existing cover, and provide for increasing amounts of hiding cover as forest stands grow 

 and develop over time. 



Action Alternative : Most of the adjacent lands are managed for timber production. 

 Motorized access is limited due to road closures. This management regime on adjacent 

 lands provides forage for big game, with smaller amounts of hiding and thermal cover 

 existing mostly along streams and wetlands. Reduction of cover and concerns over 

 security of big game, especially during hunting season, led to an extensive road closure 

 program on the extensive road network present in the area. This alternative would result 

 in similar effects as the adjacent ownerships, thereby decreasing the amount of hiding 

 cover present in the area. These effects are expected to result in minor negative effects to 

 big game species during the non-winter period. 



V. HYDROLOGY EFFECTS 



This section discloses the anticipated indirect, direct and cumulative effects to water resources 

 within the affected environment from proposed actions. Past, current, and future planned 

 activities on all ownerships within the Meadow Creek watershed have been taken into account 

 for the cumulative effects analysis. 



The primary concerns relating to aquatic resources within the affected environment are potential 

 impacts to water quality from sources outside the channel as well as inside the channel. In order 

 to address these issues, the following parameters are analyzed by alternative: 



- Miles of new road construction and road improvements 



- Increases in ECA and annual water yield. 



The project proposes 386 acres of harvest in the Meadow Creek watershed, 13 acres in the 

 Young Creek watershed, and 9 acres in the Thompson River watershed. The harvest units in 

 Young Creek and the Thompson River are located well away (>300 feet) from, any stream and 

 therefore have a low potential for delivering sediment to sfreams. In addition, this low level of 

 harvest would not measurably increase armual water yield. Due to the low potential for impacts 

 in Young Creek and the Thompson River, no further analysis will be displayed for the 

 watersheds. 



A. Sediment Delivery from Upland Sources 



1. Direct and Indirect Effects 



No Action Alternative : No timber harvest or road construction activities would take 

 place with this alternative. 



Action Alternative : Approximately 386 acres of State Land would be treated in the 

 Meadow Creek watershed. In addition, approximately 8 acres would be disturbed for 

 road construction. 



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