Restore McComas Meadows /Meadow Creek Watershed Project # 9607705 Restore McComas Meadows/ Meadow Creek Watershed Project # 9607705 Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries.

Restore McComas Meadows

/Meadow Creek Watershed

Project # 9607705

RestoreRestore McComas McComas Meadows/ Meadow Creek Meadows/ Meadow Creek

WatershedWatershed

Project # 9607705Project # 9607705

Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Watershed Program

Meadow Creek is located in north central Idaho within the South Fork Clearwater River on the Nez Perce National Forest.

Species at Risk• Steelhead trout

– ESA threatened

• Bull trout– ESA threatened

• Chinook salmon– Fall ( ESA threatened) – spring/summer (sensitive/species of

concern)

• Westslope cutthroat trout– Sensitive/species of concern

• Pacific lamprey– State endangered species

Limiting FactorsLimiting Factors

• Temperature (exceeds 20Temperature (exceeds 20oo C) C)• In-stream and riparian coverIn-stream and riparian cover• Sediment (embeddedness 23-56%)Sediment (embeddedness 23-56%)• Passage (40 culverts)Passage (40 culverts)• Habitat degradation (roads/logging)Habitat degradation (roads/logging)• Watershed disturbances (habitat Watershed disturbances (habitat

loss)loss)

• Aquatic & Terrestrial– M&E program– Road inventory& closure

• Fisheries/Aquatic Needs– Temperature monitoring– Reduce temperature,

sediment, & embeddedness

• Riparian Communities– Create riparian habitat

• Noxious Weeds– Restore infested

communities

• Habitat/Passage– Restore riparian & in-

stream habitat structure

– Create riparian areas & establish connectivity

– Restore normal hydrograph Remove passage barriers

– Culvert inventory & evaluation

• Fragmentation– Reduce road densities

Clearwater Sub-basin Needs

Objectives• Coordinate with agencies on pre-work, planning

and logistics• Restore hydrologic connectivity • Restore fish passage• Restore meadow and riparian plant community• Reduce sediment, improve water quality, and

stream habitat• Reduce sediment from Fisher Placer Mine Site• Alleviate sediment from road sources• Maintain fence integrity• Monitoring and evaluation

Past Accomplishments• Cooperative project with NPNF• Fence construction to exclude cattle

grazing within McComas meadows reach• Drainage and erosion inventory• Participation/completion of EAWS and

stewardship group recommendations for projects

• Re-vegetation of riparian zone – over 8,000 trees planted

• Tributary re-location (Swede Creek)• Monitoring and evaluation

Temperature Meadow Creek Temperature Regime -- 1999

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

4/28

/99

5/12

/99

5/26

/99

6/9/

99

6/23

/99

7/7/

99

7/21

/99

8/4/

99

8/18

/99

9/1/

99

9/15

/99

9/29

/99

10/1

3/99

10/2

7/99

11/1

0/99

11/2

4/99

12/8

/99

12/2

2/99

Date

Tem

pera

ture

(C)

Upper Daily Limit

Spawning and RearingUpper LimitAverage Temperature

Max Temperature

Min Temperature

Willow Pole Plantings

Irrigation Ditch surrounding McComas Meadows – Erosion due to drainage of streams and culverts

ROADS

Roads shown in red (90 miles) are proposed for decommissioning under the Meadow Face DRAFT EIS.

103 miles of road are to be maintained.

14 miles of road will be reconstructed

10 miles of road will be converted to trail

Fish Barrier Culvert

Fisher Placer Mine SiteFisher Placer Mine Site

Monitoring & Evaluation• Umbrella Monitoring Plan (proposed

project #28045)– Trends in Watershed Condition

• Restoration Effectiveness Monitoring Plan – Project specific

• Road Obliteration Monitoring

Questions???