The climate of the analysis area consists of 

 mild winters and summers, with the principle 

 influence resulting from Pacific maritime air 

 masses (Schultz, 1980). The average armual 

 precipitation ranges with elevation from 20 to 

 25 inches. 



WATER USES AND REGULATORY 

 FRAMEWORK 



The water-quality goal in the analysis area is 

 to have all streams and waterbodies capable of 

 protecting their beneficial uses. This portion 

 of the Flathead River Basin, including all of the 

 subwatersheds associated with the Beaver 

 Lake Timber Sale proposal, are classified A-1 

 by the State of Montana Department of Envi- 

 ronmental Quality, as stated in the Montana 

 Water Quality Standards. The water-quality 

 criteria for protection of beneficial uses, spe- 

 cific to A-1 waters, appear in Section 16.20.618 

 Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM). 

 Uses specific to the watershed of the proposed 

 actions include: stock watering, irrigating, 

 wildlife, fishing, and domestic use. 



State water quality regulations prohibit any 

 increase in sediment above "naturally occur- 

 ring" concentrations in waters classified A-1. 

 Naturally occurring means conditions or 

 materials present from runoff or percolation 

 over which man has no control or from devel- 

 oped land where all reasonable land, soil, and 

 water conservation practices have been ap- 

 plied. "Reasonable soil, water, and land 

 conservation practices include methods, 

 measures, or practices that protect present and 

 reasonably anticipated beneficial uses. The 

 State of Montana has adopted BMPs through 

 its Non-Point Source Management Plan as the 

 principle means of meeting water-quality 

 standards. 



The Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality 

 Planning Regulations require each state to 

 identify watersheds that contain water-qual- 

 ity-limited segments. Water-quality-limited 

 segments are waterbodies that do not: 



- fully meet State water-quality standards or 

 have intended beneficial uses that are 

 being threatened. 



The State of Montana published a list of water- 

 quality-limited segments in a document titled, 

 Montana SOSfb) Report . The Beaver Lake 

 Project area does not contain water-quality- 

 limited waterbodies. Whitefish Lake, the 

 receiving basin for water and sediment pro- 

 duced in the Beaver Creek subwatershed, is 

 considered to be water quality limited and is 

 included in the Montana SOSCbl Report . Im- 

 paired uses include cold-water fisheries, with 

 the most probable causes being nutrient and 

 sediment loading, oil and grease, and sus- 

 pended solids. id3m;tf»teHte.- tMn 



.Bt: 



POTENTIAL ISSUES 



Land management activities, such as timber 

 harvesting and road construction, can poten- 

 tially impact water quality and aquatic-depen- 

 dent resources. The primary impacts are: 



direct sediment delivery to streams and 

 draws and the resulting effects to water 

 quality and fisheries; t^ y 



a reduction in long-term woody-debris 

 recruitment; and 



increased water yield that may adversely 

 affect stream channel morphology, aquatic 

 habitat quality and availability, and sedi- 

 ment transport processes. 



'V') -_/'.'...„ J. ■ 'J£iH.Li 



These impacts are caused by erosion from road 

 surfaces, skid trails, firelines, log landings, a 

 reduction in recruitable tree numbers near ' | 

 streams and lakes, and the removal of riparian 

 and upland vegetation that alters the water 

 balance on site. 



Watershed issues specific to the proposed 

 Beaver Lake Timber Sale Project were devel- 

 oped through internal scoping and public 

 involvement (Beaver Lake Collaborative 

 Group). The primary concerns relating to 

 aquatic resources within the affected environ- 

 ment are: 



cumulative effects on water quality and 

 fisheries from past and proposed activities; 

 direct and indirect effects to Streamside 

 Management Zones (SMZ) of streams and 

 lakes that support fish, including effects to 

 future woody debris recruitment. 



Chapter III: Affected Environment 



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