West Bear Creek Watershed Analysis
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West Bear Creek Watershed Analysis Version 1.1 Bureau of Land Management, Medford District Ashland Resource Area August 2001 West Bea r Creek W atershed Analysis - V ersion 1.1 Table of Conten ts TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ............................................................v Introduction ..................................................................1 Issues and Key Questions ........................................................3 Watershed Characterization .....................................................13 Introduction ...........................................................13 Human Uses ...........................................................14 Climate ...............................................................15 Geology ..............................................................17 Erosion Processes .......................................................20 Soil Productivity .......................................................22 Landscape Vegetation Pattern .............................................22 Plant Species and Habitats ................................................25 Fire and Air Quality .....................................................27 Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitats ....................................27 Hydrology ............................................................29 Stream Channel ........................................................33 Water Quality ..........................................................34 Riparian Areas .........................................................34 Aquatic Wildlife Species and Habitats ......................................35 Current Conditions ............................................................38 Human Uses ...........................................................38 Erosion Processes ......................................................46 Soil Productivity .......................................................49 Plant Species and Habitats ................................................50 Forest Density and Vigor .................................................54 Fire and Air Quality .....................................................56 Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitats ....................................59 Hydrology ............................................................63 Stream Channel ........................................................71 Water Quality ..........................................................72 Riparian Areas .........................................................84 Aquatic Wildlife Species and Habitats ......................................86 Reference Conditions ..........................................................89 Human Uses ...........................................................89 Erosion Processes ......................................................100 Soil Productivity ......................................................100 Landscape Vegetation Pattern ............................................101 Plant Species and Habitats ...............................................102 i West Bea r Creek W atershed Analysis - V ersion 1.1 Table of Conten ts Forest Density and Vigor ............................................... 103 Fire and Air Quality ....................................................103 Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitats ...................................104 Hydrology ...........................................................105 Stream Channel .......................................................106 Water Quality .........................................................107 Riparian Areas ........................................................108 Aquatic Wildlife Species and Habitats .....................................109 Synthesis and Interpretation ....................................................111 Human Uses ..........................................................111 Erosion Processes ......................................................114 Soil Productivity ......................................................115 Landscape Vegetation Pattern ............................................116 Plant Species and Habitats ...............................................117 Forest Density and Vigor ...............................................118 Fire and Air Quality ....................................................120 Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitats ...................................121 Hydrology ...........................................................124 Stream Channel .......................................................124 Water Quality .........................................................125 Riparian Areas ........................................................126 Aquatic Wildlife Species and Habitats .....................................126 Management Objectives and Recommendations for BLM-Administered Lands ...........128 Landscape Planning Objectives and Recommendations for BLM-Administered Lands ......151 Data Gaps ..................................................................157 Monitoring Recommendations ..................................................160 Research Recommendations ...................................................162 Maps ......................................................................164 List of Preparers .............................................................189 References .................................................................190 Appendices .................................................................200 ii West Bea r Creek W atershed Analysis - V ersion 1.1 Table of Conten ts LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Land Ownership ....................................................13 Table 2. Federal Land Use Allocations ..........................................14 Table 3. Precipitation Zone Distribution ........................................16 Table 4. Precipitation at NOAA Stations ........................................16 Table 5. Average Air Temperatures for Medford ..................................17 Table 6. Average Air Temperatures for Ashland ..................................17 Table 7. Structural Components by Vegetation Classification ........................23 Table 8. Vegetation Condition Classes ..........................................24 Table 9. Stream Order and Major Tributaries .....................................29 Table 10. Ownership and Stream Information .....................................30 Table 11. Stream Miles by Stream Category for BLM-Administered Lands .............. 31 Table 12. Wetlands ..........................................................31 Table 13. USGS Gaging Stations ...............................................32 Table 14. Stream Channel Types ...............................................33 Table 15. Approximate Stream Miles of Salmonid Use ..............................36 Table 16. Population Increases .................................................39 Table 17. Acres Harvest on BLM-Administered Lands ..............................42 Table 18. Special Status Plants .................................................51 Table 19. Survey and Manage Plant Species and Habitats ............................53 Table 20. Values at Risk Due to Fire Exclusion, High Intensity Wildfire, or Wildfire Suppression Activities ...............................................57 Table 21. Special Status Terrestrial Vertebrate Wildlife Species ....................... 61 Table 22. Estimated Percent of Hydrologic Recovery by Subwatershed ................. 65 Table 23. Road and Stream Crossing Densities ....................................66 Table 24. Instream Water Rights - Priority Date and Purpose .........................66 Table 25. Instream Water Rights - Monthly Flows .................................67 Table 26. Surface Water Rights ................................................67 Table 27. Ground Water Rights ................................................68 Table 28. Estimated 50 Percent Streamflow Exceedance Levels and Water Availability .... 69 Table 29. Estimated 80 Percent Streamflow Exceedance Levels and Water Availability .... 70 Table 30. Water Quality Limited Streams ........................................73 Table 31. Waterbodies Included in ODEQ’s Nonpoint Source Assessment .............. 74 Table 32. Parameters of Concern in ODEQ’s Nonpoint Source Assessment .............. 74 Table 33. Probable Causes of Nonpoint Source Pollution ............................75 Table 34. Land Use Associated with Nonpoint Source Pollution ......................76 Table 35. Summary of Shade Assessment ........................................77 Table 36. BLM Stream Temperature Monitoring Data ..............................78 Table 37. Provisional Dissolved Oxygen Data Summary .............................79 Table 38. Provisional pH Data Summary .........................................79 Table 39. Provisional Fecal Coliform Data Summary ...............................80 Table 40. Road Surface Type, Stream Crossings, and Road Proximity to Streams ......... 82 Table 41. Provisional Turbidity Data Summary ....................................84 Table 42. Soil Productivity ...................................................101 iii West Bea r Creek W atershed Analysis - V ersion 1.1 Executive Sum mary LIST OF MAPS Map 1. Watershed Analysis Area Location ......................................165 Map 2. Land Ownership .....................................................166 Map 3. Federal Land