Draft Clearwater Subbasin Summary May 25, 2001 Prepared for the Northwest Power Planning Council Writing Team Members Thomas Cichosz, Washington State University Darin Saul, ecopacific Anne Davidson, ecopacific William Warren, Washington State University Dora Rollins, Washington State University Jamie Willey, Washington State University Tim Tate, Washington State University Thanos Papanicolaou, Washington State University Steve Juul, Washington State University Subbasin Team Leader Dave Statler, Nez Perce Tribe Contributors Clearwater Focus Program Idaho Association of Counties Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Idaho Department of Fish and Game Idaho Department of Lands Idaho Department of Water Resources Idaho Office of Species Conservation Idaho Soil Conservation Commission LRK Communications National Marine Fisheries Service Nez Perce Tribe Natural Resource Conservation Service Soil and Water Conservation Districts – Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis, and Nez Perce Potlatch Corporation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Bureau of Land Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service DRAFT: This document has not yet been reviewed or approved by the Northwest Power Planning Council Clearwater Subbasin Summary i 5/23/01 Clearwater Subbasin Summary Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Lower Clearwater Assessment Unit............................................................................................ 5 Lower North Fork Assessment Unit............................................................................................ 6 Upper North Fork Assessment Unit............................................................................................ 7 Lolo/Middle Fork Assessment Unit ............................................................................................ 7 Lochsa Assessment Unit ............................................................................................................. 8 Lower Selway Assessment Unit.................................................................................................. 9 Upper Selway Assessment Unit ................................................................................................ 10 South Fork Assessment Unit..................................................................................................... 11 Subbasin Description..................................................................................................................... 12 Subbasin Location..................................................................................................................... 12 Climate ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Geology ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Topography ...............................................................................................................................18 Soils........................................................................................................................................... 19 Hydrology.................................................................................................................................. 22 Gauging ................................................................................................................................. 23 Flood Regime ........................................................................................................................ 29 Water Quality ............................................................................................................................ 29 Temperature .......................................................................................................................... 31 Water Quality Limited Segments – §303(d) ......................................................................... 33 NPDES Information ..............................................................................................................34 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................. 37 Fire ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Population and Land Uses......................................................................................................... 45 Demographics........................................................................................................................ 45 Urban Development ..............................................................................................................49 Recreation..............................................................................................................................49 Roads..................................................................................................................................... 50 Timber ................................................................................................................................... 50 Agriculture ............................................................................................................................ 54 Grazing.................................................................................................................................. 54 Mining ................................................................................................................................... 56 Diversions, Impoundments, and Irrigation Projects.................................................................. 60 Protected Areas ......................................................................................................................... 65 Fish and Wildlife Resources ......................................................................................................... 68 Fish Status ................................................................................................................................. 68 Chinook Salmon.................................................................................................................... 68 Steelhead Trout ..................................................................................................................... 84 Coho Salmon......................................................................................................................... 91 Pacific Lamprey .................................................................................................................... 93 Redband (Rainbow) Trout..................................................................................................... 95 Clearwater Subbasin Summary ii 5/23/01 Westslope Cutthroat Trout .................................................................................................... 96 Bull Trout ..............................................................................................................................99 Brook Trout......................................................................................................................... 103 Dworshak Reservoir Resident Fishery................................................................................ 105 Wildlife Status......................................................................................................................... 108 Forest Carnivores ................................................................................................................ 108 Ponderosa Pine Dependent.................................................................................................. 111 Late Seral............................................................................................................................. 112 Early Seral........................................................................................................................... 113 Wetland ............................................................................................................................... 115 Managed Species................................................................................................................. 115 Extirpated or Nearly Extirpated Species in Idaho............................................................... 116 Fish Habitat Areas and Quality ............................................................................................... 117 Anadromous Species........................................................................................................... 117 Resident Species.................................................................................................................. 119 Wildlife Habitat Areas and Quality......................................................................................... 122 Grand Fir/White Fir/Western Red Cedar ............................................................................ 127 Douglas Fir.......................................................................................................................... 127 Ponderosa Pine .................................................................................................................... 128