^oiLs: 



INTRODUCTION 



The Dog Creek watershed is a valley 

 formed by glaciers and rivers. The 

 dominant soil types found in the 

 project area are deep glacial tills. 

 Upper slopes and ridges are 

 weathered bedrock that have been 

 scoured by glaciers. EXISTING 

 CONDITIONS 



The Flathead National Forest (FNF) 

 Soil Survey did not identify any 

 areas of soils that are at high risk 

 for mass movement in the project 

 area. Several areas are wetland 

 soil types not suitable for timber 

 management and would require special 

 measures for road construction. The 

 Dog Creek watershed soil types and 

 their associated management 

 implications are found in APPENDIX 

 G - SOILS ANALYSIS in TABLE G-3 - 

 SOIL MAP UNIT DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE 

 DOG/MEADOW PROJECT AREA. 



In the Dog Creek watershed, DNRC has 

 conducted timber harvesting since 

 the 1920s. Timber sale records 

 dating back to the 1960s indicate 

 that 2,062 acres have been harvested 

 on State land, using a combination 

 of ground-based and cable -yarding 

 methods . Ground-based yarding can 

 affect soil productivity through 

 displacement and compaction of 

 productive surface layers of soil, 

 mainly on heavily used trails. 

 Based on field review of the area, 

 an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the 

 area may be impacted by existing 

 trails. Trails are still apparent, 

 but most are well vegetated and past 

 impacts are beginning to ameliorate 

 from frost and vegetation. 



ANALYSIS AREA 



The Dog Creek watershed encompasses 

 the entire Dog Meadow Timber Sale 

 Project area. The analysis area for 

 evaluating soil productivity will 

 include DNRC-managed State lands 

 within this project area. 



ANALYSIS METHODS 



The productivity of the soils will 

 be analyzed by evaluating the level 

 of soil disturbance currently in the 

 proposed project area. The criteria 

 for analysis will also include risk 

 factors of soil stability. 



ALTERNATIVE EFFECTS 



DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS 



• Direct and Indirect Effect* ofJVo-^lction 

 »lltematice »1 on Soils 



No-Action Alternative A would not 

 directly or indirectly affect soil 

 productivity. No harvesting 

 activities would take place. 



• Direct and Indirect ^ffectt of, Iction 

 *1lternatice li on Soil* 



Action alternative B would 

 directly impact approximately 137 

 acres of ground if yarded in the 

 summer, and approximately 42 acres 

 if yarded in the winter. Direct 

 impacts would include compaction 

 and displacement resulting from 

 the use of ground-based equipment 

 to skid logs on approximately 898 

 acres, and cable yarding on 

 approximately 41 acres. Ground- 

 based site preparation and road 

 construction would also generate 

 direct impacts to the soil 

 resource. These activities would 

 leave up to 15 percent of the 

 proposed harvest units in an 

 impacted condition if done in the 

 summer, and up to 4 percent if 

 done in the winter. DNRC expects 

 to maintain long-term soil 

 productivity based upon the 

 implementation of mitigation 

 measures to control the area and 

 degree of detrimental soil impacts 

 to less than 15 percent of the 

 proposed harvest area. A 

 combination of skidding mitigation 

 measures would include: 



- restricting the season of use, 



- utilizing a minimum skid-trail 

 spacing, 



- installing erosion control where 



Page III -20 



Dog/Meadow Timber Sale Project Draft EA 



