Environmental Assessment for the United States Department of Dosewallips Agriculture Forest Service Engineered Log Jam Pacific Northwest Project Region February 2013 Olympic National Forest The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (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 TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. i Environmental Assessment for the Dosewallips Engineered Log Jam Project Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 RELATIONSHIP TO THE FOREST PLAN AND OTHER MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................... 1 PROJECT LOCATION ............................................................................................................... 4 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 11 PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................................................. 14 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION ........................................................................................ 18 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ......................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2 – ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................... 21 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 21 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED STUDY .............................. 21 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL .............................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ................................................................ 35 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 35 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................... 36 FISH AND FISH HABITAT ...................................................................................................... 36 WILDLIFE ............................................................................................................................. 64 BOTANY AND INVASIVE PLANTS .......................................................................................... 77 INVASIVE PLANTS ................................................................................................................ 83 SOILS AND SOIL PRODUCTIVITY ........................................................................................... 85 STRUCTURE STABILITY ........................................................................................................ 89 RECREATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ...................................................................................... 90 VISUAL IMPACT ................................................................................................................... 92 WILDERNESS AND INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS ............................................................ 93 CULTURAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 94 WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS………………………………………………………………...95 CLIMATE CHANGE ............................................................................................................... 97 OTHER EFFECTS ................................................................................................................... 98 CHAPTER 4 – LIST OF PREPARERS AND AGENCIES CONSULTED ...................... 103 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 104 APPENDIX A - DESIGN PLANS AND STRUCTURAL STABILITY ANALYSIS FOR PHASE 1 110 APPENDIX B – RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ..................................................................... 1107 ii Environmental Assessment for the Dosewallips Engineered Log Jam Project List of Figures Figure 1. Project vicinity map, numbers denote proposed treatment reaches ................................. 6 Figure 2. Project Reaches 1, 2, and 3 .............................................................................................. 7 Figure 3. Project Reaches 4 and 5 ................................................................................................... 8 Figure 4. Northwest Forest Plan land management allocations ...................................................... 9 Figure 5. 1990 Land and Resource Management Plan management area allocations ................... 10 Figure 6. ELJ constructed in 2008 below Hwy. 101 bridge along left bank within the Dosewallips State Park, an example of the size of structures that are proposed under this project………26 Figure 7. Large mid-channel ELJ constructed in 2011 near the mouth of the river within the Dosewallips State Park. This size of structure will not be constructed under this project....26 Figure 8. Location of Chinook and steelhead redds in the lower Dosewallips off National Forest lands…………………………………………………………………………...…………….38 Figure 9. Location of Chinook and steelhead redds in the Dosewallips within Reaches 1-3…….39 Figure 10. Location of Chinook and steelhead redds in the Dosewallips within Reaches 4-5...…40 Figure 11. Location of Chinook and steelhead redds in the Dosewallips above Reaches 5…...…41 Figure 12 Comparison of proposed Reach 5 that has very little wood with the old steelhead campground that has high amounts of wood………………………….……………………48 Figure A1. Site plan for Phase 1 (Reach 3) of the Dosewallips ELJ project …………………...111 Figure A2. Typical ELJ Detail…………………………….…………………………..…..…….112 Figure A3. ELJ Sequencing……………………………………………………………………...113 *NOTE: Best to view all Figures in color to see all information presented.* List of Tables Table 1. Concerns raised during public scoping ............................................................................ 20 Table 2. Fish species present in the Lower Dosewallips subwatershed ........................................ 37 Table 3. Selected indicators from the Matrix of Pathway and Indicators (NMFS 1996) .............. 42 Table 4. Wood count per reach in mid-Dosewallips River (USDA Forest Service 2006)……….46 Table 5. Number of pieces per 100 meters of channel length (Fox et al. 2003)………………….47 Table 6. Habitat area by reach in mid-Dosewallips River (USDA Forest Service 2006)..............51 Table 7. Pool habitat summary in mid-Dosewallips River (USDA Forest Service 2006)……….51 Table 8. Riparian tree size class and composition along Dosewallips River (USDA Forest Service 2006)……………………………………………………………………………………………...55 Table 9. Estimated LWD Recruitment Potential within the National Forest Boundary (USDA Forest Service 1999)……………………………………………………………………………...56 Table 10. Estimated National Forest Riparian Forest Type (USDA Forest Service 1999)………56 Table 11. Federally Listed Threatened Fish Determinations……………………………………..58 Table 12. Region 6 Sensitive Fish Species and Effects Determinations…………………………60 Table 13. Federally Listed Marbled Murrelet and Northern Spotted Owl Determinations………65 Table 14. Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species ………………………………………………...66 Table 15. Forest Management Indicator Species ………………………………………………...72 Table 16. Impacts to Olympic Forest MIS Species………………………………………………74 Table 17. US Fish and Wildlife Service Species of Concern…………………………………….76 Table 18. Sensitive vascular plant species documented to occur on the Olympic National Forest with potential habitat in the proposed project area……………………………………………….79 Table 19. Sensitive lichen species documented to occur on the Olympic National Forest with potential habitat in the proposed project area…………………………………………………….80 iii Environmental Assessment for the Dosewallips Engineered Log Jam Project Table 20. Sensitive fungi known or suspected to occur on Olympic National Forest ................... 81 Table 21. Invasive plants known to occur in or near proposed project area. ................................. 83 Table 22. Soil management interpretations for access roads and equipment trails ........................ 88 Table 23. IDT Members and Contributors ................................................................................... 103 Table 24. Agencies and Tribes Consulted .................................................................................... 103 Table A1. Summary of calculated scour for each proposed ELJ in reach 3 ............................... 1144 iv Environmental Assessment for the Dosewallips Engineered Log Jam Project SUMMARY The Olympic National Forest proposes to construct 16 engineered log jams and log-lay structures in five selected reaches of the Dosewallips River. The purpose of the project is to restore appropriate habitat-forming