SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK RIVER WATERSHED CONSERVATION PLAN Prepared by the Nooksack Indian Tribe Natural Resources Department May, 2017 DRAFT 5.17.17 1 DRAFT South Fork Nooksack River Watershed Conserva(on Plan – Last Update 5.17.17 h,ps://www.sfnooksack.com/ Contents 1. Introduc(on......................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Watershed Characteriza(on................................................................................................................. 8 2.1. Overview....................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2. Driving Factors...............................................................................................................................9 2.2.1. Climate................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2. Geology................................................................................................................................ 11 2.2.3. Land Use/ Land Cover...........................................................................................................11 2.3. Watershed Processes.................................................................................................................. 19 2.3.1. Hydrology............................................................................................................................. 19 2.3.2. Sediment Sources................................................................................................................. 32 2.3.3. Riparian Condi(ons.............................................................................................................. 37 2.3.4. Channel Processes................................................................................................................ 41 2.4. Habitat Condi(ons.......................................................................................................................51 2.4.1. Physical Habitat.................................................................................................................... 51 2.4.2. Stream Temperature.............................................................................................................58 2.4.3. Turbidity and Suspended Sediment...................................................................................... 68 2.5. Salmonids.................................................................................................................................... 78 2.5.1. Popula(ons...........................................................................................................................78 2.5.2. Limi(ng Factors.................................................................................................................... 81 2.5.3. Climate Change Impacts....................................................................................................... 84 2.6. South Fork Nooksack Community............................................................................................... 88 2.6.1. Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement.....................................................................88 2.6.2. SFNR Watershed Group........................................................................................................ 89 3. Watershed Protec(on and Restora(on Strategies..............................................................................94 3.1. Regulatory Framework................................................................................................................ 94 3.1.1. US Environmental Protec(on Agency................................................................................... 94 3.1.2. US Fish and Wildlife Service/NOAA Fisheries Services..........................................................95 3.1.3. US Forest Service.................................................................................................................. 96 3.1.4. Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).................................................96 3.1.5. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)............................................... 99 2 DRAFT South Fork Nooksack River Watershed Conserva(on Plan – Last Update 5.17.17 h,ps://www.sfnooksack.com/ 3.1.6. Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE).............................................................. 99 3.1.7. Federal Reserved Water Rights...........................................................................................100 3.1.8. Whatcom County................................................................................................................101 3.2. Voluntary Conserva(on Ac(ons................................................................................................ 104 3.2.1. Salmon Recovery Program..................................................................................................104 3.2.2. Incorpora(ng Climate Change into Salmon Recovery Priori(es..........................................113 4. South Fork Nooksack Watershed Conserva(on Plan........................................................................ 127 4.1. Goal........................................................................................................................................... 127 4.2. Recommended Ac(ons..............................................................................................................130 4.2.1. Floodplain Reconnec(on.................................................................................................... 130 4.2.2. Stream Flow Regimes......................................................................................................... 132 4.2.3. Erosion and Sediment Delivery...........................................................................................133 4.2.4. Riparian Restora(on........................................................................................................... 134 4.2.5. Instream Rehabilita(on...................................................................................................... 135 4.2.6. Acquisi(on and Easements.................................................................................................136 4.2.7. Fish Passage Barrier Removal............................................................................................. 137 4.2.8. Community Engagement and Outreach............................................................................. 138 4.2.9. Planning..............................................................................................................................139 5. LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................ 140 3 DRAFT South Fork Nooksack River Watershed Conserva(on Plan – Last Update 5.17.17 h,ps://www.sfnooksack.com/ Figures Figure 1: The South Fork Nooksack Watershed within WRIA 1....................................................................8 Figure 2: Mean monthly discharge and temperature at the SF Wickersham stream gage (River Mile 15).. 9 Figure 3: Early 20th century forest in the South Fork Nooksack watershed (lea); Cavanaugh Creek trestle (top right); channel-spanning logjam South Fork Nooksack (lower right)..................................................12 Figure 4: Land cover in the Acme Valley interpreted from the General Land OEce Surveys (~1885) and 1938 aerial photographs (Collins and Sheikh 2004)...................................................................................13 Figure 5: Comparison of the 2013 aerial photo and the GLO survey map showing the loss of sinuosity and secondary channels................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 6: Generalized land use in the South Fork Watershed.................................................................... 15 Figure 7: Forest prac(ce applica(ons in the South Fork Nooksack River 1998-2014................................. 15 Figure 8: Timber harvest on USFS lands in the South Fork watershed.......................................................16 Figure 9: South Fork River land Cover (LANDFIRE 2008, cited from Department of Ecology 2015 DRAFT). .................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 10: LANDFIRE (2008) land use/ land cover es(mates for the South Fork Nooksack Watershed (Department of Ecology 2015 DRAFT)....................................................................................................... 17 Figure 11: Peak Gow and annual mean run-oH at the USGS Wickersham gage (River Mile 15).................19 Figure 12: Dura(on in days of the basegow period for each water year at the Saxon Rd. USGS gage.......23 Figure 13: Lowest basegow for each water year from 2009-2016 at Saxon Rd. USGS gage......................23 Figure 14: Comparison of the annual hydrographs for water years 2011 and 2015 at Saxon Rd USGS gage. .................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Figure 15: Comparison of streamgow at