West Copper River Delta Landscape Assessment Cordova Ranger District Chugach National Forest 03/18/2003 updated 04/19/2007 Copper River Delta – circa 1932 – photo courtesy of Perry Davis Team: Susan Kesti - Team Leader, writer-editor, vegetation Milo Burcham – Wildlife resources, Subsistence Bruce Campbell – Lands, Special Uses Dean Davidson – Soils, Geology Rob DeVelice – Succession, Ecology Carol Huber – Minerals, Geology, Mining Tim Joyce – Fish subsistence Dirk Lang – Fisheries Bill MacFarlane – Hydrology, Water Quality Dixon Sherman – Recreation Linda Yarborough – Heritage Resources Table of Contents Executive Summary...........................................................................................vi Chapter 1 – Introduction ....................................................................................1 Purpose.............................................................................................................1 The Analysis Area .............................................................................................1 Legislative History .............................................................................................3 Relationship to the revised Chugach Land and Resource Management Plan...4 Chapter 2 – Analysis Area Description .............................................................7 Physical Characteristics ....................................................................................7 Location .........................................................................................................7 Climate ..........................................................................................................7 Ecological Classification ................................................................................9 Geology .......................................................................................................10 Landforms....................................................................................................13 Soils.............................................................................................................15 Wetlands......................................................................................................15 Hydrology.....................................................................................................17 Surface Water Quantity ...............................................................................25 Water Quality and Sedimentation ................................................................27 Ground Water ..............................................................................................28 Biological Characteristics ................................................................................28 Fish..............................................................................................................28 Vegetation....................................................................................................34 Wildlife .........................................................................................................37 Human Dimension...........................................................................................46 Human Occupation ......................................................................................46 Heritage Resources .....................................................................................48 Minerals and Mining.....................................................................................53 Roads ..........................................................................................................57 Recreation Facilities and Use ......................................................................59 Easements...................................................................................................64 Special Uses................................................................................................65 Chapter 3 – Issues and Key Questions...........................................................67 Physical...........................................................................................................67 Heritage Resource Issues ...............................................................................67 Fish .................................................................................................................68 Minerals and mining potential..........................................................................68 i Recreation.......................................................................................................69 Research Natural Area (RNA).........................................................................69 Special Uses ...................................................................................................70 Vegetation .......................................................................................................70 Water Quality...................................................................................................70 Wildlife.............................................................................................................70 Chapter 4 – Conditions and Trends ................................................................73 Landtype Associations in the area...................................................................73 Geomorphic processes in the area..................................................................76 Tectonic .......................................................................................................76 Glacial..........................................................................................................76 Erosion ........................................................................................................78 Factors affecting hydrology and water quality .................................................81 Drainage basin morphometry.......................................................................81 Glaciers .......................................................................................................81 Precipitation.................................................................................................82 Natural Lakes...............................................................................................82 Wetlands/Riparian areas .............................................................................82 Roads ..........................................................................................................83 Recreation ...................................................................................................83 Municipal Development ...............................................................................83 Conditions and trends of fisheries resources ..................................................83 Population trends of the key fish species.....................................................84 Sport, commercial, and subsistence fishing.................................................84 Other potential influences on fisheries resources ........................................89 Factors affecting vegetation ............................................................................91 Tectonic influences on vegetation succession.............................................91 Soil influences on vegetation development..................................................95 Wind Influences ...........................................................................................96 Insect and Diseases ....................................................................................96 Moose..........................................................................................................96 Timber Harvest ............................................................................................97 Invasive Plant Species.................................................................................98 Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Plant Species................................99 Wildlife...........................................................................................................100 Trumpeter Swans ......................................................................................100 Dusky Canada Goose................................................................................101 Moose........................................................................................................102 Sport and Subsistence Hunting .................................................................104 Condition and trends of heritage resources...................................................106 ii Conditions and trends of recreation resources..............................................108 Campgrounds ............................................................................................108 Trails..........................................................................................................108 Motorized and non-motorized opportunities...............................................109 Wildlife Viewing..........................................................................................109 Outfitters and Guides.................................................................................109 Mineral resources development ....................................................................110 Locatable Minerals.....................................................................................110