~-- I ....:. r Chapter 4 r [ Curreitt Conditions r~ [ r L. Middle Fork Willamette River [ I ... Downstream Tributaries Watershed c "" L This chapter documents the current conditions and Relevant Processes of the 0 Watershed. 0 0 0 0 0 0 [ f l [ [ Chapter 4 f [ Current Conditions G c [ Middle Fork Willamette River [ Downstream Tributaries Watershed [ "' L This chapter documents the current conditions and Relevant Processes of the 0 Watershed. 0 0 0 0 0 0 [ ISSUE (VM) Vegetation Manipulation The parameters used to measure the change in the processes or functions in the MFWDT may not be the same as used in Reference Conditions._Increased harvest of timber began in the 1940's. Harvest replaced wildfire as the major factor shaping the landscape. T a ble 19: c urrent p rocesses For Vegetat1on M an1pu1 at1on Domain Question Function Mechanism Parameter Measured Process Cause Terrestrial VMl Habitat Diversity Vegetation % Sera! Stage Manipulation Species Composition r Activities VMl Habitat Vegetation Distribution And Size Of Vegetation Patches Connectivity _ Manipulation Activities VMl Interior Habitat Vegetation Distribution And Size Of Vegetation Patches Manipulation Activities VM2 Ecological Site Management Large Woody Material (LWM) Productivity_ Activities VM5 Riparian Habitat Management Riparian Uses Activities VM6 Vegetation This is Shown In The Recommendations Manipulation Potential Aquatic VM4 Landslides Harvest In Debris Slides & Mass Movement Location & Unstable Areas Occurrence VM3 Hydrologic UpelopeAnd % Riparian In Sera! Stages< 35 Years Recovery Riparian Harvest Water Yield Class Flo"· Regime VM5 Riparian Habitat Management %Riparian Sera! Stages <35 >55 Years Activities Channel Stabilitv VM5 Wood Vegetation % Riparian Sera! Stage> 55 Years Recruitment & Manipulation Stream Temperatures Shadinsr VM5 Habitat Flood Events Ave. Stream Width And Depth Complexity Stream Cleanout # Poole Per Mile Ri_p_arian Harvest Substrate Composition Social No Question Social Relevance Ia In Characterization Terrestrial Domaln The important processes in the Terrestrial Domain are: Habitat Diversity, Habitat Connectivity, and Interior Habitat (VMl); Ecological Site Productivity r- (VM2); Riparian Habitat (VM5); and Vegetation Manipulation Potential (VM6). The Chapter on Recommendations addresses the potential acres available for vegetation manipulation activities. L Habitat Diversity I Western hemlock/Douglas-fir, Mountain hemlock/true fir, and hardwood remain \__, the dominant forested habitat types. The addition of Hills Creek Lake adds a large water habitat to the MFWDT. The acreage of each forested habitat l L MFWDT Current Conditions 4 • 2 L. exhibits a very different pattern and habitat structure than historical conditions. These differences result from fire suppression and timber management practices. See Figure 12 for the dominant habitat types in the MFWDT. Appendix H has a detailed description of sera! stages. ( L Table 20 presents the current percent seral stages in the MFWDT for NFS and private lands. Timber harvesting in the 1950's started the resurgence of early sera! habitat, and steadily increased until the present.. On National Forest c System lands, the early sera! habitat is in small harvest patches distributed across the forested landscape. The private lands started with small patch openings (30-50 acres in size), and ended up with large blocks consisting of early r sera! and pole-size habitats. Past reforestation and TSI practices have simplified managed ~ts. The emphasis was on crop tree production. The r I impoundment of Hills Creek Lake to about 2240 acres reduced the forest and L riparian habitats. [ Over 90% of the MFWDT is forested. Private lands are mainly in the stem initiation stage with some acreage in stem exclusion. I "' . L T a ble 20 . C urrent S eraIS ta~es Seral Stage Acres Forest Private Total Service Land Percent of Percent Percent MFWDT 0 Stem lnitiation 34,046 21 10 31 Early Habitat Stem Exclusion 14,708 11 2 13 .n Pole. Small Timber Understory Reinitiation 6,512 . 6 0 6 Mature Timber 0 Mature. Old-tErowth Timber 44003 40 0 40 Unsuited 1,759 Non-forest** [I Meadows 1128 Water 3,017 City - 930 Other* 3,897 0 Total 110.000 **Change due to private land conversion G *Roads, Administrative and Special Use areas Management activities and fire have set the stage for potential timber 0 management activities, special forest products and other activities necessary to meet the Forest Plan objectives. Appendix H describes the past blowdown areas, 0 some stand processes, and decade treatments. Species composition relates directly to habitat types. The following [ discussion will be on emphasis species and on habitat types. MFWDT Current Conditions 4 - 3 r \. Figure 12: Middlefork Willamette Downstream Tributaries Dominant Ha bi tat Types [· L [ [ [ [ ~ late Successional Reserves [ e:=J Western Hemlock/Douglas Fir lliiDIII Pine r 111 Hardwoods Htn Hemlock/True Fir ( Private land: Western Hemlocl Douglas-fir · City of Oakridge: - Hardwoods/ Douglas-fir l- ( l. .June 1!tll5 D s No plant species listed as Threatened or Endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service occur on the Willamette NF. A number of populations of Thompson's mistmaiden, a Region 6 Sensitive plant, [ are within the MFWDT. The Watershed has a number of rare and unique species; some are associated [ with rocky habitats. Three known populations of Spring phacelia are in the MFWDT. It is at its northern of range on the Willamette National Forest. [ Other rare species prefer wetter habitats. A bright pink checkermallow inhabits moist meadow habitats along the crest of the Calapooya Mountains. One r population of the little_grapefem is in the Watershed. Rigdon is the only L District on the Willamette where the one-flowered gentian is found. One of the three populations of yellow willow-herb found on the WNF is in the MFWDT. Forested habitats contain some~ species. The pine broomrape is found in dry coniferous woods. Plants have never relocated in clearcuts. The giant chain fern is found along stream banks and wet places. This species seems to be at the northern part of its range in the MFWDT. No known Survey and Manage brvoohvtes. fungi or lichens occur in the Watershed. Two vascular plants are documented here. One site of the candystick, a vascular species, is documented in the MFWDT from Ecology 0 Plots. Since there has not been systematic surveys, the assumption is there are more populations within the Watershed. This species has not been relocated in 0 clearcuts but some populations have been found in second growth stands. The second vascular plant, known historically in the MFWDT, is the mountain lady's slipper. This orchid has been reduced in number to approximately 20 0 populations west of the Cascades. The site in the Watershed was impacted by timber harvest. No plants survived. 0 Special habitats comprise approximately 1% of the Watershed. The most prevalent special habitats are rock gardens (267 acres), mesic meadows (242 acres), dry meadows (124 acres), wet meadows (91 acres) and rock outcrops (17 0 acres). These habitats are important for both wildlife and plant habitats. Functions of special habitats and the wildlife species that use them are outlined 0 in the Special Habitat Management Guide (Dimling and McCain,1992). The Calapooya Mountains forms a physical and a climatic barrier for plant 0 species migrating south, north and west. This area harbors a range of habitat types and species. Even though the peaktops are non-forested special habitats, the remainder of the area is highly fragmented by timber harvest. [ MFWDT Current Conditions 4 - 4 L f I \ ... L Two areas of special botanic richness were designated as Special Interest Areas in the Forest Plan. Moon Point is a 2000 acre parcel, 60% of which is in the MFWDT. Plants of interest include Siskiyou false hellebore and mountain L mahogany. The second SIA is Bradley Lake. in the southwest corner of the MFWDT, on the ridgeline of the Calapooya Mountains. Plants of interest [ include wapato and large-flowered brickellia. Three portions ofLSR 0222 fall within the Watershed Only 41,525 acres or 8% [ of LSR 0222 is within the MFWDT. The rest of LSR 0222 extends to the north, west and south of the Watershed. The current forest habitat condition of the LSR are in Table 21. [ Table 21: Forested Habitat In LSR 0222 Within MF\VDT Portion EarlySeral Pole&Small Mature and Total [ Timber -_ Old-Growth Acres in Acres and in Acres r Percent and Percent 1._ ..... , Northern 3,441 (16%) 3,052 (14%) 15,655 (70%) 22,148 Middle 1,595 (27%) 1,235 (21%) 3;149 (52%) 5,980 Southern 2,746 (20%) 1,201 (10%) 9,450 (70%) 13.477 ,_ Total 7,782 (19%) 5,488 (13%) 28,254 (68%) 41,525 f_ About 1300 acres of the LSR forms an extension through checker board private lands, toward the river corridor. Of the .five spotted owl activity centers, two, exist within this extension. An important function of this extension provides dispersal connectivity in this area for late successional species. Habitat Connectivity !_ ' Distribution and Size of Vegetation Patches is the measurements for habitat connectivity. Connectivity for upslope terrestrial and riparian associated wildlife species is highly fragmented. The large blocks of managed private lands and the Hills Creek Lake form the greatest barriers for most upslope terrestrial and riparian wildlife species that travel on land. ,. The Calapooya Mountains form a physical and climatic barrier for many plant - species. Interior Habitat: The size and distribution "Of vegetation stands is also a measurement for interior habitat. With the increase of timber harvesting the large blocks of interior forest habitats are substantially smaller than before 1900 (Figure 13). MFWDT Current Conditions 4 • 5 [ I_ r -l Figure 13: Middle Fork Willamette Downstream Tributaries Interior Habitat Current r L L. ....... I Class I - III Streams Late Successional Reserve Hills Creek Reservoir I Private Land 0 Managed Stands Interior Habitat Large Block Mature/Old 0 Gra~~tth 0 h\ = Mco..d•w/Sf4t"Se.