Final Environmental Impact Statement

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Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 Aquatic Life – Direct and Indirect Effects “Aquatic life can be degraded by migration barriers, changed flow regimes, riparian damage, or big sediment loads or chemical loads,” (USDA Forest Service 1996a). Flow regimes, riparian ecosystems, sediment, and purity are discussed in this section. The items that will be discussed in this section will be migration barriers. Alternative 1 No direct or indirect effects would occur to aquatic life from Alternative 1. Alternative 2 This alternative would not increase or decrease any migration barriers because temporary bridges or other structures which allow unimpeded streamflow would be used at stream crossings. No direct or indirect effects would occur to aquatic life from migration barriers or riparian damage. Riparian Ecosystems – Direct and Indirect Effects “Riparian ecosystems provide shade, bank stability, fish cover, and woody debris to aquatic ecosystems. They also provide key wildlife habitat, migration corridors, sediment storage and release, and surface-ground water interactions. Composition and structure of riparian vegetation can be changed by actions that remove certain species age classes,” (USDA Forest Service 1996a). Alternative 1 This alternative would not have any new activities within the project area so there would be no direct or indirect effect on riparian ecosystems. Alternative 2 There would not be any commercial activities or new system roads within any riparian areas. There are two proposed temporary road crossings of Ruby Creek and Meeker Creek. This crossing would require the road to temporarily span the stream. No other riparian impacts are expected. Therefore, minimal negative impacts may occur as a result of the proposed project. If prescribed fire were to occur in riparian areas, it would be a light burn because conditions in these areas are usually moist, resulting in no impacts. There would be minimal short-term negative direct effect on the riparian ecosystems. Wetlands – Direct and Indirect Effects “Wetlands control runoff and water quality, recharge ground water, and provide special habitats. Actions that may alter their ground cover, soil structure, water budgets, drainage patterns, and long-term plant composition can impair these values,” (USDA Forest Service 1996a). Alternative 1 This alternative would not have any new activities within the project area so there would be no direct or indirect effects on wetlands. 164
Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 Alternative 2 No mechanical treatments or roads are proposed within wetlands. Prescribed fire in wetlands would be a light burn because conditions in these areas are inherently moist, resulting in no impacts. There would be no direct or indirect effects on wetlands. Floodplains – Direct and Indirect Effects “Floodplains are natural escape areas for floods that temper flood stages and velocities,” (USDA Forest Service 1996a). Alternative 1 This alternative would not have any new activities within the project area so there would be no direct or indirect effects on floodplains. Alternative 2 Roads are the main concern within floodplains because road fills are usually placed in floodplains to facilitate road crossings of streams. This interrupts flood flows and can change the elevation of flood waters. Timber harvest activities do not affect floodplains because floodplains are not altered during the activity. Dead fall treatment, fuel break construction and prescribe fire does not alter floodplains. Since no new roads are proposed as part of this project, there would be no impacts to floodplains. There would be no direct or indirect effect on the floodplains. Watershed Condition Class – Direct and Indirect Effects Watershed condition is the state of the physical and biological characteristics and processes within a watershed that affect the soil and hydrologic functions supporting aquatic ecosystems. Watershed condition reflects a range of variability from natural pristine (functioning properly) to degraded (severely altered state or impaired) (USDA Forest Service 2011a). Alternative 1 This alternative would not have any new activities within the project area so there would be no direct or indirect effects on the watershed condition class. Alternative 2 This alternative includes commercial and non-commercial vegetation management, dead fall treatment, fuel break construction and prescribed fire. The four (4) watersheds would receive 11% to 43% of their areas with some form of treatment. The proposed activities in the watersheds would follow the design criteria, FPS&Gs, and WCPs and there should not be a change in the watershed condition class to move these watersheds to a Class 3 watershed. There would be no direct or indirect effects on the watershed condition class. Cumulative Effects - Hydrology The spatial boundaries of the cumulative effects analysis for water resources are the HUC 12 watershed boundaries that have at least 15% of their area within the project area. Watersheds with lesser amounts of the project area within them would have negligible cumulative effects from this project. Four (4) HUC 7 watersheds are used in this analysis. They are identified in Table 53. 165
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Final Environmental Impact Statement

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