some cedar, spruce). The complex terrain and narrow nature of some wet areas 

 require site specific review for design of SMZ's and mitigation measures. 



Past road construction and harvest on State lands occurred mainly in the early 

 1950's. These roads access most of the proposed ground skidding units. Existing 

 roads and skid trails and previous harvest disturbance are estimated to have 

 affected 5-15% of the land on a per acre basis. Main skid trails are still evident on 

 some locations but most dispersed skid trails revegetated prior to the fire and are 

 beginning to ameliorate over time. 



A Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) survey and report was 

 completed on September 17,2003 for the Fish Creek Complex area by an 

 interdisciplinary team of resource specialists. The watershed group assessed 

 potential soil and water changes within the watersheds from the top of the 

 drainages to outlets well past the fire perimeter. The goal of the survey was to 

 map and assess bum severity and flood risk and determine if fire rehabilitation 

 and restoration measures were needed and to prioritize the implementation of the 

 most effective watershed treatments. 



Burn Severity 



The fires of the Fish Creek Complex were generally a mosaic bum with the 

 exception of the Deer Creek drainage which was more severe and entirely a stand 

 replacement bum. Both the Deer Creek and Thompson Creek drainages have 

 experienced moderate to high vegetative bum severity. The Deer Creek riparian 

 area was completely burned. 



Even within the severely bumed areas there are considerable variations in degree 

 of bum (residence time) in short distances such that all coarse woody debris, duff, 

 and vegetation is ashen on some sites, or more commonly, some surface woody 

 debris remains and root crowns of shmbs and grass are apparent that should help 

 reoccupy the areas over time. Deeply rooted shmb species, such as the willow 

 species along creek bottoms along with ninebark and snowberry, are expected to 

 resprout. Beargrass, mountain maple, and alder have already respouted in portions 

 of the fire but make up less than 5 % of the cover in Deer Creek. 



Stormfiows would likely increase in this drainage with attendant increases in 

 erosion and sediment delivery. The entire steamside riparian area of Deer Creek 

 bumed. Thompson Creek watershed also was bumed over in part. 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 3-12 



