Sheep Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project

Proposal

11/15/12

Contact: Joe Platz

1. Project Name: Sheep Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project

The project is located on Sheep Creek, on lands administered by the US Forest Service and BLM.

2. Applicant:

US Forest Service (USFS), LaGrande Ranger District; Attn: Joe Platz; 3502 HWY 30; LaGrande, OR 97850. Email: jplatz@fs.fed.us. Phone Number: 541-962-8571. Fax Number: 541-962-8580.

3.	Participating Landowner(s) and Agencies:

(1) USFS; Attn: Joe Platz; 3502 HWY 30, LaGrande, OR 97850; (541) 962-8571; Fax: (541) 962-8580

(2) Grande Ronde Model Watershed, Lyle Kuchenbecker; 1114 J Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-663-0570; Fax: 541-962-1585

(3) Bonneville Power Administration, Timmie Mandish; P.O. Box 3621; Portland, OR 97208; PH 503-230-3983; FAX 503-230-4564

4.	Project Contact(s):

Technical contact(s):

Joe Platz: 3502 HWY 30, LaGrande, OR 97850; jplatz@fs.fed.us; (541) 962-8571

Administrative contact(s):

Bill Gamble: 3502 HWY 30, LaGrande, OR 97850; bgamble@fs.fed.us; (541) 962-8582

5. Project Location:

The Sheep Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project is located on Sheep Creek, a tributary to the Grande Ronde River. The project is located on 3.0 miles of Sheep Creek (starting at approximate RM 7.5 – 10.5) (T 6S, R 35E, S 1, 2, 11, 14). The project is located within Upper Grande Ronde River (1706010401); Sheep Creek (170601040105); Reaches 1-2; Union County.

6. Project Objectives:

The objective is to improve spring/summer chinook habitat, summer steelhead habitat and migratory habitat for bull trout, specifically through improving or increasing the following habitat elements.

Improve riparian & wetland diversity, vigor and function

Improve floodplain function

Improve water capture, storage and safe release within the floodplain.

Increase quantity and quality of pools within Sheep Creek

Increase fish cover

Increase habitat complexity

Increase forage availability

Increase residual pool depth

Increase number of large and medium pieces of large woody debris in the stream

Increase spawning gravel recruitment

7. Project Description

Introduction

Sheep Creek is spawning and rearing habitat for Snake River Basin summer steelhead, Snake River Basin spring chinook salmon, and redband trout. The summer steelhead and spring/summer chinook are federally listed under ESA as threatened species. Redband trout are on the Regional Forester's Sensitive Species List.

Historic timber harvest and roading removed larger conifers from the valley bottom, reducing the future recruitment of large wood to the stream. Historic grazing has caused impacts to the riparian area. This project will improve the riparian area and wood in the stream through planting and large wood additions.

Existing condition

Sheep Creek (within the project area) is broken into 2 reaches. The valley bottom is primarily meadow type habitat with the presence of some conifers. The conifers consist primarily of lodgepole pine. Deciduous shrubs are limited within the project area, but willow and alder are present. Evidence of beaver is present on site. Historic timber harvest and roading removed larger conifers from the valley bottom, reducing the future recruitment of large wood debris to the stream. Historic grazing has impacted the riparian area.

In the late 1980’s the Wallowa-Whitman cooperated with Bonneville Power Administration to place sill log structures and exclude livestock from Sheep Creek. Most of these log sills will be removed or partially removed within this project.

A stream survey of Sheep Creek was conducted in 2010. Stream survey results indicate moderate numbers of pools per mile and low amounts of large/medium wood in reaches 1 and 2 (see Table 1 below for stream survey results). The Rosgen Class for this stream is dominated by “C” channel characteristics.

Table 1. Results of stream habitat survey for Sheep Creek.

Stream/Year Surveyed	Pools Per Mile	Residual Pool Depth	W/D Ratio	Channel Substrate	*LWD Large (pieces/mile)	LWD Medium (pieces/mile)	Stream Gradient
Sheep Creek/ 2010 Reach 1 (RM 7.5 – 8.7)	48	1.5	14	Sand	0	5	1

Sheep Cr/	34	1.5	16	GR	2	7	1

2010

Reach 2 (RM

8.7-10.5)

*Large LWD: Pieces >20 inches dbh and >35 feet in length.

** Only .2 mile of the project is within this reach.

This portion of stream is excluded to livestock through exclosure fences.

Specific Actions

The Sheep Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project would place wood within 3.0 miles of Sheep Creek for a total of 34 structure sites. Approximately, 5000 deciduous seedlings and 5000 deciduous cuttings will be planted within the project area. Existing shrubs with heavy browse would be fenced to protect the shrubs from wild ungulates.

Structure Construction

A total of 34 structure sites will have wood input within the project. Each structure site will average 7 pieces of large woody debris. Limited pinning with rebar will occur where logs cross. Logs will only be pinned if increased stability is needed to create improved habitat diversity. Most of the structures are a combination of cut logs and root wads. An excavator will be used for structure construction. A total of 233 pieces of large woody debris will be needed for structure construction. Approximately 195 pieces of large wood will be hauled into the project area from hazard trees. Approximately 38 trees will be pushed over adjacent to the stream and incorporated into the stream via excavator and chokers. The 38 trees will be pushed over within a 300’ radius of structure site numbers 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. All of the woody debris (logs & rootwads) will be skidded to the appropriate location with skidders/and or excavators. All of the logs will be imported into the creek with the use of an excavator and chokers, where needed.

No boulders will be associated with these structures, since there is no substrate of this size within this reach of Sheep Creek. In order to reduce the risk of structure movement, there will be 121 large wood pieces greater than 21” and 112 large wood pieces between 16” and 21” placed. The wood pieces will be a minimum of 60’ long with the rootwad attached.

Within the above structure sites, there will be 29 old sill log structures that will be restructured through deepening/widening the notch, removing the notch completely, or removing the entire structure. This will involve using a chainsaw (with vegetable oil in exchange for bar oil) and pulaski. These 29 structures will also have large wood placed within, to decrease width to depth ratios, maintain pool depth, and add fish cover.

Within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) parcel, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and USFS will coordinate on wood placement. ODFW approves of wood placement within this parcel, but would like to discuss the placement, prior to project implementation. There will be no change in the amount of wood placed within the parcel.

Seeding

All areas disturbed by equipment will be seeded with a native grass/forb seed mix after project completion. Mulch will be used in those areas where woody debris is not available for rehabilitation.

Planting

A total of 5,000 deciduous seedlings and 5,000 deciduous cuttings will be planted in the project area. Native species will be used. All of the planting will be completed by hand. The seedlings will be fenced. The deciduous seedlings will be protected (as much as possible) from drought. Drought protection includes scalping (by hand), watering the trees twice during the first year, adding soil moisture granules, tree mat placement, and shade cards. Existing shrubs with heavy browse would be fenced to protect the shrubs from wild ungulates.

Benefits

Benefits include: Improved riparian & wetland diversity, vigor and function; improved floodplain function; improved water capture, storage and safe release within the floodplain; increased quantity and quality of pools; increased fish cover; increased habitat complexity; increased forage availability; increased number of large and medium pieces of large woody debris in the stream; and increased spawning gravel recruitment.

Project Maintenance

Maintenance of the small exclosure fences and structures would be completed by the USFS (Joe Platz). Maintenance would involve ensuring the fences are up after spring flows every year (June). Once the trees/shrubs are above browse height or exhibit sufficient growth to withstand grazing pressure, the fences will be removed or used in additional areas on the stream. Maintenance on the structures will involve removing rebar that is exposed from the stream. This will occur at the same time as the fence maintenance.

Permits

NEPA, ESA consultation with NMFS and USFWS, and permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers/Department of State Lands have been obtained for this project. All instream work will be performed in the instream work window, which is July 1 – July 31.

Monitoring Plan

Monitoring specific to project activities would be accomplished to assure that activities conform to objectives of the Forest Plan. Project level monitoring is a component of Forest Plan monitoring. The following types of monitoring would be accomplished:

Implementation Monitoring - Are the project design being implemented as planned?

A fisheries biologist/hydrologist would be on site during project operations to ensure that the project design and mitigation measures would be implemented as planned.

Effectiveness Monitoring - Were the desired results achieved?

Structure construction: Monitoring of structures would involve photo points of before and after operations occur. Follow up photo points would occur at year 1, year 3, and year 5 after project completion. This monitoring will be completed by the USFS.

Stream Survey: Region 6 Level II Stream Habitat Inventory would be conducted prior to (completed) and @ year 1 and year 5 after completion. This monitoring will be completed by the USFS.

Plant/seed survival: Native plantings and seeded areas would be evaluated for survival on a yearly basis for three years after project completion through photo points and determining plant survival. If plant/seed survival is poor, then subsequent planting and/or seeding would occur. This monitoring will be completed by the USFS.

Noxious weeds: Noxious weeds would be monitored, yearly, for three years after project operations. This monitoring will be completed by the USFS.

Reports -

Reports: A preliminary final report that describes the actual implementation of this project and associated monitoring would be completed in the winter of 2013. A final report would be completed in the winter of 2014. After final report completion, monitoring reports would be completed the following winter after monitoring is completed.

Work Dates

Structure construction would occur from July 1 – July 31, 2013. The work window for Sheep Creek is July 1 – July 31.

Log and root wad hauling will occur in May through June of 2013.

Seeding will occur in the Fall of 2013.

Planting will occur from April 2014 to June of 2014.

8. Project Budget

The project budget is attached.

9. Attachments

Attachments include: (1) Project Budget, (2) Vicinity Map (3) Project Description Map, and (4) Photos.

Sheep Creek Structure Site # 2.

Sheep Creek Structure Site # 19.

Planting site close to Structure #24.