North Copper -Tasnuna Landscape Assessment Cordova Ranger District Chugach National Forest June 27, 2006 Copper River (from Google Earth) Team: Susan Kesti - Team Leader, Writer-editor, Vegetation, Socio-economic Milo Burcham – Wildlife Resources, Subsistence Bruce Campbell – Lands Dean Davidson – Soils Rob DeVelice – Forest Ecology, Sensitive Plants Heather Hall – Heritage Resources Carol Huber – Geology, Minerals Tim Joyce – Fish Subsistence Dirk Lang – Fisheries Bill MacFarlane – Hydrology, Water Quality, Wetlands Dixon Sherman – Recreation ii Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ v Chapter 1................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose................................................................................................................................1 The Analysis Area............................................................................................................... 1 Legislative History.............................................................................................................. 3 Desired Future Condition.................................................................................................... 4 Chugach Forest Plan management direction................................................................... 4 Research Natural Area proposal history ......................................................................... 6 Chapter 2 – Analysis Area Description................................................................................... 7 Physical Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 7 Climate ............................................................................................................................ 7 Watershed Morphology................................................................................................... 8 Ecological Classification............................................................................................... 10 Geomorphology ............................................................................................................ 10 Landtype Associations .................................................................................................. 11 Geology......................................................................................................................... 14 Soils............................................................................................................................... 16 Wetlands........................................................................................................................ 17 Streams.......................................................................................................................... 18 Streamflows .................................................................................................................. 19 Water Quality................................................................................................................ 20 Biological Characteristics ................................................................................................. 20 Fish................................................................................................................................ 20 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................... 25 Wildlife ......................................................................................................................... 28 Human Dimension ............................................................................................................ 35 Human occupation ........................................................................................................ 35 Heritage resources......................................................................................................... 36 Socio-economic............................................................................................................. 37 Subsistence.................................................................................................................... 41 Subsistence fishing........................................................................................................ 43 Sport and subsistence hunting....................................................................................... 43 Timber harvest .............................................................................................................. 44 Roads and access........................................................................................................... 44 Recreation use and facilities.......................................................................................... 44 CNI and ANCSA 17(b) easements ............................................................................... 45 Special uses ................................................................................................................... 49 Minerals ........................................................................................................................ 49 Chapter 3 – Issues and Key Questions.................................................................................. 53 Physical ............................................................................................................................. 53 Fish.................................................................................................................................... 53 Vegetation ......................................................................................................................... 53 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................. 54 i Heritage Resource .............................................................................................................54 Land Ownership ................................................................................................................54 Mining and minerals potential...........................................................................................55 Recreation, Easements, and Special Uses .........................................................................55 Chapter 4 – Conditions and Trends.......................................................................................57 Disturbance regimes and geomorphic processes...............................................................57 Climate ..........................................................................................................................57 Glaciers..........................................................................................................................57 Stream channels.............................................................................................................59 Streamflows...................................................................................................................60 Effects of human uses on hydrology .............................................................................60 Hillslope erosion processes ...........................................................................................60 Conditions and trends of fisheries resources.....................................................................61 Population trends of the key fish species ......................................................................62 Human Influences on the fisheries resources ................................................................63 Factors affecting vegetation ..............................................................................................68 River channel migration and its influences on vegetation succession ..........................68 Wind Influences.............................................................................................................68 Insects and Diseases ......................................................................................................68 Non-Native Plant Species..............................................................................................69 Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Plant Species ...................................................69 Conditions and trends of wildlife resources ......................................................................70 Condition and trends of heritage resources .......................................................................71 Conditions and trends of recreation resources...................................................................72 Trails..............................................................................................................................73 Motorized and non-motorized opportunities.................................................................73 Outfitters and Guides.....................................................................................................75 Potential for Mineral Resource Development ...................................................................75 Chapter 5 – Recommendations for inventory, monitoring, and potential projects................79 Inventory and Monitoring..................................................................................................79