United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Lower McCloud Watershed Analysis December 2011 Shasta-McCloud Management Unit Shasta-Trinity National Forest For More Information Contact: Shasta-McCloud Management Unit PO Box 1620 McCloud, CA 96057 (530) 964-2184 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 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Shasta-Trinity National Forest Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 About This Analysis .................................................................................................................... 1 The Analysis Process ................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1: Characterization of the Watershed ................................................................................. 3 Location ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Analysis Area Setting .................................................................................................................. 3 Watershed Setting ........................................................................................................................ 4 Relationship to Larger Scale Setting ........................................................................................... 4 Physical Features ......................................................................................................................... 6 Biological Features .................................................................................................................... 10 Human Uses ............................................................................................................................... 18 Land Ownership, Allocations and Management Direction ....................................................... 20 McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project ........................................................................................... 26 Chapter 2: Issues and Key Questions ............................................................................................. 27 Issue: Fire and Fuels .................................................................................................................. 27 Issue: Habitat Quality ................................................................................................................ 28 Issue: Late-Successional Reserve .............................................................................................. 28 Chapter 3: Current Conditions ....................................................................................................... 31 Physical Features ....................................................................................................................... 31 Biological Features .................................................................................................................... 42 Vegetation .................................................................................................................................. 42 Human Uses ............................................................................................................................... 89 Chapter 4: Reference Conditions ................................................................................................... 97 Historical Overview ................................................................................................................... 97 Physical Features ..................................................................................................................... 101 Biological Features .................................................................................................................. 112 Human Uses ............................................................................................................................. 124 Chapter 5: Synthesis and Interpretation ....................................................................................... 129 Issue 1: Fire and Fuels ............................................................................................................. 130 Issue 2: Habitat Quality ........................................................................................................... 132 Issue 3: Late-Successional Reserve ......................................................................................... 136 Erosion Processes .................................................................................................................... 139 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................ 141 Stream Channel ....................................................................................................................... 143 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 146 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................ 148 Species and Habitat ................................................................................................................. 150 Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive (TES) Plants and Other Species of Concern ............. 150 Noxious Weeds ........................................................................................................................ 152 Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitat.................................................................................. 154 Aquatic and Riparian Species .................................................................................................. 157 Human Uses ............................................................................................................................. 160 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................................. 160 Recreation ................................................................................................................................ 161 Chapter 6: Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 163 Fire and Fuels .......................................................................................................................... 163 Habitat Quality ........................................................................................................................ 164 Late-Successional Reserve ...................................................................................................... 164 i Lower McCloud Watershed Analysis Other Resource Recommendations.......................................................................................... 165 Research, Survey, and Monitoring Needs ............................................................................... 168 Appendix A − Glossary ............................................................................................................... 169 Appendix B − References ............................................................................................................ 174 Appendix C – Map Listing .......................................................................................................... 190 Appendix D – Wildlife Habitat Descriptions ............................................................................... 192 Appendix E – Management Direction ......................................................................................... 196 Land Allocation ....................................................................................................................... 196 Management Prescriptions ...................................................................................................... 196 Management Areas .................................................................................................................. 198 Coordinated Resource Management Plan ................................................................................ 200 Appendix F – History of the Lower McCloud River Watershed ................................................. 202 Appendix H-Figures ..................................................................................................................... 206 List of Tables Table 1-1. Summary of land ownerships