nisqually thin project

Nisqually Thin Project

Public Comment Period:

•  Informa;on Exchange

•  Documenta;on of concerns and opportuni;es from the public

Management Direc;on:

•  Gifford Pinchot Na;onal Forest Land and Resource Management Plan

•  Northwest Forest Plan

Other Documents:

•  Nisqually Watershed Analysis

•  Late-‐Successional Reserve Assessment

Consul;ng Par;es

•  Collaborators—Pinchot Partners

•  Federal Agencies •  US Fish and Wildlife Service

•  Na;onal Marine Fisheries Service

•  Tribes •  Cowlitz •  Nisqually •  Puyallup •  Squaxin Island •  Yakama

Nisqually River

Mesatchee Ckk

Restora;on Opportuni;es

1.  Dispersed Recrea;on

2.  Road Management

3.  Stream and Riparian Reserve Restora;on

4. Wildlife Habitat Enhancement

1. Dispersed Recrea;on

Restora;on Goals and Priori;es

•  Reduce illegal ac;vi;es (dumping)

•  Reduce ground disturbing ac;vi;es around

sensi;ve areas

•  Reduce site expansion

Illegal dumping and site expansion

Ground Disturbance and Erosion

Dispersed Recrea;on: Treatment

•  Motorized Vehicle Control

•  Foot Traffic Management

•  Sanita;on Management

•  Law Enforcement

•  Environmental Educa;on

•  Respect the River -‐ Stream Guardians

Restora;on Goals

•  Provide passage for aqua;c organisms (fish, amphib)

•  Maintain natural stream transport func;on (sed., wood)

•  Pass peak flows (Q100)

•  Reduce road related sediment delivery

•  Maintain hydrologic process (base flows, peak flows)

•  Reduce fragmenta;on of interior wildlife habitat

•  Increase big game habitat security

2. Road Management

Current Road Condi;on – Rd. Density (mi/mi sq)

4.5

3.6 3.8

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Berry Big Cah

Average Road Density by Subwatershed

Total

Big Berry Cah

Rd Den

sity (m

i/mi sq)

Nisqually Watershed Analysis 1999 GPNF Cumula;ve Effects Assessment 1988

Current Road Condi;on – Road Miles

45

61 59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Berry Big Cah

Road Distance (m

i)

Subwatershed

Nisqually Road Miles by Subwatershed

Total

Current Road Condi;on – Stream Crossings

73

150

230

0 50

100 150 200 250

Berry Big Cah Stream

Crossings (cou

nt)

Subwatershed

Nisqually Stream Crossings by Subwatershed

Total

Road Management Opportuni;es Road Analysis Recommenda;ons

Poten;al Condi;on Recommended Road Treatment (mi)

Aqua Risk CS DE OH RT Grand Total

High 0.5 3.2 1.9 1.3 6.9

Medium 8.7 6.6 3.1 18.4

Low 0.3 0.3

Grand Total 9.5 9.8 5.0 1.3 25.6 CS – Close Stabilize DE – Decommission OH – High Clearance vehicle RT – Roads to Trails

GPNF Roads Analysis 2002

Culvert upgrade

Berry Creek -‐FR 5200

Big Unnamed Trib -‐FR 8500

Culvert Upgrade

Big Creek -‐ FR 8420

Nisqually Fish Passage Objec;ves

Well-graded native streambed sediment mix, channel forms natural substrate and habitat

Culvert bed width bankfull width or wider

Road surface

Stream bed

Substrate covers the channel bottom

May have distinct banks

Culvert gradient aligned to simulate natural channel slope

Cross section view Profile view

Flow Flow

No scale

USDA Forest Service Cowlitz Valley Ranger District Project: Nisqually Stewardship Subject: Typical embedded culvert Date: October 9, 2012 Design: Ken Wieman

Road fill

Fish Passage Example Poten;al outcome

Road Management Opportuni;es

FR 5222016

FR 8400059

3. Stream and Riparian Reserves

Riparian Reserve = 180-360 ft

1- 2 Site Potential Tree Ht.

Cross Section Not to Scale

360 k

•  Stream corridor, wetlands, unstable areas, •  Site Poten;al Tree Height

•  Stream Class I-‐II = 1 SPTH •  Stream Class III-‐IV = 2 SPTH

•  Not scheduled for ;mber harvest , LSR objec;ves

Plan View Not to Scale

I-‐II III-‐IV

180 k

Riparian Reserve Management


1-2 Site Potential Tree Ht.


Goal:

• Decrease water temp

• Increase diversity

• Increase wildlife habitat

• Increase fish habitat

• ̀ `

Riparian Reserve – Current Condi;on




•  Overstock managed stand (300-‐400 TBP) •  Homogeneous


I-‐II III-‐IV





•  Release select trees (5-‐10 TBP) •  Manage for species diversity and structural diversity



```



•  Harvest (20-‐25 TPA)






Objec;ves:

• Increase shade trees

• Develop minor species

• Increase down wood, snags

• Increase instream large wood

• ̀ `

Riparian Reserve Treatment Objectives

Instream Restora;on

Instream Restora;on – Goals & Objec;ves

Cah Creek (2011)

Goal

•  Restore and fish habitat •  Restore water quality •  Monitor ecological effec;veness

Objec;ves

•  Restore LW (>100 pc/RM, >24” dbh.)

•  Restore bank stability (>80% ,4 mi)

•  Accelerate veg. dvlpmt (140 ac)

•  Increase stream shade (80%)

Instream and Riparian Restora;on

Mesatchee Creek

Berry Creek

Instream and Riparian Restora;on

Big Creek

4. Wildlife Habitat Restora;on

Wildlife Listed Species– Management Opportuni;es

Marbled Murrelet Nest Tree

Spohed Owl Nes;ng Foraging Habitat

Wildlife Habitat

Habitat Security

Interior Habitat Fragmenta;on

Elk Calving Area Management