Organizational Framework for Guiding the Restoration Program
Restoring salmon and steelhead to the South Fork Trinity River and its tributaries is an ambitious undertaking that requires the full support of the basin's residents if it is to succeed. It is recommended that the Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP) model, involving both community and agency interests in a team effort, be utilized as the vehicle to accomplish watershed and fisheries restoration. The CRMP will make use of the best technical information that is supplied by the member agencies, but public members will also help guide the program to make sure that the approach taken to accomplish fisheries restoration best suits the community's needs. Strong local participation in the CRMP steering committee is encouraged to help win widespread cooperation for implementation of restoration measures on both public and private lands.
The major undertaking necessary to reverse the decline of salmon and steelhead in the South Fork Trinity River basin exceeds the capability of any one agency to fund or execute. The CRMP must seek and secure funding from a diverse array of sources if it is to be successful. Conversely, the restoration program can help the community to leverage funding to improve the productivity of the land, water quality and fisheries resources, while creating local jobs. Fisheries restoration is most likely to succeed if the community views fisheries restoration as the economic developement tool.
The tradional CRMP is set up under the county Resource Conservation District and is staffed by the Soil Conservation Service. The SCS has a close working relationship with farmers and ranchers and the ASCS which can provide funding for reducing erosion and implementing water conservation measures. The Resource Conservation and Development program, under the USDA, can be tapped if the Trinity County RCD and the Humboldt County RCD join in an agreement. Funding for fisheries restoration and economic development could be accrued through this mechanism. This multi-county approach is being used in the Sierra Nevada to fund alternative wood product development under the High Sierra RC&D.Plumas County chose to set up the Plumas Corporation to provide key staff for coordinating thge restoration of the East Branch of the North Fork Feather River, an option that could be explored for the South Fork Trinity basin. This CRMP has been very successful in acquiring funding for the restoration program there.
River Watershed and Fisheries Restoration Program
The recommended strategy for fisheries recovery and watershed restoration is based on ecosystem function, watershed dynamics, and conservation biology. It calls for protecting the best habitat refuges for fish stocks in the basin,and implementing protection, erosion prevention and erosion control projects necessary to prevent damage to these high quality streams and watersheds. The core or "key" sub-watersheds suggested for protection in the South Fork Trinity River basin have been identified below. After these key sub-watersheds or refugia basins have been secured and protected, adjacent watershed areas will need to be restored so that nearby streams can provide an increased habitat base for colonists from nearby refuge streams.
Except for Hayfork Creek, there are no tributary sub-basins that can act as substantial refuge areas for salmon species. In order to restore salmon, the main stem of the South Fork Trinity River must be "restored," principally through increases in cool water inflows from tributary watersheds and restoration of riparian forests. The cumulative benefit from restoring cool water flows from even smaller tributaries, such as those flowing from South Fork Mountain, is a vital part of successful restoration.
The goals for restoration of the South Fork Trinity River are to control future sediment yield from disturbed lands, and to decrease water temperatures. For the Hayfork Creek drainage basin, immediate needs are to increase summer flows, restore riparian zones and decrease water temperatures. Other factors that may confound restoration, such as ocean harvest or interactions with hatchery fish, must also be addressed if native runs of salmon and steelhead are to be restored to healthy, self-perpetuating levels. Small scale rearing is a potential tool for rebuilding runs, but only if it is employed in conjunction with watershed and habitat restoration.
The South Fork Trinity River basin is within the Klamath Mountain geologic province and the stability of watersheds within the basin can be highly variable. Two major limiting factors have been identified within the South Fork Trinity basin in previous chapters. The South Fork Trinity River itself has a large over-supply of sediment that fills pools, decreases spawning habitat, lowers invertebrate production and contributes to thermal problems because of loss of riparian canopy during floods.
The Hayfork Creek sub-basin has a different suite of problems related to agricultural diversions, water pollution and loss of riparian areas due to grazing and clearing. The combination of loss of shade and flow depletion has led to extremely warm stream temperatures in lower Hayfork Creek during summer. The South Fork Trinity River basin can be further partitioned into key sub-basin areas based on geology, land use, fisheries resources, and recommended restoration measures.
South Fork Mountain
(Key or refuge sub-watershed: Madden Creek)
South Fork Mountain forms a high ridge which boarders the western edge of the South Fork Trinity watershed. Kojan (1974) characterized the mountain as "homogeneously unstable" while CDWR (1979) noted that mass movement of soils was a dominant land forming process. Numerous South Fork Mountain tributaries suffered severe damage as a result of land use management and the 1964 flood (MacCleery, 1974). Heavily managed basins such as Charlton, Hitchcock, Pelletreau, Marie, Madden and Grouse Creeks, and many other smaller tributaries, experienced inner gorge failure leading to major increases in sediment production and loss of shade canopy.
Although most tributaries flowing off of South Fork Mountain are too steep to be fish bearing, slope stability and the riparian canopy in each watershed must be restored. The cumulative benefit of decreased sediment production and improved water quality is necessary for the recovery of the main stem of the South Fork Trinity River itself. Watershed rehabilitation, including measures to reduce erosion risk from abandoned road networks, is urgently needed. Main haul roads on stable upland areas would have drainage improved by outsloping, stream crossings upgraded to current standards and a regular schedule of maintainance.
Riparian restoration of South Fork Mountain tributaires needs to be preceeded by a professional analysis of conditions in various watersheds, using aerial photos. Restoration may proceed in a step-wise fashion with establishment of alder and willow canopy preceeding regeneration of a coniferous overstory. Even if re-establishment of conifers requires special measures, such as use of drip irrigation, the long term benefits of the cold water yield from these tributaries will be sufficient to justify such effort. Restoring stability of water courses may prevent substantial loss of forest soil related to reactivation of inner gorge landslides in future floods. Pilot projects to stabilize inner gorge areas on Grouse Creek, including stream side landslides, with non-coniferous species should show the efficacy of that strategy.
Timber harvest practices on private land need to be reformed, as suggested by CDWR (1979) and as implemented by the USFS, to prevent future erosion problems. A description of specific recommended measures which need revision is included elsewhere in this chapter. Grouse Creek highlights the need for standardization of cumulative watershed effects assessment and application on private and USFS lands.
Madden Creek is in the late stages of recovery from the 1964 flood and represents one of the few tributaries flowing off South Fork mountain with the potential to accomodate spawning and rearing. The primary riparian canopy of alder and willow has been restored and the prospect for re-establishing a coniferous riparian over-story should be evaluated. Since the lower stream reaches are monotypic, as the result of 1964 flood effects, further channel modification such as pool and spawning habitat improvement may be in order. Large landslides still exist within the basin and erosion prevention needs should be assessed and appropriate measures implemented prior to further treatment with in-stream structures. Because of good water quality, Madden Creek might also be an appropriate site for a small scale rearing facility.
Lower Hayfork Creek
(Key or refuge sub-basin: Hayfork Creek, Bear Creek and Miner Creeks)
The Hayfork Creek watershed is much more stable than that of the main stem South Fork. The main channel downstream from Hayfork Valley is not massively aggraded, and pool depth in the gorge below Nine Mile Bridge is suitable for spring chinook and summer steelhead. This stream reach was described as being an excellent "trout" fishery as recently as the 1960s, and spring chinook and fall chinook used the basin extensively prior to that time. Watershed conditions need to be maintained in sub-basins such as Miner Creek and Bear Creek, and additional stream flows need to be accrued through water conservation measures applied in Hayfork Valley. With ncreased cool water flows, this section of Hayfork Creek could serve as the major seat of recovery for salmon and steelhead of the South Fork Trinity River basin.
With cold water flowing in the gorge below Nine Mile Bridge during summer, spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead should take advantage of the deep pools. Winter steelhead juvenile production would increase dramatically as fish hold and feed actively in most habitat types. This channel could also provide an excellent winter steelhead sport fishery using "wild trout" type regulations. The steelhead "rescue rearing" program on Tule Creek could supply fin clipped steelhead for the creel under such a scenario. Lower Hayfork Creek tributaries, such as Olsen Creek, might also be logical sites for small scale rearing for fall chinook salmon, or for spring chinook in the more distant future.
Rusch Creek is a notable exception to the general lack of sediment problems in the Hayfork Creek watershed. Road cuts and fills in weathered diorite bedrock seems to be contributing substantial sedimentation to the stream bed, which has recently been the site of numerous fisheries habitat improvement projects. Immediate action should be taken to identify, evaluate and abate this potential problem.
Upper Hayfork Creek
(Key or refuge sub-watersheds: East Fork of Hayfork Creek and Big Creek)
Spring chinook salmon regularly spawned in Hayfork Valley and migrated upstream as far as the East Fork of Hayfork Creek until the early 1960s. The stream has largely recovered from impacts of past mining and erosion problems that resulted from the Jones Fire in the upper watershed, and the subsequent 1964 flood. Loss of salmon runs and the decline of the steelhead population is related to decreasing flows and over-grazing in riparian zones. Some of the highest levels of fine sediment and sand in pools are found in and below Hayfork Valley, apparently resulting from upstream bank erosion. Warm stream flows in this reach favor warm water, exotic fish species (that periodically escape from farm ponds) over native salmonids. Water quality problems are exacerbated by domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes.
Solutions to water quality problems and low flows are not technologically sophisticated or prohibitive in cost, but will require substantial cooperation from private land owners in the basin. Since Hayfork Creek below the East Fork has been designated as a critical water shortage area, implementation of water conservation is needed to solve the water supply problem. Where possible, diversion ditches should be replaced with pipes. Alternatively, ditches should be lined to prevent leakage. This might also help resolve other potential problems, such as increased leaching from septic systems in the town of Hayfork. Spring development, similar to projects implemented on the Jesse Ranch, might help decrease reliance on stream flows, while still meeting water needs for agriculture and ranching.
Construction of a sewage treatment plant in the valley would help improve water quality in Hayfork Creek and might supply grey water for watering local athletic fields and the Trinity County Fairgrounds. Subsidies for a sewer treatment facility could be obtained, but preliminary studies to verify the need would be required.
Riparian restoration should begin immediately on Hayfork Creek and its tributaries where grazing or clearing has caused loss of canopy and decreased bank stability. Cost sharing is available for riparian fencing and planting projects and pilot projects on Tule Creek should be assessed to help shape a successful strategy. Streams in need of riparian restoration include Carr, Salt and its tributaries, Barker, lower Tule, East Fork of Hayfork, and Hayfork Creek itself, both in Hayfork Valley and in the Wildwood area. Landowners could benefit from decreased erosion of pasture land during floods. Cattle should be restricted to a few access points on the stream or water should be provided at off-stream watering ponds. Sand and fine sediment in the stream will decrease as banks stabilize and waste from live stock will be substantially decreased. If possible, a riparian over-story of cottonwood or conifers should be re-established.
The East Fork of Hayfork Creek deserves special attention because of its potential to supply cold water to Hayfork Creek, and as spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids. Riparian assessment and identification of erosion problems should be initiated to help formulate a restoration strategy. Extensive alteration by mining in the last century has resulted in diminished habitat capablity in the East Fork. If current erosion problems can be abated, long term plans for the basin might include well planned use of in stream structures or physical channel manipulation.
Big Creek is another important sub-basin in this watershed area as it supports a substantial steelhead population and supplies water for the town of Hayfork. Studies and watershed assessments should be undertaken to assess erosion risk in the Big Creek watershed due to extensive land management and the road network that parallels the stream.
East Side Tributaries of the South Fork Trinity
(Key or refuge sub-watersheds: Plummer Creek, East Fork of the South Fork, Rattlesnake Creek, Butter Creek, and Smokey Creek)
While not posing equivalent levels of erosion risk as South Fork Mountain, pockets of instability can be found in watersheds along the east side of the South Fork Trinity River above Hyampom. Past studies acknowlege extensive cumulative effects resulting from logging and road failure during the 1964 flood in Rattlesnake Creek and the East Fork of the South Fork. A substantial portion of this area burned during the 1987 fires and salvage logging took place over an extensive area.
The general approach to restoration described in the Technical Framework section (above) is most suited to this general watershed area. Extensive road networks from past logging activity need to be upgraded or "erosion proofed". Key watersheds should be managed primarily for fisheries and water quality, with timber harvest deferred or strictly limited to the most stable terrain. Erosion control and watershed rehabilitation in these sub-basins should take highest priority, with restoration initiated nearest refuge areas and subsequently expanded into adjacent basins.
Plummer Creek harbors the only substantial spring chinook juvenile population in the South Frok Trinity River basin during summer. Major erosion problems related to logging have occurred on private lands within the basin in the past. Habitat typing data indicates that sediment problems may also be resulting from intensive past management of the Naufus Creek sub-basin. Habitat conditions are best below the convergence of Jims Creek, which is an undisturbed tributary that supplies sediment free flows in winter and cold water in summer. Jims Creek should remain undisturbed and unmanaged, and any needed watershed stabilization in the remainder of the basin should be undertaken. The CRMP should approach private timber land owners in Bear Wallow Creek and Friend Creek to win cooperation in restoring the Plummer Creek watershed.
The East Fork of the South Fork once supported spawning and rearing spring chinook salmon. Undisturbed portions of the watershed still supply cold water and should be left uncut at this time. The East Fork has a substantial number of spawning winter steelhead in some years, but standing crops of juvenile steelhead were low when the stream was habitat-typed. Erosion control and erosion prevention work should be implemented in the Dark Canyon and Prospect Creek sub-basins. If habitat conditions improve, and spring chinook increase in number and return to the East Fork or adjacent areas of the South Fork, this stream could serve as the site for a small scale rearing project.
Recovering the Main Stem of the South Fork Trinity River
(Key or refuge sub-watershed: Upper South Fork Trinity River)
The main stem of the South Fork Trinity River has always been the primary area for production of chinook salmon. The steep nature of most basin tributaries excluded chinook. Unstable spawning gravel conditions, lack of pool depth, elevated water temperatures and decreased food production, related to fine sediment, are all thought to be limiting factors in recovery of the main stem of the river. High flows and large quantities of sediment in transport during the 1964 flood caused extensive loss of riparian areas and massive stream side landslides. The hardest hit area on the entire river was the Hyampom Valley, where a considerable amount of sediment remains in residence. Large pulses of sediment continue to move through the river channel, even in years of moderate flow. This is particularly true of the gorge section below Hyampom, where most fall chinook spawning activity takes place.
Because of its size, the main channel of the South Fork Trinity River is not an appropriate site for most restoration projects. An historical study of changes in riparian conditions should be conducted immediately to determine desired future riparian conditions. Short-term riparian restoration feasibility may be discerned from the pilot project currently under way on the Lower Trinity Ranger District. Long-term planning will be required if the Hyampom valley area is to be restored. There is no short cut to recovery of the main stem of the South Fork Trinity River. As South Fork Mountain and East Side tributaries contribute less sediment and cooler water, the carrying capacity of the main stem will improve incrementally. Increased cold water flows in Hayfork Creek will help substantially with water temperature problems below Hyampom during summer. Long term monitoring of channel conditions, to document rates and locations of channel recovery, is highly recommended.
The Upper South Fork Trinity River, above the Hermit Fire in the Yolla Bolla-Middle Eel Wilderness, is one of the few sub-basin areas in pristine condition. Extensive watershed restoration activities took place in the area affected by fire, but follow up studies should take place to see if additional erosion control and prevention measures are necessary.Chapter 16 continued