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Trail Creek watershed analysis PDF

320 Pages·1999·30.9 MB·English
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88069463 jgKEHIMKK. £ 88 I ». mWmm Bureau of Land Management Medford District, Oregon June 1999 Prepared by: TECH NOLOGIES INC® r- A O'*/ ?Ti'tinn i As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interest of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. administration. BLM/OR/WA/PT-99/032+1792 lo^ocr^c^ -rtf TRAIL CREEK WATERSHED ANALYSIS SLM Library Prepared for Denver, CO 80225 Medford District Bureau of Land Management 3040 Biddle Road Medford, Oregon 97504 Prepared by. Western Watershed Analysts 313 D Street, Suite 203 Lewiston, Idaho 83501 Maxim Technologies, Inc. P.O. Box 4699 303 Irene Street Helena, Montana 59604 June 1999 I TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION. 1-1 1.1 Regional Setting. 1-1 1.2 Human Use Characteristics. 1-1 1.3 Physical Characteristics. 1-4 1.4 Biological Characteristics. 1-6 2.0 ISSUES AND KEY QUESTIONS . 2-1 2.1 Scoping Process . 2-1 2.2 Scoping Results. 2-1 3.0 CURRENT AND REFERENCE CONDITIONS . 3-1 3.1 Human Use . 3-1 3.2 Erosion Processes. 3-8 3.3 Hydrologic Change . 3-19 3.4 Stream Channels. 3-24 3.5 Terrestrial Resources . 3-28 3.6 Riparian Resources. 3-42 3.7 Aquatic Resources. 3-49 4.0 SYNTHESIS, INTERPRETATION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 4-1 4.1 Human Use . 4-1 4.2 Vegetation. 4-2 4.3 Hydrologic Change . 4-7 4.4 Erosion Processes. 4-9 4.5 Riparian and Stream Processes. 4-14 4.6 Terrestrial Habitat. 4-17 4.7 Aquatic Habitat. 4-22 REFERENCES FIGURES FIGURE 1-1 Upper Rogue River Sub-Basin FIGURE 1-2 Trail Creek Watershed Analysis Unit FIGURE 1-3 Current Ownership and Land Use Allocations FIGURE 1-4 Geology Map Units FIGURE 1-5 Hydrologic Features FIGURE 1-6 Current Vegetation Serai Stages FIGURE 1-7 Special Habitat Features FIGURE 3-1 Riparian Reserves FIGURE 3-2 Landslide Inventory FIGURE 3-3 Mass Wasting Mangement Units FIGURE 3-4 Soil K Factors FIGURE 3-5 Soil Erosion Potential FIGURE 3-6 Slope Classes FIGURE 3-7 Road Types FIGURE 3-8 Road Hazards FIGURE 3-9 Soil Productivity FIGURE 3-10 ROS Potential Zones FIGURE 3-11 Rosgen Classifications FIGURE 3-12 Stream Temperatures FIGURE 3-13 Historic Vegetation - circa 1900 FIGURE 3-14 Historic Vegetation - circa 1936 FIGURE 3-15 BLM Stand Structure FIGURE 3-16 Timber Productivity Capability FIGURE 3-17 Recent Fire History FIGURE 3-18 Fuel Models FIGURE 3-19 Current Fire Hazard FIGURE 3-20 Noxious Weed Locations FIGURE 3-21 Unmapped Late Successional Reserves FIGURE 3-22 Wildlife Habitat Classifications FIGURE 3-23 Critical Habitat Units FIGURE 3-24 Deer Winter Range FIGURE 3-25 Large Woody Debris Recruitment Potential FIGURE 3-26 Stream Shading Classes FIGURE 3-27 Historical Salmonid Numbers FIGURE 3-28 Salmonid Species Distribution APPENDICES Appendix A Mass Wasting Appendix B Roads Appendix C Hydrology Appendix D Channels Appendix E Potential Sensitive Plant Species Appendix F Special Status Wildlife Species Appendix G Northern Spotted Owl Sites and Critical Habitat Designations Appendix H Stream Temperature Matrix Appendix I BLM Wildlife Report LIST OF TABLES Page TABLE 2-1 Issues and Key Questions Identified by the BLM 2-2 . TABLE 2-2 Key Questions Identified During the Outreach and Education Project , 2-7 TABLE 2-3 Key Questions Identified During Watershed Analysis. . 2-8 TABLE 3-1 Acreages of BLM Land Use Allocations .^. 3-4 TABLE 3-2 Mass Sediment and Delivery. 3-11 TABLE 3-3 Mass Wasting Management Unit Hazard Ratings 3-11 TABLE 3-4 Erodibility Ratings Based on K Factor and Slope. 3-14 TABLE 3-5 Sediment Budget. 3-18 TABLE 3-6 Soil Timber Productivity. 3-19 TABLE 3-7 Hydrologic Condition Classes and Forest Canopy Densities Assigned for Each Mapped Vegetation Cover Type. 3-22 TABLE 3-8 Predicted Increase in Peak Flows Under Current Vegetative Cover Conditions 3-24 TABLE 3-9 Stream Mileage by Rosgen Classificaiton. 3-27 TABLE 3-10 Stream Length by Mass Wastiing Management Unit. 3-26 TABLE 3-11 Acreages of Current Vegetation Serai Stage by Ownership Category 3-30 TABLE 3-12 Acreages of BLM Stand Size Classes by BLM Land Use Allocation.’. 3-31 TABLE 3-13 Sensitive Species Identified in the Watershed 3-33 Page TABLE 3-14 Comparison of Nesting, Roosting, and Foraging Habitat. 3-38 TABLE 3-15 Stream Miles of Current Vegetation Serai Stage by Ownership Category . 3-43 TABLE 3-16 Coding System or Large Woody Debris . 3.44 TABLE 3-17 Near Term LWD Recruitment Potential - Federal Lands. 3-46 TABLE 3-18 Near Term LWD Recruitment Potential - Private Lands . 3-47 TABLE 3-19 Stream Shading - Federal Lands . 3_48 TABLE 3-20 Stream Shading - Private Lands. 3-48 TABLE 3-21 Number of Migrant Juvenile Salmonids Caught in Weir Traps iin 1995 . 3-52 TABLE 3-22 Salmonid Species Occurrence . 3.53 w »* . 0«i) i Watershed Characterization 1.0 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION This section provides a regional setting for the Trail restricted to the valley bottoms and include fruit and Creek watershed and describes dominant human, livestock production. Other significant products of physical, and biological features and functions that the region include medical services, manufacturing, characterize it. This discussion provides a basis for and tourism, which to some extent uses the the watershed analysis, providing a context for recreational opportunities on public land and water. addressing ecosystem condition and function in the watershed. Physiography. Climate, and Drainage The Trail Creek watershed lies predominantly 1.1 Regional Setting within the Western Cascade physiographic province as described by . the Standards and Geographic Location and Population Guidelines and Franklin and Dyrness (1973), though some of the lands in the southern portion of The Trail Creek fifth-field watershed is located in the watershed contain landscapes representative of southwestern Oregon between Medford and Crater the Klamath Mountains province. Southwestern Lake National Park along the Rogue River within Oregon has a Mediterranean climate characterized the Upper Rogue River Sub-basin (Figure 1-1). The by wet, mild winters, hot, dry summers and a long watershed covers approximately 55 square miles frost-free period. Annual precipitation fluctuates within the sub-basin which covers about 1,618 widely averaging approximately 20” with average square miles. The Trail Creek watershed is January temperatures about 38° and July accessed by State Highway 227 from the temperatures averaging around 73°. This climate Canyonville 1-5 interchange to the northwest, by represents some of the hottest and driest State Highway 62 from Medford to the southwest, conditions in the region. Lightning storms are or by the same route from Crater Lake to the common and contribute to extreme fire dangers northeast. The towns of Trail and Shady Cove throughout southwest Oregon. Drainages in these (population approximately 2,379) are within or provinces flow to the Rogue River which in turn adjacent to the watershed. Most of the watershed empties into the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. is within Jackson County (population approximately 146,389), though the northern portion lies within Vegetation and Habitat Douglas County (population 94,649). The Trail Creek itself is situated north and west of the Rogue Major vegetational areas of the region include the River and extends upslope to the divide with the Mixed Conifer and Rogue Valley Zones described South Umpqua River to the north (see Figure 1-2). by Franklin and Dyrness (1973). Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, incense cedar, and white fir occur Ownership and Land Use in the Mixed Conifer Zone. Grasslands, Oregon white oak woodlands, and coniferous stands of Forest and agricultural production represent the Douglas-fir represent the successional pattern in predominant land uses in the region. The Bureau the Rogue Valley Zone though much of this zone is of Land Management and Forest Service are the in agricultural production. These vegetational major federal land administrators in the region. areas are entirely within the range of the northern Crater Lake National Park, administered by the spotted owl. Big game including Roosevelt elk and National Park Service, is also within the region. blacktail deer are also found throughout the region. The Army Corps of Engineers operates Lost Creek Finally, extensive riparian areas and potential Reservoir east of Trail Creek watershed. The Trail aquatic habitat conditions support anadromous and Creek watershed is within the Butte Falls Resource resident fisheries. Area of BLM’s Medford District and within the Tiller District of the Umpqua National Forest. 1.2 Human Use The Rogue River National Forest is located east of the watershed. Several large private industrial Ownership forest land owners are also represented in the region. Agriculture operations are primarily Major owners of land in the watershed include the Trail Creek Watershed Analysis 1-1 Watershed Characterization federal government, corporations, and private wildlife habitat, watershed and aquifer individuals (shown on Figure 1-3). Federal land recharge areas, recreational opportunities, includes public lands managed by the Bureau of scenic attributes, ranching and grazing, and Land Management Medford District, and the other natural resources. Within the watershed, Umpqua National Forest, managed by the Tiller FR lands are public lands managed by the Ranger District of U.S. Forest Service. Isolated BLM or Forest Service and Boise Cascade. parcels of land historically managed by the The smaller, privately-owned woodland tracts Prospect Ranger District of the Rogue River also serve as a buffer between commercial National Forest have recently been transferred to forest lands and adjacent areas committed to BLM administration. Land managed by the BLM in higher density development. the watershed comprise approximately 14,640 acres within the watershed, representing the single Woodland Resource (WR): WR designated largest ownership category. These parcels are not land is similar to FR-designated small tract contiguous but instead are interspersed among woodlands described above. WR land privately held property in a semi-checkerboard includes smaller, privately held tracts where pattern. Roughly 4,360 acres of the Umpqua the production of timber and/or wood fiber may National Forest is in a contiguous block in the be a primary use. These lands typically serve northwestern part of the watershed. as buffers between FR lands and residential or commercial developments. Lands in this Private industrial landowners include Boise category are recognized for the ecological and Cascade Corporation and several smaller other natural resource characteristics. corporations. Boise Cascade property comprises Properties within the WR zones are at least 20 the largest portion of the corporate holdings acres or larger due to a county zoning located in large blocks on the west half of the restriction that existed prior to 1993. In 1993, watershed. Other corporate lands are generally the minimum parcel size in areas zoned WR smaller, discontinuous parcels interspersed was increased from 20 acres to 80 acres. throughout the watershed. Collectively, this category occupies about 9,867 acres in the Open Space Reserve (OSR): Lands designated watershed. OSR are generally not suitable for development due to a broad range of factors According to Jackson County tax assessor records such as high seasonal wildfire hazard, shallow for 1997, there are approximately 250 non¬ and fragile soil, access limitations, etc. These corporate, private landowners in the Trail Creek lands may, however, be important in terms of watershed. Most of the residential development is their potential as aquifer recharge zones, fish within the small community of Trail, which is and wildlife habitat, or perhaps scenic or located at the southern boundary of the watershed recreational aspects. at the confluence of Traii Creek and the Rogue River and along a corridor in the valley bottoms up Exclusive Farm Use (EFU): The EFU lands are the main stem and the west fork of Trail Creek. areas where farm production exists or where the land is suitable for grazing, cultivation, or There are seven primary county zoning other farming activities. Properties within the designations within the Trail Creek watershed. EFU zones are at least 20 acres or larger due Each of these designations are presented below to a county zoning restriction that existed prior with a brief description of the planning goals and to 1993. land uses associated with them (Jackson County, 1996): Farm Residential (F): These lands generally include small “hobby” farms of 3 to 10 acres Forest Resource (FR): This zoning district applies and are committed to rural homesite to both commercial forest land and woodland development. areas in private, small tract (20 to 40 acres) ownership. The primary use of these lands is Rural Residential (RR): Generally located on or can be the production of forest products; lowland foothills, valley terrace, and valley floor however, they are also intended to protect and areas, lands zoned RR are small tracts of 3 to provide for compatible forest uses, fish and 10 acres that are not used as hobby farms. Trail Creek Watershed Analysis 1-2

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