UPDATE SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE RIVER WATERSHED ANALYSIS Mckenzie River Ranger District Willamette National Forest September 2010
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UPDATE SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE RIVER WATERSHED ANALYSIS McKenzie River Ranger District Willamette National Forest September 2010 Photo: Roaring Springs Prepared by: McKenzie River IDT ____________________________ Mary Allison District Ranger McKenzie River Ranger District South Fork McKenzie River WA Update EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 1994 the Record of Decision for the Northwest Forest Plan was signed. That same year a “pilot” watershed analysis was completed for the South Fork McKenzie watershed by employees of the Willamette National Forest and the Blue River Ranger District. The South Fork McKenzie Watershed Analysis (1994) thoroughly documented existing conditions in the South Fork and made recommendations on restoration actions and management activities. In 2010 the employees of the McKenzie River Ranger District were charged with updating the 1994 analysis. With limited funding the interdisciplinary team sought to update the original watershed analysis with information on the existing condition, completed restoration projects, and recommendations for future activities. Significant changes have occurred in the fisheries and recreation arenas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has constructed a water temperature control tower at Cougar Dam that has restored the historic temperature regime to the South Fork McKenzie downstream of the dam. More recently, the Corps of Engineers completed an adult fish collection facility downstream of Cougar Dam to collect and transport spring Chinook salmon, bull trout, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout upstream of the dam during their spawning migrations. By the end of calendar year 2010 the Corps of Engineers will decide on how to implement safe and effective downstream passage for native fishes. There are 16 developed recreation sites within the South Fork watershed, and of these, ten are operated under a concessionaire special use permit. Nearly all developed sites have been upgraded with CXT vault toilet facilities and Homestead Campground has been decommissioned. Roaring River campground has been converted to a group site and placed on the reservation system. Terwilliger Hot Springs, which was added to the concessionaire permit in 2007, has also seen improvements in management issues. The constant on-site presence of the concessionaire has dramatically reduced visitor problems at the hot springs. Although this site continues to be a challenge to operate and maintain, changing to concessionaire management has provided visitors with a safer and cleaner recreation site. As team leader I would like to acknowledge the interdisciplinary team for the hard work and effort it took to complete this update with limited funds and during a summer when a project fire (the Scott Mountain Fire) occurred on the district in the upper McKenzie River watershed. Special acknowledgement goes to Kevin Bruce (Natural Resource Planner) for compiling and formatting various reports into a document that is professional and hopefully useful to future managers. And to Jon Belcher (GIS), who provided tons of support and was a sounding board for ideas regarding the climate change discussion in the watershed update. /s/Ramon Rivera Fisheries Biologist and Team Leader ii South Fork McKenzie River WA Update TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. II RECREATION ..................................................................................................................................... 1 PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ......................................................................................... 1 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ................................................................................................. 4 FISHERIES ........................................................................................................................................... 6 PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ......................................................................................... 6 FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ...................................................................................................................... 22 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 23 MONITORING CRITERIA AND RESULTS ........................................................................................................... 25 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 30 PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ....................................................................................... 30 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ............................................................................................... 31 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 31 CLIMATE AND GEOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 32 PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ....................................................................................... 32 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ............................................................................................... 36 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 38 WILDLIFE.......................................................................................................................................... 40 PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ....................................................................................... 40 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ............................................................................................... 41 VEGETATION ................................................................................................................................... 43 METHODS ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ...................................................................................... 43 MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ...................................................................................................................... 45 TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... 46 BOTANICAL RESOURCES AND SPECIAL HABITATS ........................................................... 49 PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE CONDITIONS ...................................................................................... 49 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ............................................................................................... 55 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 58 TRANSPORTATION SYTEM ......................................................................................................... 59 FINDINGS & MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE ............................................................................................... 59 iii South Fork McKenzie River WA Update LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. DEVELOPED RECREATION SITES WITHIN THE SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE RIVER WATERSHED. .... 1 TABLE 2. RELEASES OF HATCHERY ORIGIN SPRING CHINOOK SALMON INTO THE MCKENZIE SUB- BASIN (1993-2009). ......................................................................................................................... 9 TABLE 3. REFERENCE CONDITIONS USED TO EVALUATE EXISTING AQUATIC HABITAT AND CHANNEL CONDITION. .................................................................................................................................... 27 TABLE 4: GEOLOGIC SUMMARY OF SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE SUB-WATERSHEDS ................................ 36 TABLE 5. WILDLIFE HABITAT RESTORATION ACTIVITIES (1994-2009) ................................................. 42 TABLE 6: COMPARISON OF WATERSHED PAST (1900) AND CURRENT VEGETATION CONDITIONS ......... 46 TABLE 7: COMPARISON OF PAST AND CURRENT VEGETATION CONDITION BY AREAS .......................... 46 TABLE 8: NATURAL RANGE OF VARIABILITY (NRV) BY PLANT SERIES ............................................... 47 TABLE 9. ROADS IN THE SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE WATERSHED WITH CHRONIC MAINTENANCE ISSUES IDENTIFIED IN THE WA. ................................................................................................................. 59 TABLE 10. ROADS FOR STORM PROOFING OR DECOMMISSIONING ........................................................ 62 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: BULL TROUT REDD COUNTS FROM SOUTH FORK MCKENZIE RIVER SUB-BASIN SPAWNING SURVEYS BY ODFW AND FOREST SERVICE; 1993-2009. ................................................................. 7 FIGURE 2: HOMESTEAD LOGJAM PHOTO POINT MONITORING RESULTS. (TOP LEFT - LOG JAM IN 2008 AFTER TIPPING AND HELICOPTER PLACEMENT. BOTTOM LEFT - LOG JAM IN 2009 AFTER YCC CREW ADDED FINE WOODY MATERIAL. BOTTOM