Fish Passage

DG

Suspect Poor, numerous  culverts, high road density (3.4 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. 

Floodplain Conditions

Fair (DG).

Rip-rap, roads within floodplain.

H - Reconnect potential off-channel habitat.  

L - 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.  Would not consider LWD projects as high priority within lower areas of Lincoln Creek. 

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).

Bank erosion, siltation of spawning areas, vehicle activity, livestock access, high

road density.

M - 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.

M - Provide education regarding the impacts of vehicle activity in streams.  Increase enforcement to decrease this activity.

H - Inventory roads and assess impacts to salmonids and prioritize restoration actions accordingly. 

LWD

DG

M - Actions are needed to increase LWD, or similarly functioning natural structures, in appropriate places.  This would include anchor 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. 

M - 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

Poor (DG)

Livestock access. 

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 - Fence riparian to protect vegetation.

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.

Water Quality

Poor

warm water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen,

leaking septic system, 

livestock access, reduced riparian,

bank erosion, and scour

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.

L - Assess fecal coliform sources as they relate to increased BOD loads.

H - Assess riparian conditions and prioritize areas for restoration.

Water Quantity

Poor.

Low summer flows, water withdrawals,

Increased peak flows,

Scour.

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 a 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.