Wild & Scenic River Study Report This report evaluates the eligibility and suitability of waterways located within the Bering Sea Western Interior Resource Management Planning Area for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River System Anchorage Field Office Office Original Publication: February 2015 Version 2: September 2018 BLM/AK/PL-15/006+8354+A010 REV2019 This page intentionally left blank. List of Contributors Jenny Blanchard, Cultural Resource Specialist Kevin Keeler, Iditarod National Historic Trail Administrator Stephanie Kuhns, Outdoor Recreation Planner Merlyn Schelske, Fisheries Biologist Bruce Seppi, Wildlife and Subsistence Resources Benjamin Stratton, Hydrologist This page intentionally left blank. Bering Sea-Western Interior Resource Management Plan Report on Wild & Scenic River Eligibility and Suitability CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................. III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... V 1. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY PROCESS .................................................................... 1 2. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND PRELIMINARY CLASSIFICATION ..................... 5 2.1 WATERBODIES CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL SYSTEM ........... 9 2.1.1 Anvik River _______________________________________________________ 10 2.1.2 Bear Creek (Nikolai) ________________________________________________ 11 2.1.3 Big River _________________________________________________________ 12 2.1.4 Blackwater Creek ___________________________________________________ 13 2.1.5 Canyon Creek _____________________________________________________ 13 2.1.6 Middle Fork Kuskokwim River ________________________________________ 14 2.1.7 North Fork Unalakleet River __________________________________________ 14 2.1.8 Otter Creek (Anvik) _________________________________________________ 15 2.1.9 Otter Creek (Tuluksak) ______________________________________________ 16 2.1.10 Pitka Fork Middle Fork Kuskokwim River _______________________________ 16 2.1.11 Salmon River (Nikolai) ______________________________________________ 17 2.1.12 Sheep Creek _______________________________________________________ 18 2.1.13 Sullivan Creek _____________________________________________________ 19 2.1.14 Swift River (Anvik) _________________________________________________ 19 2.1.15 Tatlawiksuk River __________________________________________________ 20 2.1.16 Theodore Creek ____________________________________________________ 21 2.1.17 Yellow River ______________________________________________________ 21 2.1.18 Yukon River ______________________________________________________ 22 3. SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................31 3.1 SUITABILITY FACTORS ...........................................................................................................31 3.1.1 Objective Attributes Shared Across Eligible Rivers ________________________ 31 3.1.2 Suitability Criteria Considered for all Eligible Rivers _______________________ 32 3.2 SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT .....................................................................................................47 3.2.1 Anvik River _______________________________________________________ 47 3.2.2 Bear Creek (Nikolai) ________________________________________________ 51 3.2.3 Big River _________________________________________________________ 54 3.2.4 Blackwater Creek ___________________________________________________ 57 3.2.5 Canyon Creek _____________________________________________________ 61 3.2.6 Middle Fork Kuskokwim River ________________________________________ 63 3.2.7 North Fork Unalakleet River __________________________________________ 66 3.2.8 Otter Creek (Anvik) _________________________________________________ 69 3.2.9 Otter Creek (Tuluksak) ______________________________________________ 72 3.2.10 Pitka Fork Middle Fork Kuskokwim River _______________________________ 75 3.2.11 Salmon River (Nikolai) ______________________________________________ 78 3.2.12 Sheep Creek _______________________________________________________ 81 3.2.13 Sullivan Creek _____________________________________________________ 84 3.2.14 Swift River (Anvik) _________________________________________________ 86 3.2.15 Tatlawiksuk River __________________________________________________ 89 3.2.16 Theodore Creek ____________________________________________________ 92 3.2.17 Yellow River ______________________________________________________ 95 3.2.18 Yukon River ______________________________________________________ 97 4. NEXT STEPS ..................................................................................................................................101 5. REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................103 i Bering Sea-Western Interior Resource Management Plan Report on Wild & Scenic River Eligibility and Suitability APPENDICES Appendix A Region of Comparison Appendix B Eligibility Study Results Appendix C Public Comments LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Summary of Eligible Waterways, Approximate Length, Outstandingly Remarkable Values, and Region of Comparison ........................................................ 10 LIST OF MAPS Map 2.1 Location of Study Rivers ................................................................................................... 7 Map 2.2 Location of Study Rivers, including Eligibility Determination .......................................... 25 Map 2.3 Location of Study Rivers, including Eligibility Determination .......................................... 26 Map 2.4 Location of Study Rivers, including Eligibility Determination .......................................... 27 Map 2.5 Location of Study Rivers, including Eligibility Determination .......................................... 28 Map 2.6 Location of Study Rivers, including Eligibility Determination .......................................... 29 Map 3.1 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs (Overview) ................................................................................................................... 41 Map 3.2 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs ....................... 42 Map 3.3 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs ....................... 43 Map 3.4 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs ....................... 44 Map 3.5 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs ....................... 45 Map 3.6 WSR Eligible Rivers and Streams and Existing and Nominated ACECs ....................... 46 ii Bering Sea-Western Interior Resource Management Plan Report on Wild & Scenic River Eligibility and Suitability LIST OF ACRONYMS ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern ADFG Alaska Department of Fish and Game ADNR Alaska Department of Natural Resources AFO Anchorage Field Office ANCSA Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act ANILCA Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act AO Authorized Officer AWC Anadromous Waters Catalog BLM Bureau of Land Management BSWI Bearing Sea Western Interior Resource CSU Conservation System Unit EIS Environmental Impact Statement FR Federal Register HVW High Value Watershed INHT Iditarod National Historic Trail NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOI Notice of Intent NRHP National Register of Historic Places NRI National River Inventory ORV Outstandingly Remarkable Values PLO Public Land Order RAC Resource Advisory Council RMP Resource Management Plan SRP Special Recreation Permit UAS Unmanned Aerial System USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service WSRA Wild and Scenic Rivers Act WSR(s) Wild and Scenic River(s) iii Bering Sea-Western Interior Resource Management Plan Report on Wild & Scenic River Eligibility and Suitability This page intentionally left blank iv Bering Sea-Western Interior Resource Management Plan Report on Wild & Scenic River Eligibility and Suitability Executive Summary This report documents the Wild and Scenic River Study prepared for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bering Sea-Western Interior (BSWI) Resource Management Planning Area (BSWI planning area) pursuant to Section 5(d)(1) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) and other relevant laws and policies. It serves as an update to the Wild and Scenic Eligibility Report prepared by the BLM in 2015 (BLM 2015), including a re-evaluation of the eligibility determination provided in that report, and a suitability analysis. The evaluation of a river(s) for possible inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System (National System) follows a three-step process (BLM 2012): (1) determination of eligibility, (2) tentative classification as wild, scenic, or recreational, and (3) a suitability analysis. The eligibility determination evaluates rivers or river segments for potential inclusion in the National System based on their status as free flowing and possessing one or more outstandingly