APPENDIX F 



nSHERIES ANALYSIS 



INTRODUCTION 



The Soup Creek watershed contains a 

 population of bull trout. The 

 Federal Endangered Species Act lists 

 the bull trout as a threatened 

 species . In an effort to protect 

 existing bull trout populations and 

 aid in the recovery of this species, 

 DNRC is a member of the Afontana Bull 

 Trout Recovery Team (Recovery Team) . 

 DNRC is committed to following the 

 Recovery Team's recommendations, as 

 well as following recommendations of 

 the Flathead Basin Forest Practices 

 Water Quality and Fisheries 

 Cooperative Program (Cooperative 

 Program) . 



ANALYSIS METHODS 



The methodology to assess the status 

 and potential impacts of the 

 proposal to fish populations include 

 habitat -quality monitoring, 

 population monitoring, and risk 

 factors to habitat degradation. The 

 parameters for habitat quality 

 include substrate scoring and 

 streambed core sampling for percent 

 materials less than 6.35 millimeters 

 in diameter (McNeil coring) . 

 Measurement protocols for these 

 parameters are outlined in the 

 Cooperative Program report. 

 According to the Cooperative Program 

 report, a stream is considered 

 threatened if the substrate score is 

 less than 10 or the percentage of 

 fine material is greater than 35 

 percent. A stream is considered 

 impaired if the substrate score is 

 less than 9 or the percentage of 

 fine material is greater than 4 

 percent . 



The risk factors to habitat 

 degradation were evaluated in 2002 

 through a sediment -source inventory 

 l-n the proposed project area and the 

 road system leading into the 

 proposed project area. The 



inventory included an assessment of 

 channel stability and out -of -channel 

 sediment sources . 



ANALYSIS AREA 



The fisheries analysis area is the 

 portions of the Soup Creek watershed 

 within and below the proposed 

 project area. Monitoring data for 

 population and habitat quality have 

 been gathered in the Soup Creek 

 watershed since 1996. 



EXISTING CONDITIONS 



Species-composition surveys in the 

 Soup Creek watershed have identified 

 the presence of brook trout, 

 resident cutthroat trout, and bull 

 trout . 



The Recovery Team has identified the 

 Soup Creek watershed as a bull trout 

 core area. Core areas are defined 

 as, "...watershed, including tributary 

 drainages and adjoining uplands, 

 used by migratory bull trout for 

 spawning and early rearing, and by 

 resident bull trout for all life 

 history requirements." {Montana Bull 

 Trout Restoration Team, 2000) In 

 keeping with the recommendations of 

 the Restoration Team and 

 recommendations of DFWP biologists, 

 DNRC has committed to a monitoring 

 program in the Soup Creek watershed. 

 The ongoing sampling in the 

 watershed began in the summer of 

 1993. Results of the sampling are 

 listed in TABLE F-1 - FISHERIES -i 



MONITORING DATA FOR SOUP CREEK. The 

 results show some fluctuations in 

 spawning occurrences, but an overall 

 stable population. Substrate scores 

 are in the acceptable range. McNeil 

 core results are in the threatened 

 level. Management implications and 

 commitments for threatened habitat 

 are listed in the Flathead Basin 

 Forest Practices Water Quality and 

 Fisheries Cooperative Study. 



Big Blowndown Salvage 



Page F-1 



