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surface drainage. Improvements to the existing road system are expected to decrease existing and future 

 risk of sediment delivery to streams. 



Some short term impacts to water quality may occur due to sediment induced at stream crossing and 

 ephemeral drav/ bottoms during or shortly after construction activities. The 2.8-4.5 miles of proposed new 

 road construction for all action alternatives are considered to have minimal risk to v/ater quality and 

 beneficial uses due to the following reasons: 1. Their location along the landscape. 2. Soil erodibility. 3. 

 The ephemeral nature of the adjacent stream channels. Proper application of BMPs and site specific 

 designs and mitigation measures will reduce erosion and potential water quality impacts to an acceptable 

 level as defined by the water quality standards. Acceptable levels are defined under the Montana Water 

 Quality Standards as those conditions occurring where all reasonable land, soil and v/ater conservation 

 practices have been applied. 



Erosion control measures aimed at stabilization of existing stream crossings and other improvements to the 

 existing road system are expected to result in long term improvements to downstream v/ater quality and 

 improved protection of beneficial uses. There is little risk of adverse impacts to v/a'.er quality and beneficial 

 uses occurring as a result of the proposed action alternatives. 



Cumulative Watershed Effects: 



Results from the ECA analysis show that projected han/est levels are well below those levels normally 

 associated with detrimental water yield increases and thus channel impacts. Expected water yield 

 increases over current conditions resulting from the proposed sale area within French Creek are .2% with a 

 1 .8% increase in ECA, while Gladstone Creek expected increases are 1 % and 1 0%, respectively. It is 

 unlikely that these levels of harvest would contribute to detectable increases in water yield or have any 

 measurable influence on downstream channel conditions. . * 



There is little risk of cumulative watershed impacts occurring from this sale proposal due to the following 

 reasons: 1. The moderate level of existing development activity in each v/atershed. 2. The low level of 

 additional overall crown removal and potential v/ater yield increase that would be generated by the 

 proposed actions. 3. Lack of existing channel impacts that can be attributed to silvicultural activities. 

 4. Existing cumulative v/atershed impacts appear to be limited to sedimentation resulting from poor road 

 location, design and conditions and lov/ probability natural runoff events. 5. The proposed improvements 

 to the existing road system will benefit long term water quality and watershed conditions in the Gladstone 

 Creek v/atershed. 



