DRAFT Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna Steelhead Habitat Assessment APPENDIX A STEELHEAD HABITAT ASSESSMENT Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna DRAFT Steelhead Habitat Assessment Prepared by Cardno ENTRIX Prepared for Zone 7 Water Agency Project Name Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna Steelhead Habitat Assessment Project Number 33620001.00 Project Manager Neil Lassettre and Jean Baldrige Date November 2013 Prepared for: Zone 7 Water Agency 100 North Canyons Parkway, Livermore, CA 94551 Prepared by: Cardno ENTRIX 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 200 Concord, CA 94520 Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna DRAFT Steelhead Habitat Assessment A Table of Contents Appendix A Steelhead Habitat Assessment .............................................................................. A-1 A.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................A-1 A.2 Study Area ........................................................................................................................A-1 A.2.1 Arroyo del Valle .................................................................................................A-2 A.2.1.1 Water Releases on Arroyo del Valle .................................................A-2 A.2.1.2 Existing Live Stream Requirement ....................................................A-3 A.2.1.3 Historical and Current Effect of Releases to Arroyo del Valle ...........A-3 A.2.2 Arroyo de la Laguna ..........................................................................................A-3 A.3 Fisheries ...........................................................................................................................A-4 A.3.1 Fish Community Composition ...........................................................................A-4 A.3.2 Central California Coast Steelhead...................................................................A-8 A.3.2.1 Life History Overview .........................................................................A-9 A.3.2.2 Habitat Requirements ......................................................................A-10 A.4 Previous Assessments and Historical Information .........................................................A-14 A.4.1 Previous Geomorphic Assessments ...............................................................A-14 A.4.2 Steelhead Habitat Assessments .....................................................................A-15 A.4.3 Historical Information ......................................................................................A-15 A.4.3.1 Historical Changes Associated with Land Development .................A-16 A.4.3.2 Historical Changes Associated with Gravel Mining .........................A-17 A.5 Methods ..........................................................................................................................A-17 A.5.1 Geomorphic Assessment ................................................................................A-18 A.5.2 Steelhead Habitat Assessment .......................................................................A-19 A.6 Results ............................................................................................................................A-20 A.6.1 Geomorphic and Steelhead Habitat Assessment ...........................................A-20 A.6.1.1 Arroyo del Valle ...............................................................................A-22 A.6.1.2 Arroyo de la Laguna ........................................................................A-25 A.6.2 Temperature Assessment ...............................................................................A-25 A.6.3 Migration Barriers ............................................................................................A-27 A.6.4 Water Quality ..................................................................................................A-28 A.6.5 Predators .........................................................................................................A-28 A.7 Discussion ......................................................................................................................A-29 A.7.1 Overview of Conditions within the Study Area ................................................A-29 A.7.1.1 Geomorphic and Steelhead Habitat Assessment............................A-29 A.7.1.2 Temperature ....................................................................................A-30 A.7.1.3 Migration Barriers ............................................................................A-31 A.7.1.4 Water Quality ...................................................................................A-31 A.7.1.5 Predators .........................................................................................A-31 A.7.2 Additional Stressors on Steelhead Habitat .....................................................A-32 A.7.2.1 Streamflow .......................................................................................A-32 A.7.2.2 Channel Form ..................................................................................A-32 A.7.2.3 Large Woody Debris ........................................................................A-32 November 2013 Cardno ENTRIX Table of Contents A-i Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna Steelhead Habitat Assessment DRAFT A.7.2.4 Alterations to Food Web ..................................................................A-33 A.8 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................A-33 A.9 References .....................................................................................................................A-34 Attachments Attachment 1 Summary of Water Operations along Arroyo Valle Attachment 2 Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna Temperature Probe Data Tables Table A-1 Changes in the Fish Fauna of the Alameda Creek Watershed, 1865–2012, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties1 ...............................................................................A-5 Table A-2 Temperature Thresholds for Steelhead Life Stages and Potential Effects ....................A-11 Table A-3 Study Reach Location and Length .................................................................................A-18 Table A-4 Geomorphic Characteristics of Study Reaches .............................................................A-21 Table A-5 Steelhead Habitat Characteristics of Study Reaches ....................................................A-22 Table A-6 Maximum Weekly Average Temperatures (MWATs) Observed in the Study Area in 2012 ...........................................................................................................................A-26 Table A-7 Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Concentration in Island Pond and Arroyo Pond within Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area ...................................................A-28 Table A-8 Fish Species Recorded in Island Pond and Arroyo Pond within Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area ..............................................................................................A-29 Table A-9 Steelhead Habitat Conditions in Study Reaches ...........................................................A-30 Figures Figure A-1 Location of Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna within Alameda Creek Watershed ......................................................................................................................A-43 Figure A-2 Location of Study Reaches along Arroyo de Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna ................A-44 Figure A-3 Mean Monthly Flow for Alameda Creek at Niles Canyon, USGS Gauge # 11179000 (1969-2011) ..................................................................................................A-45 Figure A-4 Mean Monthly Flow for Arroyo de la Laguna at Verona, USGS Gauge # 11176900 (1969-2011) ..................................................................................................A-46 Figure A-5 Peak Flows for Alameda Creek at Niles Canyon, USGS Gauge # 11179000 (1892-2011) ....................................................................................................................A-47 Figure A-6 Location of Diversion Points and Stream Gauges along Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna .......................................................................................................A-48 Figure A-7 Median Average Daily Flow for Arroyo del Valle near Livermore before and after Del Valle Dam ................................................................................................................A-49 Figure A-8 Median Average Daily Flow for Arroyo del Valle near Pleasanton before and after Del Valle Dam ................................................................................................................A-50 A-ii Table of Contents Cardno ENTRIX November 2013 Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna DRAFT Steelhead Habitat Assessment Figure A-9 Mean Monthly Flow for Arroyo del Valle below Lang Canyon, USGS Gauge # 11176400 (1969-2011) above Lake Del Valle ...............................................................A-51 Figure A-10 Mean Monthly Flow for Arroyo del Valle at Livermore, USGS Gauge #11176500 (1969-2011) below Lake Del Valle .................................................................................A-52 Figure A-11 Seasonal Exceedence Flow for Arroyo del Valle near Pleasanton (1968-2011) ...........A-53 Figure A-12 Median Average