MALHEUR RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN Burns Paiute Tribe Draft Report June 2004 Malheur River Wildlife Management Plan Prepared by Paul R Ashley LPB Consulting Prepared for The Burns Paiute Tribe and The Bonneville Power Administration PROJECT ID # 200002700 Draft Report June 2004 Contributors: Amos First-Raised - BPT Christine Harty - BPT Jess Wenick - USFWS Dan Gonzales - ODFW Walt VanDyke - ODFW Dennis Sheehy - ICAPS Mike Hale - ICAPS Erin Melville - ICAPS Joe McCormack - ICAPS Mark Porter - ICAPS Joe DeHerrera - BPA Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vi List of Tables................................................................................................................................ ix 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Project History...............................................................................................................2 1.2 Historic Land Use..........................................................................................................5 1.3 Current Land Use..........................................................................................................5 2.0 Area Description.................................................................................................................6 2.1 Climate ..........................................................................................................................6 2.2 Physiography.................................................................................................................6 2.3 Vegetation .....................................................................................................................8 2.3.1 Shrubsteppe Communities ........................................................................................8 2.3.1.1 Juniper/Sagebrush ............................................................................................8 2.3.1.2 Sagebrush .......................................................................................................16 2.3.1.3 Basin Big Sagebrush/Bunchgrass...................................................................17 2.3.1.4 Wyoming Big Sagebrush/Bunchgrass.............................................................18 2.3.1.5 Stiff Sagebrush/Bunchgrass............................................................................19 2.3.1.6 Low Sagebrush/Bunchgrass............................................................................20 2.3.2 Grassland Habitat....................................................................................................28 2.3.3 Upland Riparian.......................................................................................................31 2.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Plants .......................................................................53 2.3.5 Culturally Significant Plants.....................................................................................53 3.0 Wildlife and Fish Resources.............................................................................................55 3.1 Species Overview........................................................................................................55 3.1.1 Threatened, Endangered and Special Status Species............................................55 3.2 Species Assemblages.................................................................................................59 The Burns Paiute Tribe i Wildlife Management Plan Burns, Oregon Malheur River Project 3.2.1 Wildlife Species Assemblages/Habitat Attributes....................................................60 3.2.1.1 Shrubsteppe Species Assemblage..................................................................64 3.2.1.2 Riparian Shrub Species Assemblage ..............................................................67 3.2.1.3 Deciduous Forest Species Assemblage..........................................................68 3.2.1.4 Meadow Grasslands Species Assemblage .....................................................69 3.2.1.5 Wildlife Species Assemblage Habitat Management Recommendations .........69 3.3 Fisheries Resources....................................................................................................78 3.3.1 Fish Surveys............................................................................................................79 3.3.2 Fish Species Assemblages/Habitat Attributes.........................................................81 3.3.2.1 Redband Trout.................................................................................................82 3.3.2.2 Bull Trout .........................................................................................................82 4.0 Objectives and Tasks.......................................................................................................84 4.1 Malheur River Unit.......................................................................................................84 4.1.1 Wet Meadow Grassland Enhancements .................................................................84 4.1.1.1 Reseedings......................................................................................................84 4.1.1.2 Water Delivery System Repair ........................................................................89 4.1.1.3 Wetland Enhancements ..................................................................................94 4.1.1.4 Fence Removal and Reconstruction ...............................................................94 4.1.1.5 Weed Control...................................................................................................95 4.1.2 Riparian/Riverine Enhancements............................................................................95 4.1.2.1 Riparian Shrub/Tree Enhancements ...............................................................95 4.1.2.2 Instream Enhancements..................................................................................98 4.1.3 Shrubsteppe/Upland Enhancements.......................................................................99 4.1.3.1 Shrub and Grass Plug Plantings .....................................................................99 4.1.3.2 Grass Seedings...............................................................................................99 4.1.3.3 Weed Control.................................................................................................100 The Burns Paiute Tribe ii Wildlife Management Plan Burns, Oregon Malheur River Project 4.1.3.4 Juniper Reduction..........................................................................................100 4.1.3.5 Upland Spring/Macrophyllus Draw Protection Measures ..............................101 4.2 South Trail Creek Unit...............................................................................................103 4.2.1 Shrubsteppe/Upland Enhancements.....................................................................103 4.2.1.1 Shrub and Grass Plug Plantings ...................................................................103 4.2.1.2 Weed Control.................................................................................................103 4.3 Hunter Creek Unit......................................................................................................104 4.3.1 Shrubsteppe/Upland Enhancements.....................................................................105 4.3.1.1 Weed Control.................................................................................................105 4.3.2 Riparian/Riverine Enhancements..........................................................................105 4.3.2.1 Riparian Shrub/Tree Enhancements .............................................................106 5.0 Livestock Grazing...........................................................................................................106 5.1 Grazing Allotment Descriptions and Pasture Arrangement.......................................107 5.2 Seasonal Rangeland Overview.................................................................................110 5.2.1 Current Range Conditions.....................................................................................111 5.3 Grazing Strategies.....................................................................................................113 5.4 Stocking Rate and Carrying Capacity .......................................................................113 5.5 Wildlife/Livestock Competitive Interactions ...............................................................115 5.6 Current Livestock Grazing Strategies........................................................................117 5.7 Recommendations ....................................................................................................121 5.8 Considerations ..........................................................................................................126 5.9 Forage Utilization Metrics..........................................................................................127 5.10 Stubble Height Sampling Protocols...........................................................................128 5.11 Conclusion.................................................................................................................128