Final Environmental Impact Statement

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Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 160 miles are on National Forest. Some of Ruby Creek that is on National Forest is on the French Creek Allotment. The stream health on this section of Ruby Creek was identified as At-Risk in the Hell Canyon 2010 Range Project and it would be the same today. Toe (Joe) Gulch – Seventy-one percent (71%), 1.3 miles, of 1.8 miles total length of this stream is within the Vestal project area. Very little of this stream, six percent (6%) is on private land. This stream is within the French Creek Allotment. In the past the valley along the stream has been grazed and continues to be grazed today but under new management plans. The SHR for this stream is At-Risk. Connected Disturbed Area (CDA) CDAs are areas that are identified that contribute sediment to streams or wetlands causing degradation of physical function, degraded water quality and increased peak flows that may alter physical channel processes. When a disturbed area flows into a waterbody without sufficient delay from vegetated filter strips or sediment detention structures, it is connected to the waterbody. CDAs may include bare soil patterns, compacted soils, roads, severely burned areas or mine spoils. Disturbed areas near ephemeral drainages are generally not CDAs. This is because there is vegetation in the drainages that would filter out any erosion generated. This erosion does not contribute to the degradation of the physical function of the stream or degrade water quality. During field inventory, 10 CDAs were identified, all of which are road crossings. Four (4) were on Forest Service roads and six (6) were on County roads. The CDAs were distributed across three (3) HUC 12 watersheds. Water Quality The State of South Dakota maintains a list of waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards for their assigned beneficial uses. There is one (1) stream, within the Vestal project area, French Creek, that is currently on the SD 303(d) Waterbody List (SD DE NR 2010). French Creek is on the list for not meeting the beneficial use of Coldwater Marginal Fish Life and Limited Contact Recreation. The parameter of concern is dissolved oxygen. The listed cause is natural sources and drought related impacts. The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted a monitoring program from March through October of 2010 at several sites along this reach. No violations related to dissolved oxygen were observed or recorded during this sampling period. (Robert Smith, personal communication, March 1, 2011) All other streams and waterbodies within the Vestal project area are meeting their assigned beneficial uses. Environmental Consequences - Hydrology The water resources analysis area encompasses the headwater portions of Redbird and Gillette Canyons, an area totaling approximately 50,820 acres (Appendix A, Map 6). The
Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 water resources analysis area includes land managed by both the Mystic and Hell Canyon Ranger Districts of the Black Hills National Forest, as well as private lands. Potential impacts to water resources include impacts to aquatic ecosystems, special areas, and soil productivity (discussed earlier). Aquatic ecosystems include physical conditions (sediment, bed/bank stability and flow regimes), chemical conditions (temperature/oxygen and water purity) and biological conditions (aquatic life). The Alternatives may impact these conditions in the project area, as discussed below. Past, currently ongoing, and reasonably foreseeable actions listed in Appendix F were considered along with proposed activities for cumulative effects to water resources. Aquatic Ecosystems Sediment – Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 This alternative would not have any new activities occur within the project so sediment levels would remain unchanged. There would be no direct or indirect effects to the aquatic resource due to sediment. Alternative 2 Mechanical vegetation treatments are proposed on approximately 251 acres within the 100 foot WIZ (Water Influence Zone). Approximately half of these acres are within 50 feet of the water source. There would be no direct effects of sedimentation from commercial vegetation treatments. Prescribed burning is proposed on approximately 121 acres within the WIZ. As with mechanical treatments, approximately half of these acres are within 50 feet of the water source. The potential to generate sediment from prescribed fire is low because soils within the WIZ and next to the streams are generally wetter. There would be no direct effects of sedimentation from prescribed fire. Maintenance and temporary use of roads within the WIZ and at stream crossings have the potential to increase sediment because the road surface is disturbed during operations and material on the road can be easily mobilized during precipitation events. There are approximately 7 miles of existing roads within the WIZ in the Vestal project area. Slightly less than half are within 50 feet of the water source. No new system roads would be constructed in the WIZ. There are also approximately 40 existing stream crossings. It is expected that some sediment would be produced at these crossings. It is extremely difficult to quantify how much sediment would be produced, so the amount of activity within the WIZ is used as a comparison. None of the crossings on reconstructed routes would be disturbed. There would potentially be three (3) constructed crossings on perennial streams. One would be on a reconstructed road and two on temporary roads. The reconstructed crossing is on French Creek, NFSR 342.1E, and will be a temporary bridge. The temporary road crossings will be on Ruby Creek and Meeker Creek and both would require a structure to span the stream such as a temporary bridge, cattle guard, temporary arch or similar structure. All new structures would be removed and rehabilitated upon completion of the project. In 161
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Final Environmental Impact Statement

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