Project Level Watershed Analysis McBride Springs Campground ...
Project Level Watershed Analysis McBride Springs Campground ...
Project Level Watershed Analysis McBride Springs Campground ...
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<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong><br />
<strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal<br />
<strong>Project</strong><br />
Shasta-McCloud Management Unit<br />
Shasta-Trinity National Forest<br />
Prepared by Heidi George - Hydrologist<br />
Introduction<br />
<strong>Watershed</strong> analysis is expected to yield the contextual information needed to define ecologically<br />
and geomorphically appropriate Riparian Reserves. <strong>Analysis</strong> of site-specific characteristics may<br />
warrant Riparian Reserves that are narrower or wider than the prescribed widths. Thus, it is<br />
possible to meet the objectives of at least the Aquatic Conservation Strategy portion of these<br />
standards and guidelines with post-watershed analysis reserve boundaries for intermittent streams<br />
that are quite different from those conforming to the prescribed widths. Regardless of stream type,<br />
changes to Riparian Reserves must be based on scientifically sound reasoning, and be fully<br />
justified and documented. 1<br />
This <strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> characterizes the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> watershed and<br />
identifies the Desired Future Condition (DFC) for Riparian Reserves to facilitate planning<br />
for the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong> (hereinafter<br />
referred to as <strong>Project</strong>). Because this is a project-level watershed analysis it only includes<br />
identifying issues or key questions that are related to the <strong>Project</strong>. While restricted to project<br />
relevant issues or key questions, this analysis does provide an overview of the physical,<br />
biological and human features within public lands in the entire <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> watershed<br />
and the context of this project within this watershed.<br />
The proposed action for the <strong>Project</strong> is to cut and remove hazardous and diseased trees from<br />
the campground:<br />
1. Immediate hazard tree removal.<br />
The material from the cut trees will be removed from the site or stacked as<br />
firewood for use by campers. Other debris will be chipped and spread on the site,<br />
piled, or piled and burned.<br />
2. Protection and Mitigation Measures including Best Management Practices.<br />
The forest plan for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest allows for falling hazardous trees in<br />
campgrounds within riparian areas when they pose a safety risk. Further direction includes<br />
keeping felled trees on-site when needed to meet coarse woody debris objectives<br />
(LRMP 4-58, 8.b).<br />
1 USDA-FS, Land and Resource Management Plan (Shasta-Trinity National Forests, 1995) Ch. 4-39.<br />
Standards and Guidelines<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> Description<br />
A project level watershed analysis (PLWA) is deemed necessary for the <strong>Project</strong> because in<br />
order to remove hazard trees it will be necessary to enter the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> intermittent<br />
riparian reserves in the absence of a comprehensive basin-scale (5 th field ) watershed<br />
analysis. This PLWA will focus on how the proposed activity could affect attaining<br />
Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives as required by the forest plan.<br />
The format for this PLWA follows the same organization as that used to analyze a basinscale<br />
watershed, while excluding analysis on anything not directly related to the project 8 th<br />
field HUC.<br />
Chapters<br />
1. Characterization<br />
2. ID issues and Key questions.<br />
3. Description of current condition.<br />
4. Description of reference conditions.<br />
5. Synthesis and Interpretation of Information.<br />
6. Recommendations.<br />
The information in Chapters 1, 3, 4 and 5 is needed to assess the issue within the context of<br />
the physical and biological features, biological processes and human uses in the watershed.<br />
Information in Chapters 2 and 6 is mostly limited to issue recommendations.<br />
Chapter 1: <strong>Project</strong> and <strong>Watershed</strong> Characterization<br />
Chapter 1 briefly characterizes the <strong>Project</strong> area and its relationship to the PLWA area.<br />
Public lands within the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> 7 th field watershed are managed under the Mount<br />
Shasta Management Area direction. 2 The management area is 69,282 acres, much larger<br />
than the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> watershed (7,803 acres), and is composed of Matrix Prescription<br />
III Roaded Recreation (91%), with the remaining managed for Riparian Reserves and<br />
Heritage Resource Protection as follows:<br />
Desired Future Condition:<br />
The Mount Shasta Management Area is managed<br />
predominantly for Cultural and historic values, visual<br />
quality and recreational values. The forest plan notes that<br />
“With the exception of developed campgrounds, Forest<br />
Service facilities are meeting visitor demand. This need<br />
is balanced by campground facilities in the private<br />
sector.”<br />
Vegetation management activities are consistent with the<br />
above mentioned values in this Management Area.<br />
2 USDA-FS, LRMP (Shasta-Trinity National Forests, 1995) Ch. 4-83.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
Riparian Reserves are applied along both sides of rivers,<br />
stream, lakes and wetlands. Riparian Reserves appear as<br />
natural corridors throughout the Matrix. 3<br />
Management activities are evident but subordinate to the<br />
viewer within this area.<br />
Supplemental Management Direction includes:<br />
“Manage for a high level of water quality of important domestic<br />
water sources at …<strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong>…” 4<br />
Water samples are taken at all developed recreation sites on the forest and<br />
sent to a water quality laboratory for analysis and approval for culinary use<br />
prior to opening the campground for the public. 5<br />
The upper two-thirds of the watershed is public land while the lower third includes the city<br />
of Mount Shasta and private land ownership. General characteristics for the project and<br />
watershed area are shown in the following table:<br />
Characteristics <strong>Project</strong> Area <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> Area<br />
Area (square miles) 10 acres 7,803 acres<br />
Elevation Range (feet)<br />
The elevation of the project area<br />
ranges between 4800 to 5000 feet.<br />
Elevations range from 7623 feet on<br />
Mount Shasta to approximately 4800.<br />
Relief (Slope Gradients)<br />
Slopes in the project area are<br />
Upper slopes in the watershed are<br />
generally 5% becoming greater than very steep, greater than 100%; mid-<br />
10% upslope and downslope from the<br />
project area.<br />
slopes, 100%; alluvial fan, greater<br />
than 10%.<br />
Aspect South – facing South - facing<br />
Geology<br />
Basalt and andesite boulders lie Andesitic strato-volcano with basalt<br />
above the campground, forming a<br />
colluvial fan with finer material<br />
downslope of the campground.<br />
ridges.<br />
Geomorphology<br />
At base of basalt lava flow adjacent Slopes are formed by lava flow<br />
to large drainage with evidence of features forming ridges on a more<br />
frequent avalanche and debris flow uniform flank as well as frequent<br />
activity.<br />
rock falls.<br />
Hydrology<br />
Snowmelt during the warmer summer<br />
months activates several small<br />
Intermittent streams and springs<br />
occur within the analysis area<br />
intermittent springs and streams in includes a portion of a narrow,<br />
the project area. During very wet avalanche dominated drainage,<br />
periods, closure of some campsites is<br />
required.<br />
Cascade Gulch, lying east of the<br />
project area. Infiltration rates into<br />
the coarse boulder dominated<br />
substrate is high. Intermittent flow<br />
from infrequent rapid snowmelt<br />
events bypasses the project area.<br />
Vegetation<br />
White fir, ponderosa pine, incense Mixed conifer forest with dense<br />
(Forested Areas)<br />
cedar with occasional Douglas fir.<br />
Ponderosa pine and incense cedar<br />
understory and brushfields of<br />
Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus<br />
contains dwarf mistletoe. Annosus occur in the watershed.<br />
3 LRMP Ch. 4-84 to 85.<br />
4 LRMP Ch. 4-86.<br />
5 Results for the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> water tests are available on file at the Mount Shasta Ranger District.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
Vegetation<br />
(Riparian Areas)<br />
root disease fungi is prevalent in the<br />
white fir component with mortality<br />
across size classes. Understory<br />
vegetation includes manzanita and<br />
white thorn.<br />
Willow, elderberry, thimbleberry,<br />
gooseberry, sedges and grasses.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong><br />
Very limited riparian area occurs<br />
upslope from the urban area while<br />
extensive wetlands dominate the<br />
lower portion of the watershed<br />
including within well-developed<br />
areas in the city of Mount Shasta.<br />
Table 1:<br />
<strong>Watershed</strong> characteristics for the <strong>Project</strong> area and the <strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong>.<br />
Hydrologic Location: <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> lies on the western flanks of Mount<br />
Shasta within a 7 th field hydrologic unit, <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> (18020005010302). The<br />
<strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> watershed is tributary to Cascade Gulch-Mount Shasta (6 th field), Box<br />
Canyon (5 th field) and Sacramento Headwaters (4 th field) hydrologic units.<br />
The scale selected for this PLWA is based on the smallest watershed that has readily<br />
available information that addresses the proposed activity. <strong>Analysis</strong> of a larger watershed<br />
may not detect any effects from the proposed activities; analysis of a watershed area<br />
smaller than the 8th field HUC may magnify any effects.<br />
Chapter 2: Issues and Key Questions<br />
Issue:<br />
Effects of the proposed activities on riparian habitat and Aquatic Conservation Strategy<br />
objectives.<br />
Key Questions:<br />
Are the proposed activities consistent with the Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS)<br />
objectives? How will proposed activities affect the Aquatic Conservation Strategy and the<br />
condition of Riparian Reserves in the analysis watershed? How will the activities proposed<br />
in and adjacent to the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> Riparian Reserve affect habitat in the Riparian<br />
Reserves at this site?<br />
Chapter 3: Current Conditions<br />
The purpose of Chapter 3 is to provide a general description of current conditions for<br />
aquatic, terrestrial and human uses in the project area. Only information relevant to the<br />
issues and key questions is presented.<br />
Climate
The project area is located in the extreme northern end of the Mediterranean Highland<br />
Climate Region and is characterized by warm dry summers and cool wet winters. Annual<br />
precipitation in the project area is estimated to be approximately 66 inches with the<br />
majority of this precipitation falling as snow. Additionally, Mt. Shasta provides a strong<br />
orographic influence upon storms approaching from the southeast and creates a deeper<br />
snowpack in the vicinity. Thunderstorms produce occasional summer precipitation events.<br />
The project area lies between 4,480 and 5000 feet in elevation with south-westerly aspect.<br />
A disturbance climatic regime is strongly influenced by the location of the project on the<br />
flanks of Mount Shasta at 14,179 feet summit elevation.<br />
Geology and Geomorphology<br />
Mount Shasta is a stratovolcano with a history of eruptive episodes of lava and pyroclastic<br />
flows. Individual lava flows stand out as buttes on the more gentle flanks of Mount Shasta<br />
immediately above the project area and form the steep ridges in the watershed analysis<br />
area. Deposits of glacial outwash material lie on and adjacent to rock outcrops and fill the<br />
very steep drainages. The dominant processes occurring today within the watershed that<br />
affect the human environment include rockfall, debris flow and avalanches. The history of<br />
debris flow in the 7th field watershed is recent: in 1997 a rain on snow event, with a 100<br />
year recurrence interval, initiated a debris flow in the drainage east of Cascade Gulch<br />
activating 2.5 miles of glacial outwash material that reached the city limits.<br />
Hydrology and Riparian Reserves<br />
<strong>Springs</strong> and channels occur in the project area and flow intermittently. Although snowmelt<br />
and groundwater recharge occurs earlier in the spring, groundwater activates the springs<br />
and flow occurs in the summer. During these periods of surface flow, soils become<br />
saturated and overland flow occurs below the springs and upslope of the campsites making<br />
some campsites unsuitable for camping.<br />
Small drainage ditches can be seen upslope of several campsites from past efforts to<br />
control and intercept overland flow before reaching individual campsites. The current<br />
management practice is to protect soils by closing wet campsites until they dry out.<br />
The riparian reserve within the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> project area maintains<br />
facultative and obligate riparian vegetation with limited water from the spring source and<br />
short duration flow in the intermittent stream. The intermittent stream carries annual<br />
surface water from the spring down slope through the campground and downstream of the<br />
project area. This occurs primarily in the months of July and August when snowmelt<br />
recharges the groundwater and allows surface flow to occur. It is not known how far this<br />
flow continues down slope; however there is evidence of scouring due to runoff in the road<br />
crossings of Cascade Gulch. The intermittent stream stemming from <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> is<br />
the only known intermittent stream that conveys this annual water in the upper reaches of<br />
this watershed or supports riparian vegetation.<br />
Most of the intermittent streams in the watershed have such high infiltration that they<br />
infrequently convey water; when they do they function to maintain important connectivity<br />
for terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Other intermittent streams function to deliver large<br />
sediment loads to the reaches at lower elevations and have no riparian vegetation<br />
associated with them. Maintaining the integrity of these channel features is important to<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
maintaining hillslope processes, such as existing natural erosion rates, without accelerating<br />
them.<br />
Episodic flood events are responsible for the large debris flow channels that characterize<br />
the larger drainages. Water flows in these channels in response to snowmelt conditions and<br />
occasional rainfall. Debris flows are associated with these channels, for example, Cascade<br />
Gulch, and carry rock, water and sediment from higher elevations in narrow deep canyons<br />
to lower elevations where sediment is deposited on debris fans that splay out across a wide<br />
swath. Riparian reserves associated with these types of intermittent streams are subject to<br />
large-scale natural disturbance from debris flows as well as avalanches.<br />
Vegetation<br />
Very limited aquatic, riparian and meadow habitats are present within and adjacent to the<br />
<strong>Project</strong>. White fir, ponderosa pine and cedar dominate the overstory vegetation in the<br />
project area. The understory is comprised of a diverse riparian plant community, including<br />
willow providing subdominant plant community structure and many forbs and grasses in<br />
the understory near the ground. Mature willow reaches upwards of twenty feet in height<br />
where some sunlight is able to reach the forest floor. This vegetation provides root strength<br />
to the streambanks which qare in a highly functional condition. The vegetation influenced<br />
by the springs and extended periods of wetting adjacent to the intermittent channel<br />
includes obligate and facultative plants associated with wet soils.<br />
Recreation<br />
The <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> provides opportunities for developed camping, and<br />
is utilized primarily during summer. Users enjoy camping, picnicking, and hiking<br />
along the campground trails.<br />
<strong>McBride</strong> has 11 campsites that are usually full during camping season.<br />
With the current situation from campground closure, users have had to camp at either<br />
Panther Meadows or Bunny Flats. This has caused campers to adjust their plans<br />
accordingly, placing extra pressure on these already well-utilized sites since the<br />
campground was closed for safety reasons.<br />
The campground is closed in the fall, winterized and opened in the spring as conditions<br />
allow.<br />
Equivalent Roaded Area and Soils<br />
The project area is approximately ten acres, approximately 0.1 percent of the 7,803 acre<br />
7th field hydrologic unit. The threshold of concern for the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> hydrologic<br />
unit is adopted from the larger 5 th field Box Canyon <strong>Watershed</strong> which has a threshold of<br />
concern equivalent roaded area of 18%.<br />
The current ERA for the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> hydrologic unit is 3.4% primarily from roads.<br />
A large portion of the lower portion of the watershed is urban and urban interface. The<br />
upper watershed is mixed-conifer with manzanita and ceanothus brushfields.<br />
Approximately half of the upper watershed upslope of the urban area is in plantations.<br />
Timber harvest activity from the Mountain Thin and Fuels Management <strong>Project</strong> is<br />
ongoing. No recent fires have occurred in the watershed.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
7 th Field<br />
Hydrologic<br />
unit code<br />
18020005010302<br />
Name<br />
<strong>McBride</strong><br />
<strong>Springs</strong><br />
Drainage<br />
Area (acres)<br />
Forest Plan<br />
TOC (%)<br />
Existing<br />
ERA (%)<br />
7,803 16 3.4<br />
Soil Map Units in the watershed:<br />
Rock outcrop-Sheld family association, 60 to 80% slopes, Rock outcrop (40%)<br />
very steep lava flows on volcanic peaks. Vegetation is Scree/Scrub; Sheld family<br />
(40%), very steep mountain sideslopes. Vegetation is Scree/Scrub Scree/Conifer.<br />
Rock outcrop includes extremely cobbly glacial moraines and deposits of tuff<br />
breccia and welded tuffs.<br />
Washougal family (80) %, 20 to 40 % slopes, gently sloping volcanic sideslopes,<br />
buttes, lava flows. Typical Vegetation Series is Sierran-Cascade Mixed Conifer<br />
Forest, Greenleaf manzanita and chaparral.<br />
Sheld-Revit families- Glacial outwash association, 10 to 35% slopes<br />
Map unit components: Sheld family (40%) in the drainages and outwash channel,<br />
Typical Vegetation Series is Snowbrush Chaparal Red-Fir White-Fir Forest; Revit<br />
Family (30%) in the outwash flats, gently sloping side slopes, Red-Fir White-Fir<br />
Forest, Rubble land (30%), channels, moraines, drainages, Typical Vegetation<br />
Series is Exposure Chaparral Scree-Scrub; complex landforms with very steep<br />
drainages, moraines and glacial outwash flats. (This lies outside of the project<br />
area).<br />
Sadie family, deep (75%), gentle mountain sideslopes, lava flows. Typical<br />
Vegetation Series is White Fir Forest, Ponderosa Pine Forest. This soil has<br />
moderate erodibility.<br />
Chapter 4: Reference Conditions<br />
The purpose of Chapter 4 is to focus in on the historical activities that have affected<br />
watershed condition and are relevant to the proposed project.<br />
Historical accounts were made by visitors traveling as early as 1854. 6 First ascents of<br />
Mount Shasta describe the vegetation from the lower elevations near the City of Mount<br />
Shasta, up Cascade Gulch and continuing beyond <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong>. From these accounts,<br />
the vegetation is described as being expansive and impenetrable shrub fields interrupting<br />
large stands of sugar pine and ponderosa pine, with little understory.<br />
One reference regarding what may possibly be <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> “1866 Ascent of Mount<br />
Shasta in August” is noteworthy:<br />
6 Cassidy, J. March 2004. “Chronological Vegetation History of Mt. Shasta for the Mountain Thin <strong>Project</strong>.”<br />
Version 1. Mountain Thin Vegetation and Fuels Management Environmental Assessment.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
“Our road lay through dark heavy forest of pine, cedar, fir, and thickets of<br />
underbrush which were, in places, almost impenetrable… An hour and a<br />
half’s ride brought us to Cedar Seat Camp – a cozy little retreat hid away in<br />
the “deep tangled wildwood” by a little mountain rivulet of sparkling water<br />
which coursed its way from the frozen snows of Mount Shasta.” Source –<br />
Yreka Union August 18, 1866. Location – from Strawberry Valley on<br />
horseback with Sisson and others. 7<br />
Fires were regularly observed during 1854 to 1884 according to these historical accounts,<br />
with smoke or haze from forest fires annually obscuring the sky after July until the fall<br />
rains. After 1886 fires and timber cutting, forested stands were recorded as being replaced<br />
by extensive brush fields.<br />
The 8th field watershed (2,642 acres) that surrounds the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong><br />
project area has had road construction since the early 1900’s. Trails followed by roads<br />
with narrow widths were replaced with paving and proper road drainage. Road access on<br />
the Everitt Memorial Highway has always been dependent on the snow conditions and are<br />
usually plowed to keep the road open for recreation beyond <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> at Bunny<br />
Flat. Road closure due to abundant snow can sometimes keep the roads closed from<br />
December until late May. The <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> is typically gated closed in<br />
October, opening when ground conditions and maintenance allow.<br />
Chapter 5: Interpretations<br />
Chapter 5 of this analysis addresses the key question for the proposed project.<br />
The Effects of Proposed Management Activities in Riparian Reserves:<br />
The proposed <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong> is consistent<br />
with the ACS objectives. On a watershed scale, activities from the implementation of the<br />
<strong>Project</strong> are expected to be negligible and unmeasurable. On a project scale, because<br />
activities are proposed for Riparian Reserves the proposed project may have a temporary<br />
effect from minimal ground disturbance on the existing hydrologic processes and function<br />
within the reserve. No effects from the project are anticipated outside of the campground<br />
boundary.<br />
Very wet periods such as rain on snow events allows surface water to flow in the<br />
intermittent channels in the campground and sometimes throughout the watershed as well<br />
as in the steep drainages that parallel the project area. These events are more episodic in<br />
nature and may produce debris flows in the drainages that have reached the alluvial fan<br />
upslope of the City of Mount Shasta. This is a natural geomorphic process that is not<br />
affected by the project.<br />
7 Cassidy, J. March 2004. “Chronological Vegetation History of Mt. Shasta for the Mountain Thin <strong>Project</strong>.”<br />
Version 1. Mountain Thin Vegetation and Fuels Management Environmental Assessment.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
Light campground recreational activities associated with camping, walking on the short<br />
trails, and campsite maintenance such as clearing winter debris from paved roads and<br />
campsites occur near and within the campground. Soils are saturated each year below the<br />
springs and ditches that were constructed to divert surface flow away from campsites<br />
interupt wetland function. Closing campsites due to wet soils eliminates camping<br />
opportunites at the campground, and as the ditches are still somewhat functional reduces<br />
connectivity of the hillslope to the intermittent channels. This situation does not occur<br />
elsewhere in the watershed and is limited to the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Campground</strong>.<br />
Landings are required to stage the large logs and any biomass. Potential landings were<br />
identified in the field and were located in existing openings outside of the riparian area in<br />
uplands surrounded by upland vegetation. Such minimal ground disturbance is not<br />
expected to disrupt forest soil building processes and should be difficult to detect after<br />
several seasons of litter-fall and snowfall.<br />
A description of how the project will or may affect each ACS objective is presented in<br />
Table 2.<br />
Table 2: Effects of Proposed Activities on ACS Objectives.<br />
Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives Effects of Proposed Management Activity<br />
1. Maintain and restore the distribution, diversity, and<br />
complexity of watershed and landscape-scale features to<br />
ensure protection of the aquatic systems to which species,<br />
populations and communities are uniquely adapted.<br />
2. Maintain and restore spatial and temporal connectivity<br />
within and between watersheds. Lateral, longitudinal, and<br />
drainage network connections include floodplains,<br />
wetlands, upslope areas, headwater tributaries, and intact<br />
refugia. These network connections must provide<br />
chemically and physically unobstructed routes to areas<br />
critical for fulfilling life history requirements of aquatic<br />
and riparian-dependent species.<br />
3. Maintain and restore the physical integrity of the<br />
aquatic system, including shorelines, banks, and bottom<br />
configurations.<br />
4. Maintain and restore water quality necessary to support<br />
healthy riparian, aquatic, and wetland ecosystems. Water<br />
quality must remain within the range that maintains the<br />
biological, physical, and chemical integrity of the system<br />
and benefits survival, growth, reproduction, and migration<br />
of individual composing aquatic and riparian<br />
communities.<br />
5. Maintain and restore the sediment regime under which<br />
aquatic ecosystems evolved. Elements of the sediment<br />
regime include the timing, volume, rate, and character of<br />
sediment input, storage, and transport.<br />
6. Maintain and restore instream flows sufficient to create<br />
and sustain riparian, aquatic, and wetland habitats and to<br />
retain patterns of sediment, nutrient, and wood routing.<br />
By removing the hazard trees in the campground, the<br />
distribution, diversity and complexity of the watershed<br />
will be maintained and incrementally improved as more<br />
light will benefit riparian vegetation vigor.<br />
The proposed action will maintain spatial and temporal<br />
connectivity of meadow habitats within the <strong>McBride</strong><br />
<strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong>.<br />
The proposed action will have an overall neutral effect on<br />
the physical integrity of the aquatic system. Some short<br />
term negative impacts could occur due to removal of<br />
vegetation in near streamside areas, however these<br />
impacts are expected to be offset by improved vigor of the<br />
riparian vegetation.<br />
The proposed action will have a neutral effect on water<br />
quality. Best management practices and resource<br />
protection measures will be in place to avoid impacts to<br />
water quality from the activity.<br />
The proposed action will have a neutral effect on the<br />
sediment regime. Slopes within the riparian reserve are<br />
primarily less than 2% with steeper slopes approaching<br />
10% primarily outside of the proposed action activity.<br />
The potential for runoff from the surrounding slopes into<br />
the intermittent creek is low.<br />
The removal of conifers may reduce evapotranspiration<br />
enough to have a limited, albeit immeasurable, increase in<br />
duration and volume of instream flows in the intermittent<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
The timing, magnitude, duration, and spatial distribution<br />
of peak, high and low flows must be protected.<br />
7. Maintain and restore the timing, variability, and<br />
duration of floodplain inundation and water table<br />
elevation in meadows and wetlands.<br />
8. Maintain and restore the species composition and<br />
structural diversity of plant communities in riparian areas<br />
and wetlands to provide adequate summer and winter<br />
thermal regulation, nutrient filtering, appropriate rates of<br />
surface erosion, bank erosion, and channel migration and<br />
to supply amounts and distributions of coarse woody<br />
debris sufficient to sustain physical complexity and<br />
stability.<br />
9. Maintain and restore habitat to support well-distributed<br />
populations of native plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate<br />
riparian-dependent species.<br />
Chapter 6: Recommendations<br />
channel and because of the small scale of the project, are<br />
expected to occur for a very limited duration.<br />
The removal of conifers could have a small effect on the<br />
timing, variability, and duration of floodplain inundation<br />
within the project area. It is also possible that the conifer<br />
removal could have a more sustained effect on the<br />
meadow hydrology by raising water table levels during<br />
periods of runoff.<br />
Removal of conifers will maintain the small meadow<br />
habitats and stream-side riparian vegetation. Mature<br />
willow provides abundant woody debris recruitment for<br />
maintaining channel structure.<br />
The proposed action will have a positive effect in<br />
maintaining and restoring habitat to support populations of<br />
native plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate ripariandependent<br />
species.<br />
Appropriate management activities for Riparian Reserves include those activities that<br />
restore and preserve Riparian Reserves, are consistent with the Aquatic Conservation<br />
Strategy and move the reserves towards a Desired Future Condition.<br />
Plan and implement vegetation management activities that restore and/or preserve the<br />
aquatic, riparian and meadow habitats unique to the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> landscape.<br />
Manage Riparian Reserves to meet Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives and to<br />
move Reserves towards desired future conditions. 8<br />
No adjustments to the Riparian Reserve widths are recommended from this <strong>McBride</strong><br />
<strong>Springs</strong> PLWA.<br />
To harvest the true fir hosts of the annosus disease, heavy equipment is required to<br />
enter the riparian reserves at the <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong>. To protect the<br />
immediate floodplains and banks of the channels and springs, an Equipment Exclusion<br />
Zone (EEZ) should be designated.<br />
Twenty feet out from any spring, intermittent stream or ditch except for stream<br />
crossings a 20 foot EEZ, measured from the channel banks outward on each side, will<br />
be designed to avoid impacts to hydrologic and riparian vegetative features. 9<br />
No ground disturbance within this zone should occur from equipment capable of<br />
reaching in from outside the zone. Where this is not possible, as in the stream<br />
crossings, minimal ground disturbance may occur within the EEZ where directional<br />
hand-falling conifer requires the log to be dragged out by a grapple line attached to<br />
heavy equipment such as a skidder.<br />
8 USDA-FS, Land and Resource Management Plan (Shasta-Trinity National Forests, 1995) Ch. 4-39.<br />
The desired future condition for the Mount Shasta Management Area as described in the LMP pp. 4-84 and<br />
Forest Wilderness areas LMP pp. 4-87.<br />
9 Further described in this document under Best Management Practices.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>
Examples of management activities that are consistent with the desired future condtion<br />
include camping, commercial or noncommercial harvest of diseased and disease-prone<br />
conifers, prescribed or natural fire, and returning slopes to near-original contours<br />
disturbed from past flood control efforts.<br />
Improving connectivity of surface water within the campground by returning hillslopes<br />
to pre-drainage contours is recommended.<br />
During development of the project specific watershed analysis it was found that<br />
campground users have been displaced during the <strong>McBride</strong> campground safety<br />
closures. A comprehensive watershed analysis would evaluate the use at the alternative<br />
sites that campers chose to go to and address issues and opportunities found there.<br />
Conduct a comprehensive <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> for the Shasta SW Planning <strong>Watershed</strong><br />
within the Box Canyon <strong>Watershed</strong> (HUC 5).<br />
Plan and implement management activities to reduce impacts to meadow, aquatic and<br />
riparian habitats camping use at <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong>.<br />
Evaluate potential for completing a basin scale <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> and a<br />
comprehensive Roads <strong>Analysis</strong> for the Mount Shasta <strong>Watershed</strong>s. Not having these<br />
<strong>Watershed</strong> and Roads Analyses greatly limits opportunities for doing beneficial<br />
projects in some Riparian Reserves. With these analyses, restoration opportunities,<br />
including road decommissioning and restoration projects in Riparian Reserves, are<br />
more fully considered within a watershed context.<br />
<strong>Project</strong> <strong>Level</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>McBride</strong> <strong>Springs</strong> <strong>Campground</strong> Diseased Trees Removal <strong>Project</strong>