Draft Upper Snake Subbasin Summary May 17, 2002 Prepared for the Northwest Power Planning Council Editor Stacey H. Stovall, Conservation Innova tions, Inc. Subbasin Team Leader Chad Colter, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Contributors Chad Colter, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Jeff McCreary, Ducks Unlimited Jim Mende, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Debbie Mignogno, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dave Mosier, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Chuck Warren, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Kathy Weaver, Idaho Soil Conservation Commission Upper Snake Subbasin Summary Table of Contents Background.................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2 Subbasin Description .................................................................................................................... 3 General Location....................................................................................................................... 3 Drainage Area ........................................................................................................................... 6 Topography/geomorphology..................................................................................................... 6 Soils........................................................................................................................................... 8 Climate ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Settlement History..................................................................................................................... 9 Major Land Uses ..................................................................................................................... 10 Hydrology................................................................................................................................ 17 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 27 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................... 36 Fish and Wildlife Resources....................................................................................................... 38 Fish and Wildlife Status .......................................................................................................... 38 Habitat Areas and Quality....................................................................................................... 70 Watershed Assessment............................................................................................................ 88 Major Limiting Factors ........................................................................................................... 89 Artificial Production................................................................................................................ 93 Existing and Past Efforts......................................................................................................... 93 Subbasin Management.............................................................................................................. 100 Existing Plans, Policies, and Guidelines ............................................................................... 100 Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Recommended Actions .................................................. 104 Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Activities .................................................................. 113 Statement of Fish and Wildlife Needs................................................................................... 115 Snake Upper Subbasin Recommendations .............................................................................116 Projects and Budgets ............................................................................................................. 116 Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Activities .................................................................. 140 Needed Future Actions..........................................................................................................143 Actions by Others.................................................................................................................. 144 References .................................................................................................................................. 149 Upper Snake Subbasin Summary i DRAFT May 17, 2002 List of Tables Table 1. Width of the Middle Snake River channel (Buhidar 1999). ............................................. 8 Table 2. Land use estimates (Buhidar 1999)................................................................................. 10 Table 3. Perrenial and intermittent waterbodies of the Upper Snake River subbasin (Buhidar 1999)............................................................................................................................. 18 Table 4. Description of impoundments affecting water velocities in the Middle Snake River (Buhidar 1999). ............................................................................................................ 25 Table 5. Spaceholder contracts in the Upper Snake River subbasin as of November 1995 (AF) (Buhidar 1999). ............................................................................................................ 26 Table 6. Total suspended solids, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001)........................ 29 Table 7. Total phosphorus, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001). .............................. 29 Table 8. Total nitrite plus nitrate, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001). ..................... 29 Table 9. Total ammonia, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001).................................... 30 Table 10. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001).................... 30 Table 11. Total Nitrogen to Total Phosphorus ratios, Milner Dam to Shoshone Falls (Bihudar 2001)............................................................................................................................. 31 Table 12. Flow conditions in the Snake River from Milner Dam to King Hill (Bihudar 2001)... 31 Table 13. Increase in Snake River flow (Bihudar 2001)............................................................... 31 Table 14. Native and introduced fish species in the Upper Snake River subbasin, Idaho............ 38 Table 15. Fisheries genetic inventory sampling summary, Fort Hall Indian Reservation, August - September 1999............................................................................................................ 43 Table 16. Fish species sampled by the IDFG in the Raft River watershed................................... 47 Table 17. Fish species sampled by IDFG in the Marsh Creek watershed..................................... 47 Table 18. Fish species sampled by IDFG in the Goose Creek watershed..................................... 48 Table 19. Fish species in the Snake River (Bahidur 1999). .......................................................... 49 Table 20. Idaho Department of Fish and Game water types by river segment (Bihudar 1999). 52 Table 21. Antlered mule deer harvest estimates, 4-point (or greater) bucks in the antlered harvest, and number of hunters in mule deer analysis unit 15 (approximating the Upper Snake River subbasin), 1996-2000. ........................................................................................ 61 Table 22. Antlered elk harvest estimates, % of 6-point (or greater) bulls in the antlered harvest, and number of hunters in the Big Desert elk analysis unit (approximating the Upper Snake River subbasin), 1996-2000............................................................................... 62 Table 23. List of common waterfowl species found in the Upper Snake River subbasin. ........... 63 Table 24. Number of Canada goose indicated pairs, and total number of geese seen during aerial surveys of the Snake River and American Falls Reservoir, from Shelley Idaho to American Falls, 1996-2000. ......................................................................................... 64 Table 25. Number of Canada goose indicated pairs, and total number of geese seen during aerial surveys of the Blackfoot Reservoir, 1996-2000........................................................... 67 Upper Snake Subbasin Summary ii DRAFT May 17, 2002 Table 26. Antlered mule deer harvest estimates, % of 4-point (or greater) bucks in the antlered harvest, and number of hunters in mule deer analysis area 21 (a large portion of the Portneuf River subbasin), 1996-2000........................................................................... 68 Table 27. Antlered elk harvest estimates, % of 6-point (or greater) in the antlered harvest, and number of hunters in the Bannock elk analysis unit (approximating the Portneuf River subbasin), 1996-2000. .................................................................................................. 69 Table 28. Number of Canada goose indicated pairs, and total number of geese seen during aerial surveys of the Portneuf River subbasin, from Chesterfield Reservoir to Inkom, 1996- 2000. ............................................................................................................................