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 To date, both USPS and private timber harvests have been extensive in the 

 Upper Kootenai drainage segment. Related impacts to water quality are 

 delineated in Table VI-Al and located on Plate 1. 



2. Tobacco River Drainage 



The Tobacco River drainage lies between the Salish Mountains and the 

 Whitefish Range, and is designated as part of drainage basin 76D (DNR&C). 

 All streams are classed as B-Dj waters, except for Deep Creek which is 

 A-Open-Dj (DHES). The headwater areas are primarily USPS ownership, but 

 the valley bottoms and lower reaches contain much private land distributed 

 in many small ownerships. These areas of mixed ownership create a 

 significant problem in coordinating forestry management activities. There 

 are several areas where small private harvesting is occurring as a prelude 

 to subdivision development. The potential for water quality degradation 

 in these areas is high. 



Silvicultural activities have occurred in the Tobacco River drainage since 

 the 1920' s. Extensive harvesting has been pursued on both private and 

 USPS lands and effects on stream water quality have been multiple and long- 

 term. Personnel and reports from the USPS, DP&G, and DHES identified 

 problem areas within the drainage. In some cases, forestry practices 

 have aggravated natural conditions (erosive soils, etc.) or combined with 

 poor agricultural practices (streambank grazing, etc.) to create a water 

 quality problem. Table VI-A2 outlines problem areas and Plate I 

 locates the problems. 



3. Pisher River Drainage 



The Pisher River, tributary of the Kootenai River, is bounded by the 

 Salish Mountains to the east and the Cabinet Mountains to the west. The 



