Off Channel Enhancement · ECM PIN CW‐ 817973; WDID No. 1A15122WNSI ... Coordinates of the center...
Transcript of Off Channel Enhancement · ECM PIN CW‐ 817973; WDID No. 1A15122WNSI ... Coordinates of the center...
September28,2015Mr.PrestonHarrisSiskiyouResourceConservationDistrictP.O.Box268Etna,CA,96027DearMr.Harris:Subject: NoticeofApplicability(NOA)forCoverageundertheStateWaterResources
ControlBoardGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjectsSB12006GN
File: SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancementforCohoSalmon;
ECMPINCW‐817973;WDIDNo.1A15122WNSIThisletteristocertifycoverageofSiskiyouResourceConservationDistrict’sSugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancementforCohoSalmon(Project)undertheGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjects;OrderNo.SB12006GN(General401Order).ThepurposeoftheProjectistoconnectanexistingoff‐channelmanmadepondtoSugarCreekandtoinstall35juniperlogswithrootwadstoimprovehabitatcomplexityandincreasedshelterforthreatenedandendangeredsalmonids.BackgroundOnSeptember8,2015,theSiskiyouResourceConservationDistrict(Applicant)filedanapplicationforwaterqualitycertification(Certification)undersection401oftheCleanWaterAct(33U.S.C.§1341)withtheNorthCoastRegionalWaterQualityControlBoard(RegionalWaterBoard)foractivitiesassociatedwiththeProject.UponreviewbyRegionalWaterBoardstaff,itwasdeterminedthattheProjectqualifiesforcoverageundertheGeneral401Order.ProjectLocationTheProjectislocatedonSugarCreek,atributaryoftheScottRiver,intheScottRiverHydrologicUnit105.42.Coordinatesofthecenteroftheprojectare41.3403°N,122.8253°W(Figure1).
SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancement ‐2‐ September28,2015WDIDNo.1A15122WNSI
Figure1showstheprojectfootprintandtheadjacentSugarCreek.
ProjectDescriptionThepurposeoftheProjectistoconnectanexistingoff‐channelmanmadepondtoSugarCreekwhichwillincreasetherearingcapacityforcohosalmonandothersalmonidsinthesystem.Includingtheareaoftheexistingpond,theProjectareaencompassesapproximately2.16acres,thoughthetotalconstructionfootprintisapproximately0.06acres.Currently,thestreamchannelhaslimitedfloodplainaccessduetohistoricmining,whichleftlargetailingpilescomposedofcobble‐sizedsubstratethatconfinethestreamchannelandimpairriparianvegetationrecruitment.Creatingaccesstothisoff‐channelpondwillprovidethermalrefugehabitatforsummerrearingandvelocityrefugehabitatforover‐wintering.ThesehabitatfeaturessupportthegoalofenhancedtributaryrearingintheKlamathRiverBasinforSouthernOregonNorthernCaliforniaCoast(SONCC)cohosalmon.Thelocationhasbeencarefullyselectedbasedonannualadultcohospawninggroundsurveyinformation,directobservationconductedbyCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife(CDFW)andSiskiyouResourceConservationDistrictfieldstaff,aswellasPassiveIntegratedTransponder(PIT)tagmonitoringinformationthatisbeingcompiledtodocumentfishuseandpopulationdensitiesthroughoutthewatershed.ThesitehasbeenreviewedbyCDFW,U.S.FishandWildlifeService(USFWS),andNationalOceanicand
SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancement ‐3‐ September28,2015WDIDNo.1A15122WNSI
AtmosphericAdministration,amongothers.Thegeneralconsensusisthatgiventhehistoricalconditionofthedisconnectedpond,aswellastheinfluenceofcold‐waterrefugiaandstablegroundwaterlevels,thesitehasallthecharacteristicsofqualityoff‐channelhabitat.Heavyequipmentisrequiredtoexcavateaccesschannelsina"Y"configurationthatwillconnecttheexistingpondtotheSugarCreeksystemattwopoints.Theaccesschannelsareeachapproximately100to130feetlongandhavebeendesignedtorequireminimalexcavationanddisturbancetoexistingvegetationwithinthesite.Heavyequipmentwillalsobeusedtoplacelargewoodydebriswithintheoff‐channelpond,seterosioncontrolmeasuresandplantriparianvegetation.Approximately1,500cubicyardsofmaterialwillberemovedtocreatetheinlet/outlets,expandtheoff‐channelarea,andconnectthepondtoSugarCreek.Allspoilswillbeplacedatanuplandlocationneartheprojectlocation.Materialstobeinstalledatthesiteincludeapproximately35juniperrootwadscompletewith17to20footlimbedtrunks,approximately5yardsoflargecobbleforerosionprotectionaroundtheinlet/outletareas,andjuniperslashthatwillbeusedtoimprovehabitatcomplexityinboththepondandaccesschannels.Plantingmaterialswillconsistofblackcottonwood(Populustrichocarpa)polecuttingsaswellasclumpsandclustersoftwowillowspecies:pacificwillow(Salixlucida)andsandbarwillow(Salixexgua).About20plantingswillbeimplementedintheoff‐channelareatofillingapsinvegetation,predominantlyonthesouthendofthepond.Thepondhasbeenevaluatedforsuitabilityofcohohabitatbasedontemperature,dissolvedoxygen,contaminatesandexistingaquaticspecies.Atemperatureloggerlocatedinthepondatadepthofapproximately8feetrecordedasummerMaximumWeeklyAverageTemperature(MWAT)of16.43°Cwithavarianceof1°C,whereastemperaturesrecordedinSugarCreekshowsasummerMWATof18.6°Cwitha1.5°Cvariance.Dissolvedoxygenhasbeenmonitoredinthemanmadepond,aswellasSugarCreek,andisdeemedsufficientforsalmoniduse.Additionally,apreliminarycontaminantsurveyscreeningwascompletedinJulyof2015bytheUSFWSattheprojectsiteandnocontaminantswerefound.InJulyof2014,theSiskiyouResourceConservationDistrictbegancollectinggroundwatermonitoringdataattheoff‐channelmanmadepondandfoundanearuniformseasonalfluctuationofapproximately24inches.Furthermore,asurfaceelevationsurveyshowsthatthesurfacewaterelevationsoftheoff‐channelmanmadepondandSugarCreekarenearidentical(bothatapproximately3,002feetelevation).Workwillbecompletedduringtheseasonallowflowperiods(Mid‐SeptemberthroughOctober15).Flowconditionsattheprojectsiteareexpectedtobedryduringthetimeofconstruction.Ifflowispresent,theApplicantdoesnotintendtodivertflowduetotheconfinednatureofthechannelatthislocation,whichrestrictsdiversionoptions,andtheextremelylimitedamountoftimethatwillbenecessaryforin‐streamconstruction.Additionally,redirectingflowcouldadverselyimpacttheScottRiverWatershedCouncil’spostassistedwoodystructure(PAWS)thatisdirectlydownstreambycausingpressurepointsonthestructure.Instead,theApplicantincoordinationwithCascadeStream
SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancement ‐4‐ September28,2015WDIDNo.1A15122WNSI
SolutionsandCDFW,hasagreedthattheinstallationofwashedrockbermsconsistingofspawningsizedrockaroundtheinlet/outletlocationoftheoff‐channelareasarethepropermethodforaddressingtheissuesofflow,salmonidpresence,andturbidity.Thebermswillbeapproximately1'x2'x20'insizeandconsistofwashed,spawningsizedrocklayeredwithweed‐freestraworsiltclothtoprovideabarrieragainstsedimententeringthestream.Thisapproachhasproventobeaneffectivemethodofprotectingwaterqualityinareasofslowwaterhabitatshouldwaterbepresentatthesiteduringthetimeofconstruction.Priortoimplementingtheberms,theApplicantwillcoordinatewithCDFWbiologiststoensurethatthesitesareclearofsalmonids.ThisprojecthasbeendesignedtoresultintheleastamountofimpacttotheriparianareapossiblethroughuseofBestManagementPractices(BMPs).Nosignificantriparianfunctionwillbelostduringconstruction.ProjectSizeThetotalofgrounddisturbanceassociatedwiththeProjectisestimatedtobe0.045acresand260linearfeet.TheproposedprojectsizedoesnotexceedwhatisallowedforcoverageundertheGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjectsandassociatedCategoricalExemption(15333)fromtheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct.ProjectAssociatedDischargeThedischargeofmaterialintowatersoftheStateresultingfromtheProjectincludethoseassociatedwiththeindividuallogsandnativecobblesusedforbankstabilization.ProjectTimeFrameProposedprojectstartdate:Late‐September2015Expecteddateofcompletion:October15,2015MonitoringPlanLong‐termgoalsoftheProjectaretoenhancecohoproductioninSugarCreekandtheScottRiverbyincreasingtheavailablecold/slowwaterrearinghabitatinthesummerandwintermonths.Measureableoutcomeswillincludethefollowingindicatorsofcohohabitatquality:watertemperature;pooldepth;poolvolume;anddissolvedoxygen,aswellasfishutilizationofthehabitat.Intheshortterm,cohohabitatqualityindicatorswillverifythatpondsarefunctioningasdesigned,andPITtaggingsystemswillindicatethatfishareusingandbenefitingfromtheconstructedhabitat.Additionally,fishutilizationofconstructedhabitatfeatures,suchasrootwadandwoodymaterialcover,willalsobeevaluated.ForfiveyearsfollowingProjectcompletion,annualmonitoringreportswillbesubmittedtotheRegionalWaterBoard.Thisannualreportwillincludethefindingsthatresultfrompost‐projectmonitoring.Thesefindingsshouldindicatetheachievementofperformancestandardsthatarerelativetotheprojectgoals.Eachreportwillincludethefollowinginformation:
SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancement ‐5‐ September28,2015WDIDNo.1A15122WNSI
a. Summaryoffindingsb. Identificationanddiscussionofproblemswithachievingperformancestandardsc. Proposedcorrectivemeasuresasneeded(requiresRegionalWaterBoardapproval)
AgencyPermitsTheApplicanthasalsosubmittedapplicationsforpermittingand/orcoverageof:
a. ArmyCorpofEngineersSection404Permit–NationwidePermit27–AquaticHabitatRestoration,Establishment,andEnhancementActivitiespursuanttoSection404oftheCleanWaterAct
b. CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife–StreambedAlterationAgreement(No.1600‐2015‐0362‐R1)
NoticeofApplicability&ProjectDeterminationRegionalWaterBoardstaffhasdeterminedthattheproposedactivitiesasdescribedintheapplicationarecategoricallyexemptfromCEQAreviewandmayproceedundertheGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjects.ReceivingWater: SugarCreek,ScottRiverHydrologicUnit105.42Filled/ExcavatedArea: 1,500cubicyardsofexcavation TotalImpacts: AcreageTemporarilyImpacted:0.045
LengthTemporarilyImpacted:260feetDischargeVolume: 35approximately20‐footlongjuniperlogswithrootwads;
5cubicyardsoflargecobbleLatitude/Longitude: ProjectCenter:41.3403°N/122.8253°WReportingAsrequiredinSectionB,Item4,oftheGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjects,MonitoringReportsbesubmittedatleastannuallydocumentingtheachievementofperformancestandardsandprojectgoals.Inaddition,aNoticeofCompletion(NOC)shallbesubmittedbytheapplicantnolaterthan30daysaftertheprojecthasbeencompleted.AcompleteNOCincludesataminimum:photographswithadescriptivetitle,thedateeachphotographwastaken,thenameofthephotographicsite,theWDIDnumberindicatedabove,andsuccesscriteriafortheproject.TheNOCshalldemonstratethattheProjecthasbeencarriedoutinaccordancewiththeProjectdescriptionasprovidedintheapplication.Pleaseincludetheprojectname,WDIDnumberandECMPINwithallfutureinquiriesanddocumentsubmittals.Documentsubmittalsshallbemadeelectronicallyto:[email protected]
SugarCreekOff‐ChannelEnhancement ‐6‐ September28,2015WDIDNo.1A15122WNSI
TheStateWaterResourcesControlBoardGeneral401WaterQualityCertificationOrderforSmallHabitatRestorationProjectsSB09016GNcanbefoundhere:http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/cwa401/docs/generalorders/shrpcert032713.pdfPleasecallJakeShannonat(707)576‐2673ifyouhaveanyquestions.Sincerely,__________________________________
MatthiasSt.JohnExecutiveOfficer
150928_JJS_dp_SugarCreekOffChannel_NOA
cc: KatherineGrossman,CaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife
[email protected] CameronPurchio,ArmyCorpsofEngineers