TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .................................................. 1 1.0 CHARACTERIZATION - STEP 1 ................................ 3 1.1 Human Use Characteristics ........................................ 3 1.2 Physical Characteristics ........................................... 6 1.3 Biological Characteristics ......................................... 9 2.0 ISSUES AND KEY QUESTIONS - STEP 2 ........................ 13 2.1 Human Uses 13 2.1.1 Recreation Uses/Access ................................... 13 2.1.2 Community Values/Aesthetics .............................. 14 2.1.3 Commodity Production .................................... 14 2.1.4 Miscellaneous Forest Products .............................. 14 2.2 Water Quantity And Quality ...................................... 15 2.2.1 Water Quantity .......................................... 15 2.2.2 Water Quality ........................................... 15 2.2.3 Soils and Erosion Processes ................................ 15 2.2.4 Road-related Sedimentation ................................ 15 2.3 Habitat Diversity ............................................... 16 2.3.1 Vegetation .............................................. 16 2.3.2 Forest Fragmentation ..................................... 16 2.3.3 Rare plants .............................................. 16 2.3.4 Noxious Weeds .......................................... 16 2.4 Terrestrial Wildlife ............................................. 16 2.4.1 Spotted Owl Habitat ...................................... 17 2.4.2 Peregrine Falcon ......................................... 17 2.4.3 Bald Eagle Habitat ....................................... 17 2.4.4 Great Gray Owl .......................................... 17 2.4.5 Big Game Habitats ....................................... 17 2.4.6 Roads .................................................. 17 2.4.7 Red Tree Vole ........................................... 18 2.4.8 Mature and Old Growth Forest Habitat ....................... 18 2.4.9 Interior Forest Habitat ..................................... 18 2.4.10 Snags 18 2.4.11 Dispersal Corridors ....................................... 18 2.5 Aquatic Habitat ................................................ 18 -i­ 2.5.1 Riparian Condition ....................................... 18 2.5.2 Channel Condition ....................................... 20 2.5.3 Fish Habitat ............................................. 20 2.5.4 Aquatic Species .......................................... 20 3.0 CURRENT AND REFERENCE CONDITION - STEPS 3 & 4 ...... 20 3.1 Human Uses ................................................... 20 3.1.1 Use of the Area by Native Americans ........................ 20 3.1.2 Development within the Watershed .......................... 21 3.1.3 Residents Within the Watershed ............................ 22 3.1.4 Nearby Populations and Employment ........................ 24 3.1.5 Recreation .............................................. 26 3.1.6 Public Access ........................................... 29 3.1.7 Landscape Aesthetics ..................................... 30 3.1.8 Special Forest Products .................................... 31 3.2 Physical Characteristics .......................................... 32 3.2.1 Hydrology .............................................. 32 3.2.2 Precipitation/Runoff Characteristics ......................... 32 3.2.3 Conclusions ............................................. 41 3.3 Water Quality ................................................. 43 3.3.1 Introduction ............................................. 43 3.3.2 Beneficial Uses of Water in Lost Creek and its Tributaries ....... 43 3.3.3 Water Quality Data-Quantitative, Qualitative, and Characterization 45 3.3.4 Conditions of Beneficial Uses and Associated Parameters ........ 48 3.3.5 Conclusions ............................................. 50 3.4 Soils and Erosion Processes ...................................... 51 3.4.1 Introduction ............................................. 51 3.4.2 Productivity and Resiliency ................................ 51 3.4.3 Erosional Processes and Sediment Delivery ................... 52 3.5 Vegetation .................................................... 62 3.5.1 Introduction ............................................. 63 3.5.2 Historic Vegetation ....................................... 63 3.5.3 Special Status Plants (SSP) ................................. 72 3.6 Terrestrial Wildlife ............................................. 75 3.6.1 Introduction ............................................. 75 3.7 Aquatic Habitat ................................................ 93 3.7.1 Reference Condition ...................................... 93 3.7.2 Current Condition ........................................ 95 -ii­ 4.0 SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS-STEPS 5 AND 6 ...... 111 4.1 Dominant Processes Affecting the Watershed at the Landscape Level .. 111 4.1.1 Fire ................................................... 111 4.1.2 Timber Management/Harvest .............................. 111 4.1.3 Roading ............................................... 112 4.1 4 Non-timber(Agricultural and Rural/Residential) .............. 112 4.2 Human Uses .................................................. 112 4.2.1 Recreation ............................................. 112 4.2.2 Landscape Aesthetics .................................... 113 4.2.3 Public Access .......................................... 114 4.2.4 Forest Products ......................................... 115 4.3 Physical Characteristics ......................................... 115 4.3.1 Hydrology ............................................. 115 4.3.2 Water Quality .......................................... 117 4.3.3 Erosion Processes and Sediment Delivery .................... 118 4.4 Biological Characteristics ....................................... 121 4.4.1 Vegetation ............................................. 121 4.4.2 Terrestrial Wildlife ...................................... 125 4.4.3 Aquatic Habitat and Channel Condition ..................... 130 4.4.4 Summary of Recommendations ............................ 138 5.0 REFERENCES .............................................. 142 List of Figures: Figure 1. Vicinity map Figure 2. Annual total precipitation compared to the long term average for Lookout Point Reservoir (period of record 1956-1995) Figure 3. Monthly average maximum and minimum precipitation for Lookout Point Reservoir (period of record 1955-1996) Figure 4. Location of representative watershed, Winberry Creek, in relation to Lost Creek watershed Figure 5. Monthly minimum and maximum discharge Figure 6. Instantaneous peak flow (representative watershed) Figure 7. Sediment yield in tons per year by subwatershed for the Lost Creek watershed Figure 8. Relative increase in sediment yield over background rates (total/background) for the Lost Creek watershed Figure 9. 1914 Vegetation, Lost Creek Watershed Figure 10. 1936 Vegetation-Lost Creek Watershed -iii­ Figure 11. Current Vs. 1936 Vegetation Lost Creek Watershed Figure 12. Current Seral Stages-All Ownerships Lost Creek Watershed Figure 13. Current Seral Stage by Subwatershed Lost Creek Watershed Figure 14. Current Seral Stages by Owner Class Lost Creek Watershed Figure 15. LWD Recruitment Potential by Subwatershed List of Tables: Table 1. Acres by Land Ownership Class for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 2. Acres by BLM Land Use Allocation for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 3. Drainage Area and Stream Length for Subwatersheds within the Lost Creek Watershed Table 4. Summary of Stream Miles Inhabited by Salmonids in the Lost Creek Watershed Table 5. 1990 US Census Data for Dexter, Oregon Trends (US Department of Commerce 1990) Table 6. Population changes in Lane County and Eugene/Springfield Table 7. Jobs and Percent of Total Employment Table 8. Expected Lane County Population Increases Through 2015 Table 9. Jobs and Percent of Total Employment Table 10. Recreational Use of Forests by People in Eugene/Springfield Metro Area (Schindler and List 1995) Table 11. Drainage Density by Subwatershed for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 12. Total Average Annual Yield Values for Lost Creek and Winberry Creek Table 13. USGS Estimated Statistical Measurements of 1.25, 2, 5, 10 and 25 Year Flood Events Within the Lost Creek Watershed (based on Winberry Creek Gage) Table 14. Beneficial Uses of Surface Water in Lost Creek Table 15. Oregon's Instream Water Quality Standards and the Primary Beneficial Uses They Protect Table 16. Summary Water Quality Data for Lost Creek (LCOG, 1974) Table 17. Soil Productivity and Resiliency for the Lost Creek Watershed Analysis Table 18. Acres by Slope Class Category for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 19. Mass Wasting Potential for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 20. Soil Erodibility (K Factor)by Category for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 21. Erodibility Ratings Based on K factor and Slope Table 22. Acres of Erosion Hazard by Category for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 23. Road Density by Subwatershed for the Lost Creek Watershed Table 24. Sediment Yield in Tons Per Year by Surface and Road Use Types Table 25. Road Miles by Surface and Road Use Types Table 26. Estimated Background and Road-related Sediment Yield in Tons Per Year for Subwatersheds in the Lost Creek Watershed Table 27. 1936 Vegetation in the Lost Creek Watershed Table 28. Comparison of Seral Stages (Oliver and Larson 1990)with BLM Age Classifications Table 29. Current Condition: Percent of