Fish Passage

DG

High road density (4.4 mi/sq.mi)

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.

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

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

H - Need fish presence assessments

Floodplain Conditions

Fair (DG)

Channel incision, scour, roads within floodplain

H - Reconnect potential off-channel habitat. 

H - Restoration actions need to increase instream LWD to help address channel incision and flow issues.  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)

Siltation, high road density, high levels of bank erosion,

livestock access,

vehicle activity

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

H – Reduce livestock access to streams.

M - Provide education regarding the impacts of livestock access.

L - Provide education regarding the impacts of vehicle activity in streams and increase enforcement. 

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

H - Livestock access and bank erosion information is old and needs updating.

LWD

DG

Lack of LWD

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

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

H - 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)

M - Assess instream levels of LWD.

Riparian

Poor (DG).

Area converted to non-forest, streamside vegetation loss due to logging

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

Needs more data on riparian conditions

Water Quality

Poor.

Low dissolved oxygen caused by livestock access, failing septic systems, fecal coliform (suggesting high BOD loads).  Poor riparian conditions suggest temperature problems.

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

H - Reduce livestock access to streams. 

H - Implement TMDL for water temperature and pH.

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

H - Restore wetlands and off-channel habitat.

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

H - Monitor summer water temperatures and dissolved oxygen.

Water Quantity

Poor

Low summer flows, irrigation, high peak flows, scour,

converted land cover

H - Reduce water withdrawals from surface 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 - Decrease activities that interfere with the natural recharge of aquifers or degrade hydrological maturity.

H - Install stream flow gage, and monitor stream flow.

H - Determine actual water usage and water rights.

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.