Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration Plan 2013 Early autumn 2010 photograph of Lower Lolo Creek. Photo credit: Matt Navarre Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration Plan Table of Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ i Foreword ...................................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1. Watershed Overview ................................................................................................ 6 Physical and Biological Characteristics ................................................................................... 6 Human History and Use of the Watershed .............................................................................. 7 Geographical, Cultural, and Social Aspects of Lolo Creek .....................................................10 Challenges, Threats, and Opportunities .................................................................................11 Chapter 2. Inventory of Available Information ............................................................................20 Tributaries within the Lolo Creek Watershed .........................................................................20 Climate ..................................................................................................................................21 Stream Flow ..........................................................................................................................21 Groundwater..........................................................................................................................25 Water Temperature ...............................................................................................................27 Floodplain ..............................................................................................................................27 Streambank Erosion/Stabilization ..........................................................................................28 Road Densities ......................................................................................................................30 Effects of Highway 12 Maintenance .......................................................................................31 Sewage Contamination .........................................................................................................32 Fish and Wildlife Concerns in Lolo Creek Watershed ............................................................33 Chapter 3. Impairment Causes and Sources .............................................................................36 Sedimentation .......................................................................................................................37 Fisheries, wildlife, and water quality/quantity issues in the Lolo Creek Watershed ................42 Additional Concerns Related to Human Activities ..................................................................46 Chapter 4. Needs in Lolo Creek ...............................................................................................49 Restoration opportunities and recommendations ...................................................................51 Throughout the watershed .....................................................................................................54 Summary of Suggested Management Measures ...................................................................56 Chapter 5. Technical and Financial Assistance Needs ..............................................................57 Chapter 6. Outreach and Education ..........................................................................................62 Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration Plan: Education, Outreach & Fundraising Plan ...............62 Chapter 7. Implementation Schedule ........................................................................................66 Timeline and Implementation Schedule for Watershed Restoration Plan’s Items Coordinated by State and Federal Agencies ..............................................................................................66 Timeline and implementation schedule for the Lolo Watershed Group ..................................67 March 2013 i Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration Plan Chapter 8. Description of Measurable Interim Milestones .........................................................72 Examples of completed work upon which to build ..................................................................72 Framework for future work in Upper Lolo Creek ....................................................................73 Framework for future work in Lower Lolo Creek ....................................................................73 Chapter 9. Criteria to Show Water Quality/Quantity Goals are Being Met .................................82 Load reduction criteria for Upper Lolo Creek. ........................................................................82 Validating TMDL values and tracking progress ......................................................................83 Chapter 10. Technical Monitoring and Analysis Plan ................................................................95 Upper and Lower Lolo Creek TMDL Planning Areas .............................................................95 Additional Monitoring for Lower Lolo Creek public and private ownerships ............................95 Appendix A. Historic Area Map .................................................................................................97 Appendix B. Lolo Creek Physical Information Summary by Tributary ........................................98 Appendix C. Monthly climate summary data for the upper Lolo Creek Watershed .................. 102 Appendix D. USGS Gauging Station 12352000 ...................................................................... 103 Appendix E. Stream Flow and Temperature Data at Three Sites on Lolo Creek ..................... 106 Appendix F. Lolo Creek Floodplain Mapping ........................................................................... 109 Appendix G. Lolo Creek Tributary Electrofishing Database 1996-2010 ................................... 112 Appendix H. EPA Elements of the Lolo Watershed Restoration Plan. .................................... 119 EPA 1. Problems/Concerns ................................................................................................. 119 EPA 3. Measures needed to mediate problem ..................................................................... 119 EPA 4. Technical and Financial needs ................................................................................ 119 EPA 6. Timeline or Implementation Schedule ...................................................................... 119 EPA 7. Measurable Milestones ............................................................................................ 119 EPA 8. Criteria to show goals are being met........................................................................ 119 EPA 2. Estimate of expected load reductions. .................................................................... 129 EPA 9. The Monitoring Component. .................................................................................... 133 Appendix I. Lolo Creek Watershed Ownership Map ................................................................ 134 Appendix J. EPA’s Nine Elements of a Watershed-based Restoration Plan (WRP) ................ 135 References ............................................................................................................................. 137 March 2013 ii Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration Plan Acknowledgments The Lolo Watershed Group would like to thank Montana Department of Environmental Quality for providing funding to develop this watershed restoration plan for the Lolo Creek Watershed. In particular we would like to thank Laura Andersen for her editorial help and patience while we tried to put our thoughts to words within the framework of DEQ and EPA’s requirements. In addition we would like to thank the many agency and organization individuals who took the time to review our drafts and discuss details of restoration ideas for Lolo Creek. Included are: Traci Sylte, USFS who provided detailed comments and background on watersheds and beavers; Taylor Greenup, also USFS, who continued to give us encouragement and ideas; Paul Matter, USFS, for discussion and showing us stream-side examples; Shane Hendrickson, USFS, and Ladd Knotek, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, for help in describing fisheries issues; Todd Klietz, Missoula County Floodplain Administrator, for information on floodplain mapping, gaging stations and for sending the 1912 Missoula Quad map. Missoula Valley Water Quality District’s Peter Nielsen, Travis Ross, Jon Harvala and Michelle Hutchins for taking the time to meet with us to review and comment on our plan as it developed; Tara Comfort, Missoula Conservation District for helping us to understand the 310 law and the conservation district’s role in assisting land owners; Will McDowell, Clark Fork Coalition for helping us to try to simplify and put our thoughts into tables; Katie Gaut and Andy Fischer, also Clark Fork Coalition for monitoring sites on Lolo Creek and sharing