segments will continue to provide chronic sources of sediment delivery 

 until additional improvements and restoration measures are implemented 

 and revegetation occurs. Based on field reviews of the fire areas and risk 

 assessments, the Lolo NF implemented a plan to decommission and 

 stabilize the high erosion risk road segments of jammer roads. Proposed 

 road stabilization projects that were prioritized through the BAER report 

 are near completion in Deer Creek and Thompson Creek. Fire 

 rehabilitation and stabilization efforts include road decommissioning, 

 culvert removal, culvert replacements with larger capacity structures, 

 seeding disturbed areas for stabilization, and repairing and updating road 

 surface drainage. The Fish Creek Road crossing of Deer Creek had a 

 culvert at flood risk that was replaced with a 70-foot temporary bridge by 

 the Lolo N.F. 



The road system located on DNRC ownership is relatively stable. No road 

 sediment problems were noted on DNRC roads within the project area. 

 DNRC evaluated three culverts at risk of flood damage on State lands and 

 is in the process of replacing the culverts with larger capacity culverts and 

 the incorporation of emergency spillways into the road design. DNRC also 

 identified high erosion risk on a 1/4-mile segment of old road that is being 

 reclaimed and stabilized. The improvements are expected to handle an 

 anticipated higher runoff and overland flow following spring runoff and 

 summer thunderstorms from burned areas. 



Erosion and sediment delivery are expected to increase from past levels 

 within moderate and high severity bum areas located in and around the 

 proposed project area. Streams and draws in the more severely burned 

 Deer Creek may see substantial increases in sediment delivery from 

 adjacent slopes due to the fire and potential severe weather events. This 

 increase is a result of increased runoff from upland areas and loss of 

 ground cover vegetation on existing road surfaces, cuts, and fills on other 

 ownerships. The amount of sediment delivery and subsequent impacts to 

 water quality resulting from the recent wildfires are expected to be 

 substantial. Additional direct sediment delivery to the headwaters of Deer 

 Creek may occur through the increased risk of debris flows and mass soil 

 movements following the fire. These events could potentially deliver 

 large volumes of sediment to the streams on an isolated basis. Slope 

 stability is further discussed in the soils portion of this analysis. Streams 

 are discontinuous in the State's Deer Creek section 16 and do not currently 

 deliver water or sediment to Deer Creek. DNRC seeded native grass 

 species adjacent to stream segments and draws in section 16 to promote a 

 vegetative buffer that would help trap sediment. 



Increased nutrients, increased stream temperatures, and loss of tree canopy 

 following the fire may also have indirect effects on water quality by 

 contributing to increased periphyton algal growth (Beschta 1987 and 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 3-7 



