Future indirect effects on fish habitat are increasing stream water temperature 

 and aquatic nutrients. Stream water temperature increases will likely occur 

 following the fire. Some elevations of summer maximum stream temperatures 

 are expected due to the increased amount of direct solar radiation reaching the 

 stream as a result of the loss of shade. Deer Creek will be affected the most 

 due to the extensive high bum severity that consumed vegetation along the 

 entire stream length. Thompson Creek has more of a mosaic bum but has 

 considerable high severity bum in riparian habitats. Solar radiation to the 

 streams will be increased and subsequent increases in stream temperature will 

 follow until a new stand of streamside vegetation is established. It is unknown 

 to what degrees the stream temperature changes may affect fish habitat. 



A combination of lethal water temperatures and ash delivery occurred during 

 the fire resulting in fish mortality in the headwaters of Deer Creek, the most 

 severely bumed drainage, and possibly other drainages of the Fish Creek 

 Complex fires. A USPS Rocky Mountain Research Station Crew completed a 

 fish mortality and stream channel survey directly after the fire in September 

 2003. The 1,500-meter survey of lower Deer Creek found 138 dead cutthroat 

 trout and 2 live trout. The survey included an inventory of pool depths and in 

 channel large woody debris. 



Both bull trout and cutthroat trout have existed with wildfire for eons. 

 However the addition of forest roads and timber harvest units have had direct 

 and indirect effects. Other existing indirect effects associated with fish habitat 

 within the Fish Creek drainage include accelerated rates of erosion following 

 the fire and subsequent sediment deposition, increased nutrient loading, 

 increased channel instability, loss of stream bank vegetative cover and shade 

 resulting in increased stream temperatures. 



As a result of the wildfire, a reduction in large woody debris (LWD) available 

 for recruitment into fish-bearing streams has a potential indirect impact to 

 cold-water fish habitat. The importance of LWD and its role in fish habitat 

 and channel and pool development has been described in recent literature 

 (Bragg et al. 2000). Streamside areas that were subjected to high intensity 

 bums are expected to provide a high initial pulse of LWD recmitment over the 

 next few years as dead streamside trees fall. Long-term recruitment is 

 expected to decrease until new trees grow to maturity. 



3.2.1.4 Noxious Weeds 



Noxious weeds, mainly knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) and to a lesser extent 

 sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) and spots of thistle (Cirsium arvense), 

 occur within the project area mainly along roads and more open forest stands 

 on southerly slopes across all ownerships. The dominant forest vegetation 

 types are drier Douglas-fir, snowberry, pinegrass, and ponderosa pine types on 

 southerly aspects. These slopes are more susceptible to knapweed 

 encroachment (Losensky 1987). Northerly aspects on high elevation sites have 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 3-16 



