East Copper River Delta Landscape Assessment Cordova Ranger District Chugach National Forest 07/28/2004 Looking north across the Martin River valley and the confluence of the Martin and Copper Rivers towards Goat Mountain and Childs Glacier. August 2003. Team: Susan Kesti - Team Leader, writer-editor, vegetation, socio-economic Milo Burcham – Wildlife resources, Subsistence Bruce Campbell – Lands, Special Uses Rob DeVelice – Succession, Ecology Carol Huber – Minerals, Geology, Mining Tim Joyce – Fish subsistence Dirk Lang – Fisheries Bill MacFarlane – Hydrology, Water Quality Dixon Sherman – Recreation Ricardo Velarde – Soils, Geology Linda Yarborough – Heritage Resources ii Table of Contents Executive Summary.......................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1 – Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Purpose............................................................................................................................ 1 The Analysis Area........................................................................................................... 1 Legislative History.......................................................................................................... 4 Desired Future Condition................................................................................................ 4 Chugach Land and Resource Management Plan direction ......................................... 4 Chapter 2 – Analysis Area Description .............................................................................. 9 Physical Characteristics .................................................................................................. 9 Climate...................................................................................................................... 10 Ecological Classification .......................................................................................... 12 Geomorphology ........................................................................................................ 14 Landforms................................................................................................................. 14 Landtype Associations.............................................................................................. 15 Geology..................................................................................................................... 18 Soils........................................................................................................................... 26 Wetlands ................................................................................................................... 27 Hydrology ................................................................................................................. 28 Streamflows .............................................................................................................. 30 Water Quality and Sedimentation............................................................................. 32 Ground Water............................................................................................................ 34 Biological Characteristics ............................................................................................. 34 Fish............................................................................................................................ 34 Vegetation................................................................................................................. 44 Wildlife ..................................................................................................................... 47 Human Dimension ........................................................................................................ 60 Human Occupation ................................................................................................... 60 Heritage Resources ................................................................................................... 64 Socio Economic ........................................................................................................ 72 Minerals .................................................................................................................... 74 Roads......................................................................................................................... 81 Recreation Facilities and Use.................................................................................... 82 Easements ................................................................................................................. 85 Special Uses.............................................................................................................. 87 Cape St. Elias Reserve .............................................................................................. 88 Chapter 3 – Issues and Key Questions.............................................................................. 91 i Physical......................................................................................................................... 91 Disturbance regimes.................................................................................................. 91 Hydrology and Water Quality................................................................................... 91 Biological...................................................................................................................... 92 Fish............................................................................................................................ 92 Vegetation................................................................................................................. 93 Wildlife ..................................................................................................................... 93 Human........................................................................................................................... 93 Heritage Resource Issues .......................................................................................... 93 Minerals and mining potential .................................................................................. 94 Recreation ................................................................................................................. 95 Special Uses.................................................................................................................. 96 Chapter 4 – Conditions and Trends .................................................................................. 97 Geomorphic processes in the area................................................................................. 97 Glacial....................................................................................................................... 97 Tectonic..................................................................................................................... 97 Erosion ...................................................................................................................... 98 General hydrologic trends............................................................................................. 99 Northern Area ........................................................................................................... 99 Copper River Delta Area ........................................................................................ 101 Bering River Area................................................................................................... 105 Katalla River ........................................................................................................... 107 Islands ..................................................................................................................... 108 Conditions and trends of fisheries resources .............................................................. 108 Population trends of the key fish species................................................................ 108 Human Influences on the fisheries resources.......................................................... 115 Factors affecting vegetation........................................................................................ 127 Tectonic influences on vegetation succession ........................................................ 127 Soil influences on vegetation development ............................................................ 132 Wind Influences...................................................................................................... 133 Insect and Diseases ................................................................................................. 133 Moose...................................................................................................................... 133 Timber Harvest ....................................................................................................... 134 Non-Native Plant Species ....................................................................................... 134 Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Plant Species............................................. 136 Wildlife ....................................................................................................................... 137 Trumpeter Swans ...................................................................................................