Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015
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Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015 Okanogan County Fires Interagency BAER Final Summary Report State, Private, and Other Non-Federal Lands Contributors: See page 12 for Interagency BAER Team List Final Summary Report Page 1 of 27 Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015 Contents Disclaimer...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Burned Area Descriptions ............................................................................................................................. 5 Fire Descriptions ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Watershed Number(s) .............................................................................................................................. 7 Total Acres Burned .................................................................................................................................... 7 Vegetation Types ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Dominant Soils .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Geologic Types .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Miles of Stream Channels by Order or Class ............................................................................................. 8 Transportation System .............................................................................................................................. 8 Watershed Condition .................................................................................................................................... 8 Hydrologic Design Factors ............................................................................................................................. 9 Summary of Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 10 Critical Values/Resources and Threats ................................................................................................... 10 Emergency Treatment Objectives: ......................................................................................................... 12 Skill Represented on Burned-Area Survey Team .................................................................................... 12 Treatment Narrative ................................................................................................................................... 13 Road Protection ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Homes and Individual Structures ............................................................................................................ 14 Stream Channel Stabilization .................................................................................................................. 14 Dams and Irrigation Systems .................................................................................................................. 14 Cultural/Heritage Resource .................................................................................................................... 15 Non-Structural Treatments ..................................................................................................................... 15 Land Treatments ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Aerial Seeding ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Mulching ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Slash Spreading ................................................................................................................................... 16 Emergency Stabilization Treatments and Source of Funds .................................................................... 17 Final Summary Report Page 2 of 27 Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015 Long-Term Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 18 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Roads and Trail Treatments: ............................................................................................................... 20 Protection/Safety Treatments: ........................................................................................................... 20 Cultural Resources: ............................................................................................................................. 20 References .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Appendix 2. Okanogan Complex Fire Soil Burn Severity Maps ............................................................... 23 Final Summary Report Page 3 of 27 Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015 Disclaimer The purpose of this study and report is to identify post fire threats to human life, critical cultural & natural resources, and infrastructure. Observations in the report are based upon satellite imagery, on the ground evaluations and computer modeling at the sub-watershed level. Site specific or individual parcel information is not available for the smaller acreages. Treatments recommended in this report are to reduce the runoff and erosion damage to life, property and natural resources. They are based on proven practices developed by the USDA Forest Service and can be found in the Burned Area Emergency Response Catalog (BAERCAT). Recommendations were chosen based on soil erosion reduction, long-term effectiveness, cost-benefit ratio, and site specific implementation probability. There may, however, be alternative site specific solutions available to protect values at risk which may better fit the landowner’s goals and management of their property. The landowner is not bound to implement any treatments, but must evaluate the risks and their decisions accordingly. This report will be utilized to request funding for emergency stabilization and long-term recovery and restoration. Introduction Given the size and severity of these fires on Washington State and private lands, the Okanogan Conservation District worked with the Washington State Conservation Commission to assemble the Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team to assess potential post-fire threats to life and property and evaluate soil burn severity. This report summarizes fire and potential post-fire effects to critical values {e.g. human life and property (roads, buildings, water systems, etc.), and degradation of natural resource (soil productivity and hydrologic function), municipal, domestic, agricultural water supplies, habitat for federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, and cultural resources} within or in close proximity to burned lands. This rapid evaluation was conducted to determine if these critical values are at risk due to imminent post-fire threats and recommend emergency stabilization and long-term restoration actions that can be taken to minimize unacceptable impacts resulting from the multiple Okanogan county fires that burned private property, lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. Final Summary Report Page 4 of 27 Okanogan County Fires Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Team September 2015 Please also see: Final Engineering Report – Contains details culverts, and roads at risk; gives cost estimates for each item as well as recommendations for reducing risk. Final Soils Report – Contains details on soils, plants, weeds, treatment areas and erosion modeling. Final Hydrology Report – Contains details on hydrologic modeling inputs and outputs for pre- vs. post-fire peak flows and impacts to values at risk Final Cultural Resources Report – contains details on cultural resource evaluations. Final Fish and Wildlife Report – contains details on fish and wildlife within fire perimeter and affected by downstream flows. Burned Area Descriptions Soil related resources assessed here and select ancillary issues include a characterization of their inherent properties and a general description of how they were affected