................. 11 2.1.1. Infrastructure Modification / Improvement ................................................................... 11 2.2. Alternatives Considered .................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1. No Action Alternative ................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2. Action Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative) ................................................................... 13 2.2.2.1. Engineered Logjam Structural Design .......................................................................... 15 A. Log Jam Materials.............................................................................................. 17 B. Labor Recruitment............................................................................................. 18 2.2.2.2. Floodplain and Terrace Forest Restoration .................................................................. 18 A. Reforestation Designs ........................................................................................ 19 B. Seedling Materials ............................................................................................. 21 C. Labor Recruitment............................................................................................. 21 2.2.2.3. Access, Storage Sites, and Staging Areas ..................................................................... 21 2.2.2.4. Combining Restoration Components........................................................................... 22 2.2.3. Action Alternative 2 ..................................................................................................... 25 2.2.4. Action Alternative 3 ..................................................................................................... 26 3. Description of Affected Environment.................................................................................. 27 3.1. Land Resources ................................................................................................................. 27 3.1.1. Geologic Setting ........................................................................................................... 27 3.1.2. Climate........................................................................................................................ 28 3.1.2.1. Global Climate Change ............................................................................................... 29 3.1.2.2. Post-Glaciation Climate Change .................................................................................. 31 3.1.2.3. Precipitation and Ecosystems ..................................................................................... 34 3.1.3. Topography ................................................................................................................. 35 Quinault Indian Nation | FINAL Upper Quinault River Salmon Habitat Restoration NEPA Compliance v 3.1.4. Soil Resources .............................................................................................................. 36 3.1.4.1.