FINAL DRAFT TECHNICAL REPORT Illinois River Instream Flow Assessment Prepared for Oklahoma Water Resources Board U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District June 2016 CH2M HILL Engineers, Inc. 401 S Boston, Suite 330 Tulsa, OK 74103-4425 Normandeau Associates, Inc. 890 L Street Arcata, CA 95521 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ vii 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1-1 2 Watershed Resources ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Watershed Overview ....................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Hydrology ......................................................................................................................... 2-3 2.3 Water Rights and Water Usage ..................................................................................... 2-10 2.3.1 Sources of Water .............................................................................................. 2-10 2.3.2 Water Rights ..................................................................................................... 2-11 2.3.3 Water Usage ..................................................................................................... 2-12 2.4 Water Quality ................................................................................................................. 2-13 2.5 Fisheries ......................................................................................................................... 2-15 2.6 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................... 2-19 2.7 Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 2-20 2.8 Riparian Corridor ............................................................................................................ 2-23 3 Fish Habitat Modeling ......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 PHABSIM Study Objectives .............................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 Study Area and Reach Boundaries ................................................................................... 3-1 3.3 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.3.1 Habitat Mapping ................................................................................................. 3-3 3.3.2 Study Site and Transect Selection/Placement .................................................... 3-4 3.3.3 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 3-4 3.3.4 Hydraulic Simulation ........................................................................................... 3-6 3.3.5 Target Species and Habitat Suitability Criteria ................................................... 3-7 3.3.6 Physical Habitat Simulation .............................................................................. 3-15 3.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 3-15 3.4.1 Habitat Mapping ............................................................................................... 3-15 3.4.2 Study Site and Transect Selection/Placement .................................................. 3-16 3.4.3 Data Collection .................................................................................................. 3-21 3.4.4 Hydraulic Model Simulation ............................................................................. 3-23 3.4.5 Physical Habitat Simulation .............................................................................. 3-24 4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Interpretation of Fish Habitat Modeling Results ............................................................. 4-1 4.2 Need for Ecological Flows ................................................................................................ 4-2 4.3 Decision-making Considerations ...................................................................................... 4-3 4.3.1 Need to Consider Basin Goals ............................................................................. 4-3 4.3.2 Need to Consider All Resources and Their Priorities .......................................... 4-4 4.3.3 Need to Consider Water Availability .................................................................. 4-5 5 References .......................................................................................................................... 5-1 EN0525161143PDX III CONTENTS Appendix Aerial Maps of the Illinois River Corridor between Tahlequah and Watts, Oklahoma, with Secondary Channels Highlighted Tables 2-1 Land Cover in the Oklahoma Portion of the Illinois River Basin from 2001 LandSat. ................... 2-2 2-2 USGS Stream Gage Information for the Illinois River Study Area. ................................................ 2-4 2-3 Peak Flow Recurrence Intervals Calculated using the Log -Pearson Type 3 Method. .................. 2-4 2-4 Month of Occurrence for Annual Peak Flow Events Greater Than 14,112 cfs for the Illinois River at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. ......................................................................................... 2-5 2-5 Upper Illinois River Basin Surface Water Permits in Oklahoma. ................................................ 2-11 2-6 Average Annual Surface Water Usage (acre-feet) in the Upper Illinois River Basin above Barren Fork Creek Confluence in Oklahoma, 2010-2013. .......................................................... 2-12 2-7 Impaired Waters on the Oklahoma 303 (d) List for the Illinois River Basin. ............................... 2-14 2-8 Mean Abundance (numbers per sampling event) of Fish Species Collected in the Illinois River, Barren Fork Creek, and Flint Creek during 2003-2012 ............................................................... 2-16 2-9 Illinois River Monthly Float Users, 2003-2008, as Reported by Commercial and Private Float Operators in Oklahoma. .............................................................................................................. 2-21 2-10 Streamflow Considerations for Recreational Boating/Floating Activity on the Illinois River Based at the USGS Tahlequah Gage (Source: Ed Fite, Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission). .. 2-22 2-11 Ratio of Secondary Channel Length to the Main Channel Length in the Illinois River between Watts and Tahlequah, Oklahoma. .............................................................................................. 2-23 3-1 Target Calibration Flows by Reach for the Illinois River Instream Flow Study ............................. 3-4 3-2 Categories of Substrate and Cover and their Codes used in the Barren Fork Creek Instream Flow Simulation ............................................................................................................................ 3-6 3-3 Common Names of Fish Species Found in the Illinois River Basin Associated with Key Habitat-Use Assemblages. ............................................................................................................ 3-8 3-4 Habitat Suitability Criteria for Juvenile and Adult Smallmouth Bass ............................................ 3-9 3-5 Habitat Suitability Criteria for Shallow-fast, Intermediate, and Deep-slow Habitat-use Assemblages ................................................................................................................................. 3-9 3-6 Habitat Mapping Date and River Flow in Three River Reaches used for the Illinois River Instream Flow Study ................................................................................................................... 3-15 3-7 Habitat Mapping Summary for the Lower Illinois River.............................................................. 3-16 3-8 Habitat Mapping Summary for the Upper Illinois River ............................................................. 3-16 3-9 Habitat Mapping Summary for Flint Creek ................................................................................. 3-16 3-10 Number of Transects by Habitat Type and Percent Representation Based on Habitat Mapping Results for the Lower Illinois River.............................................................................................. 3-17 3-11 Number of Transects by Habitat Type and Percent Representation Based on Habitat Mapping Results for the Upper Illinois River ............................................................................................. 3-17 3-12 Number of Transects by Habitat Type and Percent Representation Based on Habitat Mapping Results for Flint Creek ................................................................................................................. 3-17 3-13 Measured Calibration Flows by Reach for the Illinois River Instream Flow Study ..................... 3-21 3-14 Measured High Flow and Wetted Width of Transects in the Lower Illinois River