CHAPTER 3 Affected Environment Introduction Visual and Scenic Quality This chapter describes the resources and values that The towering granite peaks of the Teton Range are the Final/Plan EIS alternatives could potentially affect. dominant scenic attribute of Grand Teton National Park. The NPS selected these resources and values based on A notable example of fault-block topography is the range’s public comment and review of environmental statutes, high alpine environment, which exposes visitors to glacial regulations, executive orders, and NPS Management cirques, glaciers, high angle canyons, tumbling streams, Policies (NPS 2001). Several topics were dismissed in and a series of lakes. Meandering through the valley’s Chapter 1 from further in-depth analysis, including foreground in a southwest direction is the Snake River, which provides a rich riparian habitat for the area’s wildlife. • Floodplains. The Snake River terraces are covered with a mix of open • Wild and scenic rivers. sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), conifers, and deciduous trees. • Air quality. These scenic resources are among the most spectacular in the western United States and are a primary reason for the • Soundscapes. region’s popularity as a tourist destination. • Historic structures and cultural landscapes. Sightseeing, wildlife viewing, and experiencing the • Ethnographic resources. wilderness and open space are the most frequently mentioned reasons for visiting the Park (Littlejohn 1998). • Museum collections. Ninety-eight percent of visitors reported sightseeing in • American Indian Trust resources. the Park during their visit; 88 percent reported viewing wildlife; 71 percent took pleasure drives; and 59 percent • Land use. viewed roadside or interpretive exhibits. The most popular • Environmental justice. places to visit, as reported in this survey, are South Jenny • Lightscape management. Lake (72 percent of visitors), Colter Bay (57 percent), and Jackson Lake Lodge (42 percent). Some 96 percent of • Prime and unique agricultural lands. visitors reported that scenic views were “very or extremely • Certain threatened and endangered species important” to their experience of the Park, while only 57 (whooping crane). percent reported the same for recreational activities. • Certain species of special concern The three types of views within the Park include (wolverine, harlequin duck, and trumpeter swan). background, mid-ground, and foreground, as discussed below. • Certain wildlife species (white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, and fish). Background Views These are seen at infinite distance from the viewer. In the • Energy consumption. Park, high-value background views are long or panoramic • Wilderness. views of the Teton Range to the west, and the sagebrush Refer to the “Impact Topics Dismissed from Further flats to the east. Analysis” section of Chapter 1 for the specific reasons for Mid-ground Views dismissal. These focus on elements that occupy the middle of the The resource descriptions in this chapter are intended view plane. Examples of mid-ground views within the Park to encompass only such information as is necessary might be the Snake River valley floor, as seen from U.S. to understand the probable effects of the alternatives. Highway 26/89/191; views of Willow Flats from the Jackson Chapter 4, “Environmental Consequences,” describes Lake Lodge observation deck; or views of Mormon Row the potential impacts of the alternatives on each of these from the Teton Park Road or Antelope Flats Road. resources and values. Chapter 3 — Affected Environment 79 Grand Teton National Park Final Transportation Plan/EIS Foreground Views very deep and well drained and have less water retention These are the scenes in closest proximity to the viewer. capability than moraine-derived soils. They are generally Examples of foreground views might be the Taggart Corrals nutrient-poor and support a fragile sagebrush/grassland along the Teton Park Road; the immediate surroundings community. Vegetation in these areas is easily impacted by of an activity area; or a relatively enclosed setting (e.g., the use, and revegetation may be difficult after disturbance. Moose-Wilson Road), where dense vegetation obscures Manual methods of reclamation are usually necessary to mid-ground and background views. loosen compacted soil. In these areas, previous vehicular and human uses have eliminated some ground cover. The area that would experience impacts encompasses a number of travel routes and destinations that provide The Snake River and Cottonwood Creek floodplains consist exceptional opportunities to view the Park’s unique and of more recent alluvial soils, generally from the Tetonville distinctive scenic resources. For example, the Moose- series, which developed when modern streams reworked Wilson Road corridor is known for its natural rural glacial material. Braided stream channels supporting character and potential for viewing wildlife. wetland riparian vegetation (i.e., cottonwood, willows, blue spruce, and sedges [Carex spp.]) characterize these areas. Soils Erosion hazard for these soils is minimal. Soils in the Jackson Hole area are a direct result of various Soils within the Mormon Row area are composed of two cycles of glaciation dating to the Pleistocene era. The main types: the Youga-Tineman complex on alluvial fans glaciers underwent several cycles of advance and retreat and the Leavitt-Youga complex on stream terraces along in the Park area, directly or indirectly modifying the valley the Snake River. Both soils form on nearly level slopes of 0 floor terrain and soils, gouging basins (such as the one to 3 percent. The Youga-Tineman soils formed in alluvium now occupied by Jackson Lake), and depositing undulating at elevations of 6,000 to 7,000 ft (1,828 to 2,133 m) moraines during their recession. As the glaciers retreated, northeast of Blacktail Butte. melt-water outwash streams further modified the landscape The very deep, well-drained Youga soil is composed of silty by transporting glacial debris and redepositing alluvial clay loam, formed in layers approximately 6 inches thick. material. The Youga soil has a moderate permeability and a high The project area includes 18 unique soil types based ratio of available water capacity. Surface runoff is slow, and on the Soil Survey of Teton County, Wyoming, Grand the erosion hazard is slight. The Tineman soils are also very Teton National Park (Young 1982). Table 7 provides the deep and well drained, having formed in alluvium. The characteristics of the most dominant soil types within surface layer is brown, gravelly loam about 7 inches thick. Grand Teton National Park, while Figure 12 illustrates the Permeability is moderate, and the available water capacity locations of these soil types within the Park. Glacial melt- is low. Like the Youga soils, surface runoff is slow, and the water deposited these generally loamy soils and sustains erosion hazard is slight. the Park’s dominant vegetative communities. The soils are generally well drained and nearly level to gently sloping. In contrast to most of the project area where one or two soil types are dominant, the segments between Colter Bay and Jackson Lake Lodge, as well as the segment along the Moose-Wilson Road, represent a mosaic of soil and drainage types. The varied soil conditions support a range of vegetation types, from wetlands to spruce fir forest. The flat meadows of the valley floor that comprise the bulk of the project area generally comprise Tineman-Bearmouth or Bearmouth gravelly loams or Taglake-Sebud association. These soils developed from the porous quartzite sand and gravel deposited by glacial melt water. Small basins, or kettles, are left in the moraine deposits from glacial outwash material. These glacial outwash soils are generally 80 Grand Teton National Park Final Transportation Plan/EIS TABLE 7 DOMINANT SOIL TYPES WITHIN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK Soil Type Characteristics Aquic Cryoborolis-Aquic Moderately deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed on steep soils (30 to 70 percent) in Cryoboralfs complex residuum and landslide deposits. In the Park, they are found on the mountainsides east of Lizard Point. It is made up of approximately 50 percent Aquic Cryoborolis, 35 percent Aquic Cryoboralfs, and 15 percent Typic Cryochrepts and Rock outcrop. Bearmouth gravelly loam Deep, well-drained gravelly loam soils found in floodplain areas, stream terraces, and fans with slopes ranging from 2 to 8 percent. These soils are formed in alluvium over extremely cobbly or gravelly sand. Charlos loam Deep, well drained soils of grayish brown loam at the surface and grayish brown sandy clay loam below. Found throughout the central part of the Grand Teton National Park area. Cryaquolls-Cryofibrists Nearly level, sandy loam and loam soils in seep areas surrounding springs and old stream oxbows. complex Boggy or marshy soils exhibiting a deep horizon of organic material. Greyback-Charlos complex Very deep, well-drained, nearly level soils found on stream terraces east of Teton Village. Area is approximately 45 percent Greyback gravelly loam and 45 percent Charlos loam. Grobutte-Thayne Gravelly Deep, well-drained soils composed of approximately 50 percent Grobutte gravelly loam, 20 loams percent Thayne gravelly loam, 20 percent Greyback gravelly loam, and 10 percent Crow Creek soils and rock outcrop. They are found on south and west facing slopes of mountains and buttes in the southern portions of the Park. Leavitt-Youga complex The very deep, well-drained soils are approximately