Chicken Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project

Proposal

12/05/13

Contact: Joe Platz

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

The project is located on Chicken Creek, on lands administered by the US Forest Service

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 Chicken Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project is located on Chicken and West Fork Chicken Creeks, tributaries to Sheep Creek. The project is located on 2 miles of Chicken and West Fork Chicken Creeks (starting at approximate RM 3) (T 6S, R 35.5E, S 3, 10, 11, 14, 15). The project is located within Upper Grande Ronde River (1706010401); Chicken Creek (170601040104); Reach 1; 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

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

Historic timber harvest, mountain pine beetle mortality and associated 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

Chicken Creek (within the project area) is broken into 1 reach. 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. 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, however, this reach is now included with a managed riparian pasture.

A stream survey of Chicken Creek was conducted in 2010. Stream survey results indicate low amounts of large wood within the large and medium size classes (see Table 1 below for stream survey results). The Rosgen Class for reach 1 is dominated by a C4b channel. Personal observation agreed with the stream survey results.

Table 1. Results of stream habitat survey for Five Points Creek.

Stream/Year Surveyed	Pools Per Mile	W/D Ratio	Dominate Channel Substrate	*LWD Large (pieces/mile)	**LWD Medium (pieces/mile)	Stream Gradient
Five Points Creek Reach 1 ***(1.95 miles) (Bndry – Unnamed Trib.)	52	28	GR	7	7	3.00%

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

**Medium LWD: Pieces >12 inches dbh and >35 feet in length.

***Reach 3 extends for approximately 1 mile upstream of the project area.

The project area also includes West Chicken Creek, which has a similar existing condition as Chicken Creek mainstem.

Chicken Creek and West Chicken Creeks are within a riparian pasture (2342 acres). This pasture will have five years of rest (no grazing) until 2020. After 5 years of rest, the pasture will be evaluated for livestock grazing. If the plantings are above browse height, then 20 cow/calf pairs will graze the pasture from 7/15 – 8/15. If detrimental effects occur on the shrubs, the livestock will be removed and the grazing season will be shortened.

Specific Actions

The Chicken Creek Large Woody Debris and Planting Project would place wood within 1.0 mile of Chicken Creek for a total of 13 structure sites. Approximately, 4000 deciduous seedlings, 500 conifer seedlings and 3000 deciduous cuttings will be planted within 2.0 miles of Chicken and West Chicken Creeks. Existing shrubs with heavy browse would be fenced to protect the shrubs from wild ungulates.

Structure Construction

A total of 13 structure sites will have wood input within the project. Each structure site will average 9 pieces of large woody debris (> 15” dbh) and an average of 15 pieces of small woody debris (< 15” dbh). 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 117 pieces of large woody debris will be needed for structure construction. Approximately 68 pieces of large wood will be hauled into the project area from hazard trees. Approximately 49 trees (none of these trees will be over 21” dbh) will be pushed over adjacent to the stream and incorporated into the structures. All of the small wood will be obtained 100’ – 300’ from the stream. The 49 trees will be pushed over within a 300’ radius of structure site numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 & 13. The wood pieces will be a minimum of 40’ long with the rootwad attached. No boulders will be associated with these structures, since there is no substrate of this size within this reach of Chicken Creek. All of the logs will be imported into the creek with the use of an excavator and chokers, where needed.

No large wood placement will occur in West Chicken Creek.

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 4,000 deciduous seedlings, 500 conifer seedlings and 3,000 deciduous cuttings will be planted in the project area. Native species will be used. All of the planting will be completed by hand. The 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.

To protect small plantings from browse, small wood would be thinned from lodgepole thickets 50’ from the stream and hauled in from road prisms within the Upper Grande Ronde Watershed (this wood is normally left on site following regular road maintenance, but will be repurposed for this project). The wood will be transported to the floodplain of Chicken Creek and placed around the plantings with a mini excavator. Approximately, 40 dump truck loads will be hauled to the floodplain. The wood will protect plantings and add floodplain roughness.

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 would be completed by the USFS. 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.

Permits

NEPA, ESA consultation with NMFS and USFWS, and permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers/Department of State Lands will be 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 2015. A final report would be completed in the winter of 2016. 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, 2014. The work window for Chicken Creek is July 1 – July 31.

Log and root wad hauling will occur in June of 2014

Seeding and mulching will occur in the Fall of 2014.

Planting will occur from April 2015 to June of 2015.

Hauling and placement of small wood to protect plantings will occur from June of 2015 – November of 2015.

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 (attached).