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Mccloud Flats Ecosystem Analysis

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Mccloud Flats Ecosystem Analysis McCloud Flats Ecosystem Analysis September, 1995 Last Edited – February 27, 2004 Preface The work that went into this report is part of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy adopted for the President’s Plan (Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl, including Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for Late- Successional and Old Growth Related Species). Announcements were published in three local newspapers inviting public input to this analysis. An Open House was held on June 15, 1995 in McCloud, where resource specialists presented information on existing conditions and management direction for the McCloud Flats Focus Area, and the Ash Creek and Mud Creek watersheds. The McCloud Flats Interdisciplinary Team included the following resource specialists: Steve Funk, Forester and Team Leader, McCloud Ranger District Francis Mangels, Wildlife Biologist, McCloud Ranger District Dale Etter, Fuels Officer, McCloud Ranger District Steve Bachmann, Hydrologist, McCloud Ranger District Gregg DeNitto, Pathologist, Shasta-Trinity National Forest Bill Brock, Fisheries Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Weaverville Jeff Huhtala, Zone Engineering Technician Gerald Hoertling, Archaeological Technician, McCloud Ranger District Julie Cassidy, Zone Archaeologist, Mt. Shasta Ranger District Jonna Cooper, Geographic Information Systems Specialist Peter Van Susteren, Soil Scientist, McCloud Ranger District Mark Steiger, Botanist, Mycologist Annette Sun, Writer-Editor, McCloud Ranger District Watershed Analyses are iterative, or living, documents that can be updated as new information becomes available. The following edits were made on February 27, 2004: 1. The date of the last edit was inserted at bottom of the Title Page. 2. All references to changing interim Riparian Reserve widths were removed throughout the document. 3. Table 6.1 was recreated and reinserted into the document. This table was present in the 1995 document but was corrupted in the electronic computer copy due to changes in word processing applications. 4. In Table 6.1, last column dealing with Riparian Reserve widths was removed. The official Forest policy is not to change the interim Riparian Reserve widths and to manage within Riparian Reserves; therefore, all references to new Riparian Reserve widths have been deleted. 5. All references to “extinct” channels were changed to “remnant” channels (document-wide). McCloud Flats Ecosystem Analysis i Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 - WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION..............................................1 MCCLOUD RIVER BASIN....................................................................................................... i ASH-MUD CREEK 5TH ORDER WATERSHED .........................................................................3 PHYSICAL FEATURES AND PROCESSES ..................................................................................3 Soils and Geology.............................................................................................................3 Hydrology.........................................................................................................................4 BIOLOGICAL FEATURES AND PROCESSES ..............................................................................4 Forest Types .....................................................................................................................4 Successional Processes.....................................................................................................5 Species Present .................................................................................................................6 Livestock Grazing ............................................................................................................6 Human ..............................................................................................................................6 WHY IS THIS WATERSHED UNIQUE?.......................................................................................7 Ownership and Land Use Patterns ...................................................................................7 Land Allocations From the LMP and the President's Plan...............................................7 MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ...................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 2 - ISSUES AND KEY QUESTIONS ........................................................10 HIGH PRIORITY ISSUES........................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 3 - CURRENT CONDITIONS ...................................................................15 LANDSCAPE VEGETATION PATTERNS..................................................................................15 Private Land....................................................................................................................18 UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE PLANT COMMUNITIES ......................................................................18 WILDLIFE............................................................................................................................19 Spotted Owls ..................................................................................................................19 Dispersal Habitat for Northern Spotted Owls in Focus Area.........................................20 Goshawks........................................................................................................................20 Furbearers .......................................................................................................................21 Mule Deer.......................................................................................................................21 Snags and Deadwood......................................................................................................21 Riparian Species of Concern ..........................................................................................22 Other Species..................................................................................................................23 POSSIBLE FUNGI/LICHEN SURVEY AND MANAGE SPECIES..................................................24 Fungi...............................................................................................................................25 BRYOPHYTE SURVEY AND MANAGE SPECIES .....................................................................25 EXOTIC WEEDS ...................................................................................................................26 CAVES.................................................................................................................................26 HARDWOODS ......................................................................................................................26 RANGE ................................................................................................................................26 Administrative ................................................................................................................26 Range Conditions ...........................................................................................................27 Range Forage Species.....................................................................................................27 McCloud Flats Ecosystem Analysis ii FOREST HEALTH .................................................................................................................27 FIRE/FUELS REGIME ...........................................................................................................29 Hazard/Risk Assessment ................................................................................................30 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................31 RECREATION .......................................................................................................................32 Campsite Types ..............................................................................................................33 ROADS ................................................................................................................................34 Safety Considerations.....................................................................................................35 Rights of Way.................................................................................................................35 Water Source ..................................................................................................................35 Rock Sources ..................................................................................................................36 HERITAGE RESOURCES .......................................................................................................36 Archaeological Properties ..............................................................................................36 Native American Use......................................................................................................36 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ..........................................................................................................38 Landscape Morphology..................................................................................................38
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