Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project No. 13234 Botanical Resources Studies Final Report Prepared for: City and Borough of Sitka Electric Department 105 Jarvis Street Sitka, Alaska 99835 Prepared by: HDR Alaska, Inc. 2525 C Street, Suite 305 Anchorage, AK 99503 In association with Lazy Mountain Biological Consulting Inundated club moss (Lycopodiella inundata) January 2014 Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 13234 Botanical Resources Studies - Final Report Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 1 1 Introduction and Scope of the Studies .............................................................................................. 1 2 Study Area .......................................................................................................................................... 1 3 Literature and Information Review ................................................................................................. 5 3.1 Vegetation Types ....................................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Sensitive and Rare Plant Species ............................................................................................... 6 3.2.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................ 6 3.2.2 USFS-Designated Sensitive Species ............................................................................ 6 3.2.3 Other Rare Plant Taxa .................................................................................................. 8 3.3 Non-Native Plant Species ........................................................................................................ 10 4 Methods ............................................................................................................................................. 10 4.1 Vegetation Mapping ................................................................................................................ 10 4.2 Field Study .............................................................................................................................. 11 4.2.1 Vegetation Types Survey ........................................................................................... 11 4.2.2 Sensitive and Rare Plant Species Survey ................................................................... 12 4.2.3 Non-Native Plant Species Survey .............................................................................. 13 5 Results ............................................................................................................................................... 13 5.1 Vegetation Mapping and Vegetation Types ............................................................................ 13 5.2 Sensitive and Rare Plant Species ............................................................................................. 21 5.2.1 Baranof Warm Springs ............................................................................................... 21 5.2.2 Takatz Creek .............................................................................................................. 24 5.2.3 Takatz Bay .................................................................................................................. 27 5.2.4 Takatz Lake ................................................................................................................ 29 5.3 Non-Native Plant Species ........................................................................................................ 33 6 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................... 34 6.1 Vegetation Mapping and Types............................................................................................... 34 6.2 Sensitive and Rare Plant Species ............................................................................................. 34 6.3 Non-Native Plant Species ........................................................................................................ 35 References .................................................................................................................................................. 36 i Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 13234 Botanical Resources Studies - Final Report Tables Table 1. USFS-Designated Sensitive Plant Species Known or Suspected to Occur on the Sitka Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest ............................................................. 7 Table 2. Vegetation Type Acreages of the Study Area Based on the Results of a Tree Size- Density Model 1 ............................................................................................................ 18 Figures Figure 1. General Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project location and electrical transmission line alternative locations ....................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Project components of the Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project ....................................... 3 Figure 3. Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. Botanical Resources Study Areas. ......................... 4 Figure 4 Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. Botanical Resources Studies. Tree Size – Density Mapping ....................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 6. Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. Baranof Warm Springs – Sadie Lake. Botanical Resources Survey Areas ............................................................................................... 15 Figure 7. Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. Takatz Creek – Takatz Bay. Botanical Resources Survey Areas. ............................................................................................................... 16 Figure 8. Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. Takatz Creek – Takatz Bay. Botanical Resources Survey Areas. ............................................................................................................... 17 Photographs Photograph 1. Tree groundpine ( Lycopodium dendroideum ) habitat ........................................... 22 Photograph 2. Tree groundpine ( Lycopodium dendroideum ) ....................................................... 23 Photograph 3. Inundated club moss ( Lycopodiella inundata ) ...................................................... 25 Photograph 4. Inundated club moss ( Lycopodiella inundata ) habitat .......................................... 26 Photograph 5. Inundated club moss ( Lycopodiella inundata ) habitat .......................................... 26 Appendices Appendix A: USFS Alaska Region Sensitive Plants, February 2009 Appendix B: USFS Sensitive Plant Survey Types Appendix C: Plants Considered Rare on Sitka Ranger District Appendix D: Plant Species Observed in Each Survey Sub-Area ii Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 13234 Botanical Resources Studies - Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City and Borough of Sitka (City) contracted with HDR Alaska, Inc. to conduct Botanical Resources Studies to support evaluation of the proposed Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project. The objectives of the botanical resources studies are three-fold: • Describe the vegetation types in the study area based on existing information and field reconnaissance. • Determine whether suitable habitats for rare plant species exist in potentially-affected areas, and survey representative suitable habitats. • Determine whether non-native plant infestations exist in the study area and document representative occurrences. The studies provide information needed for the City, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other management agencies to analyze the potential effects of project alternatives and to develop appropriate measures to protect botanical resources. Each of these studies included a review of existing information, then a field survey. The locations of many project components were not defined at the time of the studies so the investigators conducted the field surveys within the approximate corridors that might be affected. Most of the study-area land is not forested; rather, more than half consists of cliffs and other exposed rock, alpine habitats, landslide and avalanche tracks, wet meadows, and sparsely treed muskegs. Approximately one-quarter of the land in the general project vicinity supports conifer forests with a wide range of productivity. The study team located non-native plant infestations in the community of Baranof Warm Springs and at two sites subject to foot traffic between that community and Baranof Lake. They did not find non-native plants elsewhere in the Baranof or Takatz drainages. During field surveys, botanists found no species that are identified as Sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. However, they found three notable plant species that the USFS informally considers rare: A population of Lycopodiella inundata (inundated club moss) exists near Takatz Creek. That species is nearits northern range limit in the Sitka Ranger District. It is considered vulnerable to extirpation in Alaska by the Alaska Natural Heritage Program. A population of Lycopodium dendroideum (tree groundpine) was relocated north of the east end of Baranof Lake. The species is common in the Interior of Alaska but its Baranof