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1
United State. Northern/lntermountain Regions'
Department ^Q''a^o^'j^^^A-^
ofAgriculture
Fish Habitat Inventory: Grazed,
ForestService
Rested, and Ungrazed Reference
Intermountain
Research Station
Stream Reaches, Siiver King
General Technical
Report INT-GTR-31
Creel(, Caiifornia
July 1994
C. Kerry Overton
Gwynne L. Chandler
Janice A. Pisano \
\^>,
United States
Department
off
Agriculture
National Agricultural Library
—
The Authors rested from grazing, in reference to sections that had
no known livestockgrazing. The objectives were: (1) to
C. Kerry Overton is atechnology transfer specialist determine ifthere are differences between grazed and
with the Intermountain Research Station's Enhancing rested sections along Silver King Creek and Coyote
Fish Habitats Research Work Unit in Boise, ID. He re- Valley Creek; (2) to assess habitat condition of grazed
ceived B.S. degrees in conservation and biology, and and rested sections of Silver King Creek by calculating
an M.S. degree in zoology (aquatic ecology) from Idaho the percentdeviation from natural potential using habitat
State University. He joined the Forest Service in 1978 variables from ungrazed reference streams; and (3) to
and has worked as afishery biologist atthe District, For- recommend monitoring methods to measure progress
est, and Regional levels in the Pacific Southwest Region toward the desired condition (natural potential).
(California). He joined the Intermountain Research Sta- Rested managementsections appeared to have better
tion in November of 1990 working on the development, bankconditions(stable banks and more bank undercuts)
evaluation, and transferof technical tools to assist For- than grazed managementsections in both streams. The
est Service fishery biologists. rested sections in Coyote Valley Creek had deeper and
narrower channels than the grazed sections. Ungrazed
Gwynne L. Chandler is afisheries biologistwith the
Enhancing Fish Habitats Research Work Unit research reference streams similar in parent geology, precipita-
tion, channel type, habitat types, drainage area, and
work unit in Boise, ID. She received a B.S. degree in
— stream width had higher bank stability values and lower
biologyfrom the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
width-to-depth ratios than both grazed and rested man-
in 1984. She received an M.S. degree in fisheries from agement sections of Silver King Creek. Banks in the
the University of Idaho in 1988. She began workwith
rested sections of Silver King Creek appearto be recov-
the Forest Service in 1991 and now analyzes habitat ering, as bank stability values were approaching those
inventory data and fish population dynamics.
ofthe ungrazed reference streams. Powercurve analy-
Janice A. Pisano is afisheries biologistforthe Challis sis indicatesthatthe chance ofdetecting truedifferences
National Forest in Challis, ID. She received her B.S. between grazed and rested sections is very low because
degree in biology with fish and wildlife emphasis from the individual stream sections were so short. Habitat
Montana State University in Bozeman. She worked descriptors and sample sizes required to measure re-
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana covery are suggested from results ofthe powercurve
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Kalispell, MT analysis.
before beginning workwith the Forest Service in 1991
atthe Intermountain Research Station in Boise. Now
Acknowledgments
she prepares watershed-scale biological assessments
at the Supervisor's Office in Challis. This study was funded bythe Forest Service's Inter-
mountain Region Fish and Wildlife staff, the Toiyabe
Research Summary National Forest, and the Intermountain Research Sta-
tion. Jane Schmidt, range conservationist, Carson
In September 1991 datadescribing fish habitat (de- Ranger District, Toiyabe National Forest, and Brian
,
scriptors) were collected for Silver King Creek and one Sanborn, fishery biologist, Deerlodge National Forest,
of its majortributaries, Coyote Valley Creek, using the contributed in the development ofthe study and this
Forest Service's R1/R4 [Northern/lntermountain Region] manuscript. Data collection, entry, and proofing were
fish habitat inventory procedures. The purpose was to completed by Intermountain Research Station fishery
describe fish habitat conditions of channels traversing technicians. Robyn Armstrong, Kelly Duncan, and
stream sections grazed by livestock and sections being Shari Whitwell compiled data summaries.
Intermountain Research Station
32425th Street
Ogden, UT84401
Northern/lntermountain Regions'
Fish {Habitat Inventory: Grazed,
Rested, and Ungrazed Reference
Stream Reaches, Silver King
Creek, California
C. Kerry Overton
Gwynne L. Chandler
Janice A. Pisano
Introduction Fisherybiologists at the Intermountain Research
Station, incollaborationwithbiologistsoftheNorth-
Livestockgrazinghas contributed to the deterio- emand IntermountainRegions ofthe Forest Service,
ration ofwestern riparian areas and fish habitat U.S. Department ofAgriculture, selected stream
(Armourand others 1991; Behnke 1980; Chaneyand characteristics theybelieved to be altered byland
others 1991; Kovalchikand Elmore 1992; Minshall management activities and thattheybelieved had
and others 1989). Changes in grazingmanagement ecological significance to fish. We used these char-
are being advocated by natural resource specialists acteristics to describe and compare reaches ofSilver
and managers due to growingpublic interest in im- KingCreekand CoyoteValley Creekingrazed and
provingriparian conditions, in maintaining and en- rested management sections. Our objectives were:
hancingwaterquality, inenhancingrecreationoppor- (1) to determine what differences, ifany, existbe-
tunities, and in protecting fish and wildlife habitat tweengrazed and rested sections along Silver King
(USDAFS 1992). Creekand CoyoteValleyCreek; (2)to assessthehabi-
Studies have demonstratedthatlivestockgrazing tatcondition ofgrazed and rested sections ofSilver
withinriparian areas eliminates or reduces stream- King Creek by calculatingthe percentdeviationfrom
sidevegetation, destabilizes streambanks, causes natural potential usinghabitatvariables from un-
channel sedimentation and aggradation, widens grazedreference streams; and (3)to recommend mon-
channels, increases streamtemperature extremes, itoringmethods to measure progress toward stream
lowers the watertable, reduces bankundercut, and recovery (desired condition or natural potential).
reduces pool frequency and depth (Armour and oth-
ers 1991; Chaney and others 1991; Kauffman and
Krueger 1984; Kovalchik and Elmore 1992; Meehan Study Site Description
1991; Platts 1991). These changes in channel mor-
phology canbe detrimental to salmonid populations The SilverKingCreekdrainagelies entirelywithin
by damaging spawning and rearinghabitat. Some the Carson-IcebergWilderness (Toiyabe National
land managers are revampinggrazing allotment Forest) ofeast-central California (fig. 1). The basin
managementplans (grazing strategies) to restore waslogged inthe 1860's, pastured sheep inthe early
desirable riparian conditions, narrow and deepen 1900's through the late 1930's, and has pastured
stream channels, £ind improve fish habitat. cattle since the 1940's. Today, cattle are grazed on
a deferred grazing system throughoutmuch ofthe
Efforts to identify and measure grazing's direct
impacts are confounded by other changes and natu- Silver King Creek drainage. The main properuse
ralvariability (Platts 1991). To develop effective criteriaforjudgingthelevelofgrazingis 55 percent
management strategies, thelandmanagerneeds as- use ofkeyforage plantsbylivestock(Jane Schmidt,
sessmenttoolsto determinethe currentandthepo- range conservationist, Carson Ranger District).
tentialconditionofstreams andto monitorprogress Silver King Creek is a fourth-ordertributaryto
in reducingthe differences between the two. Exist- the EastFork ofthe Carson River. The elevation
ing stream channel conditions on a grazed stream at the confluence is 1,950 m; and the elevation at
reach can be compared to those on a similar stream itsheadwatersis 2,895 m. Discharge atthetime of
reach unaffected bygrazingthatrepresents the po- survey(September 14to 20, 1991)was estimated at
0.5 mVsecond in the mainstem ofSilver King Creek.
tential natural condition.
1
classified as"C"channeltype. The studysections in-
Silver KingCreek cludedtwo rested sections, totaling 1.1 km ofstream.
The drainage areatothe downstream end ofthe study
sections was estimated at 1,153 ha (table 1).
Reaches ofFishhookCreek and HeURoaringCreek
were used as the ungrazed reference. Both streams
are part ofthe Region 4 (Intermountain Region) De-
sired Future Condition (DFC) database maintained
atthe Boise ForestrySciences Laboratory. They are
located in central Idaho in the Stanley Basin. The
creeks are similartothe SilverKing Creekstudysites
ingeology, elevation, precipitation, and drainage area
(table 1).
Methods
The Forest Service's proposed R1/R4 [Northern
Region/Intermountain Region] fish habitatinven-
tory procedures (basin-level habitat typing, appen-
dixA) were used to describe the physical habitat of
the streams in September 1991. Different reaches
ofSilver King Creek and Coyote Valley Creek were
— selected for study based on management activities:
Figure 1 Location ofstudy sites for Silver
King Creek and Coyote Valley Creek. grazed by cattle, horse pasture, and rested from
grazing (fig. 1).
Fish habitat within each reach was classified into
discrete channel units using a hierarchical habitat
The Silver King Creek drainage has predominantly typing scheme based on flow patterns and channel
granitic geology. Riparian vegetation ranges from morphological shape (Hawkins and others 1993).
sedge/rush and grass/forbs/sagebrushat streamside to We visually estimated length, average width, and
coniferousforestintheuplands. Meadowportions are average and maximum depth ateachfast-waterhabi-
dominatedbyNebraska sedge (Carexnebraskensis)and tattype (riffles, runs, and glides). We measured every
silversagebrush(Artemisiacana)plantcommunities. fifth fast-water habitattype to develop a correction
We surveyed the mainstem ofSilver King Creek factor for the visual estimates using a methodology
for 4.9 km immediately upstream from Llewellyn similarto Hankin and Reeves (1988).
Falls (fig. 1). The survey area included 3.3 km of At each slow-waterhabitat type, pools were sepa-
stream that was accessible to cattle and 1.6 km of ratedbyposition ofscourand formative feature (such
stream thatwas not. Cattle have been excluded as alog, meander, orbend). Poolhabitattype dimen-
from the 1.6-km section by a solar-powered electric sions(length, width, and depth) were determined
fence. The exclosure was built to improve Paiute as above. Maximum depth and pool crest maximum
cutthroat trout habitat (USDAFS 1993). A small depthwere measiu^ed for all pools (table 2).
area (including 0.18 km ofstream) was enclosed for Percent stream channel surface fines (particlesless
horses to graze. than 2 mm) were visually estimated for low gradient
The study reaches were classified as "C" channel riffle and pool habitat types. Estimates were taken
type (Rosgen 1985). The gradient varied; the upper only in pool tails (narrow band upstream from pool
exclosure, stock corridor, and lower grazed sections tail crest) forthe slow-waterhabitat types.
were estimated to have a gradient between 1 and 2 The length ofstable bank was estimated for all
percent, with the horse pasture and the lower rested habitat types with a correction factor determined
exclosure havingagradientlessthan 1 percent. The from a 20 percent subsample ofmeasured habitat
drainage area above Llewellyn Falls was estimated t3T)es. The correction factor was applied to the esti-
to be 3,494 ha. Table 1 provides a general descrip- mates to create a calibrated data set. Stable banks
tion ofthe Silver King Creek study reaches. had no sign ofmechanical damage, cracking, or
Coyote Valley Creek is a first-order tributary that eroding.
flows into SilverKingCreekabout 5 km downstream The gradient was measured over one or more
from Llewellyn Falls (fig. 1). The study reaches on stream meander cycles using an abney hand level
Coyote Valley Creek, totaling about 2.1 km, were and stadia rod. Measiurements were recorded atthe
2
—
Table 1 General descriptors of Silver King Creekand CoyoteValley Creekstudy reachesand ungrazed stream reaches that
represent natural potential habitatconditions. All reaches had a graniticparentgeology
Stream and Mean Drainage
managementtreatment width Length — Elevation Precipitation area
Meters cm ha
Silver King Creek 4.0 4,901.2 ^84.50 23,494
Uppergrazed 3.2 2,650.7
Upper rested 3.8 991.0
Stockcorridor 4.4 220.0
Horse pasture 4.7 179.0
Lowerrested 5.9 443.0
Lowergrazed 7.4 417.0 2,438
Coyote Valley Creek 0.8 2,085.5 31,153
Uppergrazed 1.0 565.0
Rested 0.6 594.0
Rested 0.6 493.5
Lowergrazed 0.7 94.0 2,475
(Ungrazed stream reaches)
FishhookCreek 7.2 3,295.0 2,066 '»80.26 33,098
Hell Roaring Creek 7.8 3,032.0 2,170 33,051
'Average (1981-1990referenceyears)basedon Mountain Datafrom U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture, SoilConservationService, SNOTEL
siteatPoison Flat.
^Approximatedrainageareaabove Llewellyn Falls.
^AiDproximatedrainageareaatdownstreamendofsurveyreach.
^Average(1961-1990referenceyears) basedon Mountain Datafrom U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture,SoilConservationService, SNOTEL
siteatGalenaSummit.
start ofthe survey, at management section breaks, portion ofCoyoteValley Creekwas calculated by
and atthe survey's end. digitizingwatershed area from a %-inch-scale gen-
The floodplain/ripariEinvegetation complexwas eral map ofthe Carson-IcebergWilderness. The
categorized eachtime the complex changed. We es- drainage area forthe downstream end ofthe survey
timated the percentage ofeach vegetationtype to reaches ofFishhook and Hell Roaring Creeks was
characterize the dominant and subdominantflood- calcidated by digitizingthe watershed area from
plain and riparianvegetation. Categories included: 1:24,000 U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps.
sagebrush, grass orforb, riparian shrub, upland
shrub, riparian tree, and upland tree.
Data Analysis
The drainage area above Llewellyn Falls for Silver
KingCreekandtothe downstreamend ofthe siirveyed
Svunmary statisticswerecompleted forphysicalhabi-
tatmeasures and descriptors (table 3). An analysis of
variancewas used to determine ifdifferences occurred
—
Table2 Habitatvariablesthatwere measured, estimated, between management types. Silver King Creekwas
orcalculated foreach habitattype broken into sixmanagement classes beginningfrom
thelowerend ofthe survey: lowergrazed, lowerrested,
Estimated/measured Calculated
horse pasture, stockcorridor, upperrested, and upper
variable variable
grazed (table 1). Because the sample size was low.
All habitattypes Width/depth ratio CoyoteValleyCreekstudyreacheswere combinedinto
Length Width/maximum-depth ratio onlytwo classes, grazed andrested, forstatisticalpur-
Width Residual maximum depth^ poses. Tukey^sHSDwasused formidtiplecomparisons
Depth Residual pool volume^
Maximum depth ofthose variables that were found to differ signifi-
Surface fines^ cantly. All analyseswereperformedusingSAS statis-
Percentstable banks ticalsoftware (SAS Institute Inc. 1988). Powercurves
Percent undercut banks were used to evaluate the adequacy ofdetecting dif-
ferences forthose variables that did not show signifi-
'Poolsonly.
^Pooltailsand low-gradientrifflesonly. cance (Parkinson and others 1988; Peterman 1990).
3
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