Fish Passage

Poor (DG) Known problems: largest problem is blockage to Black Lake (access and flow issue)

H - Open three or more miles of good quality habitat used by at least one stock of salmon or steelhead.  Exceptions:  include very cost efficient projects addressing unique limiting habitat or benefiting multiple stocks of salmon or steelhead.

H - Bridges are the preferred structure.  If culverts are used, they should be sized to allow full access to all fish species and life history stages.

M - Inventory, assess, and prioritize all habitat blockages (culverts, dikes, railroad grades, etc.) for all salmonid life history stages. 

L - Develop a database housed with the lead entity, to contain all blockage data. 

H - Study flow control between upper Black River and Black Lake, considering fish passage to and from Black Lake to Black River. Include study of potential predation by exotic species in Black Lake.

Floodplain Conditions

DG, Poor in Beaver, Salmon, Allen Creeks and in Bloom's Ditch. Known problems include rip-rap, wetland filling, and channelization.

H - Reconnect potential off-channel habitat. 

L - Restoration actions need to increase instream LWD.  This includes appropriate riparian restoration to result in better future LWD levels.

H - Maintain and conserve off-channel and side channel habitat and associated riparian. 

H - Inventory impacts and suitable restoration sites for floodplain habitat coincident with the barrier/culvert inventory.

Sediment

Poor (DG).  Known problems: bank erosion, livestock access, high road density (4.1 mi/sq mi).

H – Reduce bank erosion (riparian restoration, livestock exclusion, engineered logjams to deflect flows from eroding banks., etc).

H - Reduce livestock access to streams.

H - Correct high impact road sediment delivery problems via push-outs, cross-drains, and sediment traps etc.

M - Provide education regarding the impacts of livestock access.

H - Inventory roads and assess impacts to salmon and steelhead as well as prioritize restoration actions. 

H - Stream surveys of key tributaries to Black River (Waddell, Beaver, Miraz, Salmon Creeks) should evaluate spawning and rearing conditions, including sediment, channel conditions and LWD.

LWD

DG. Low gradient and numerous wetlands likely result in lower priority for LWD.

M - Actions are needed to increase LWD, or similarly functioning natural structures, in appropriate places.  This would include anchoring LWD and increasing natural recruitment potential (riparian restoration).   

H – Prevent removal of appropriate pieces of LWD, and other natural structures, within the floodplain through increased education and enforcement. 

L - Determine appropriateness through inventory or other assessment of LWD, or other natural structure(s), placement.  (E.g. gravel recruiting, hydrology, wood or structure size, gradient, near term LWD recruitment potential, and valley confinement).

Riparian

Mixed. Poor and Good.

H - Revegetate open riparian areas with native plants including conifers in appropriate places.

M - Interplant conifer into hardwood riparian areas that were historically conifer areas.   

M- Plant conifer adjacent to and outside existing and limited existing conifer hardwood riparian areas.

H - Restore riparian vegetation/buffers in lower 9 river miles and between RM 17-20, and key tributaries where conditions are poor, such as Waddle/Beaver Creeks.

H - Funds, lands, and easement opportunities should be identified to obtain areas of mid-to late seral stage riparian with priority given to older stands.  This is applicable to lands that do not have current protection such as those outside of current forest practice regulations.

H - Preserve good riparian conditions from RM 9-17 and above RM 20 and in key tributaries.

H - Assess and prioritize recovery and protection for riparian conditions.

Water Quality

Poor. (DG most tribs). Known problems are warm water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen due to poor riparian, livestock waste, urban stormwater, and loss of flow from Black Lake.

H - Actions need to address riparian, livestock access, and flow problems. 

H - Reduce livestock access to streams. 

H - Increase activities that lead to natural recharge of the aquifers and maintain or improve hydrological maturity. 

H - Implement TMDL for water temperature and pH.

H - Restore wetlands and off-channel habitat.

H - Restore summer/low flows from Black Lake to Black River after analysis.

H - Decrease activities that interfere with the natural recharge of aquifers or degrade hydrological maturity.

H - Analysis of potential flow controls in upper Black River near Black Lake to increase flow in low flow periods.

Water Quantity

Poor. (DG most tribs).  Known low flow problem due to flow reversal to Black Lake.

H - Reduce water withdrawals from both surface and ground sources.

H - Increase activities that lead to natural recharge of the aquifers and maintain or improve hydrologic maturity. 

H -Restore wetlands and off-channel habitat.

H - Restore summer/low flows from Black Lake to Black River after analysis.

H - Decrease activities that interfere with the natural recharge of aquifers or degrade hydrological maturity.  Hydrological maturity should be a goal in the upper reaches of Mima and Waddell Creeks and aquifer recharge in the Black River, itself.

H - Analysis of potential flow controls in upper Black River near Black Lake to increase flow in low flow periods.

Biological Processes

DG

L - Increase contribution of marine –derived nutrients through increased use of carcasses. 

H - Increase field surveys for salmonid distribution, escapement, and habitat use by life history stage.

L - Assess marine-derived nutrient processes.