Approximately 8.4 miles of dozer line and 16 acres of drop points and safety 

 zones were constructed as a result of fire suppression activities. Rehabilitation 

 treatments were implemented to reshape and stabilize the dozer line, safety 

 areas and drop points as well as grade roads were needed. The dozer line was 

 an average of 14-16 feet in width. Rehabilitation implemented on the dozer 

 line, included; water bar installation, slash return over the line and seeding. 

 Drop points and safety zones were scarified, covered in slash and seeded. 

 Sections of road were graded to improve road surface conditions and reshape 

 damaged drainage features. 



There are approximately 203 acres of stand replacement fire and 127 acres of 

 mixed severity fire in the proposed project area. Areas of stand replacement 

 fire where higher severity bums in which surface vegetation, surface logs, 

 woody debris and soil litter (duff) was almost entirely consumed. These soils 

 will have higher risks of erosion until these sites are revegetated. There are 

 small areas within the stand replacement fire where bum intensities were 

 lower and some vegetation, soil litter and woody debris is present. These 

 areas should help reduce soil erosion rates and dissipate water energy. 



There was no soil hydrophobicity observed in the project area. If hydrophobic 

 soils are present, their extent is expected to be minimal. Surface erosion rates 

 are expected to increase. The highest risk will be in those draws where 

 vegetation, woody debris and soil little were consumed during the fire. These 

 bare areas are most susceptible during runoff or localized thunderstorms 

 where high intensity rains cause increased mnoff and increasing the risk of 

 debris flows to occur (DNRC). 



We considered severe bum areas with steep slopes to be at highest risk of 

 erosion due to: 



1) Loss of tree canopy to intercept precipitation and reduce raindrop impact 



2) Loss of surface vegetative cover and soil litter (duff) to intercept 

 precipitation, slow runoff 



3) Reduced surface soil woody debris and logs, an important source of 

 nutrients, moisture and physical barrier to mnoff and catchment mechanism 

 for sediment and to retard erosion. 



Cumulative effects would be controlled by limiting the area of detrimental soil 

 impacts, by using winter skidding, cable harvest on steep slopes and installing 

 adequate drainage where needed. 



Large woody debris will be retained on site to help reduce erosion, and 

 maintain nutrient cycling and long term productivity 



3.2.1.6 Cold Water Fisheries 



The Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks surveyed all four 

 watersheds, Donovan, Wallace, Dirty Ike and West Fork Ashby. 



Dirty Ike Salvage Environmental Assessment 3-13 



