Final California 2010 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 1 - North Coast Region

Water Body Name:	Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA
Water Body ID:	CAR1052201020081010154452
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	9540	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

Pollutant:	Temperature, water
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (being addressed with USEPA approved TMDL)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Sources:	Erosion/Siltation \| Removal of Riparian Vegetation
TMDL Name:	Salmon River Temperature
TMDL Project Code:	109
Date TMDL Approved by USEPA:	03/29/2006
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	In 2008, the "Klamath River Hydrologic Unit, Wooley Creek Hydrologic Sub-Area" was removed from the "Klamath River Hydrologic Unit, Salmon River Hydrologic Area" in order to assess the Wooley Creek Watershed specifically as monitoring data indicated there may be different conditions in the Wooley Creek Watershed than the rest of the Salmon River Watershed. Water temperature in Wooley Creek is being considered for removal from the Section 303(d) List under Sections 4.2 and 6.1.5.9 of the Listing Policy. Under Section 4.2 of the Listing Policy, a minimum of one line of evidence is needed to assess listing status. Five lines of evidence are available in the administrative record, however two of these lines of evidence were not incorporated into this decision for the reasons described below. Evidence not incorporated in final decision: (1) Modeling data from the USFS (LOE 21156) pertaining to landslide volumes and surface erosion values are not being incorporated in this decision as public comments submitted on the Integrate Report pointed out that the modeling results were out-of-date and that newer results were available. In addition, the Functionally Equivalent Document to the Listing Policy states that modeling data can not be used as primary evidence. Newer modeling results were submitted by the USFS during the public comment period and will be considered as supporting evidence in the next listing cycle. (2) Information on the percent of human disturbance in the Wooley Creek watershed (LOE 21155) are not being incorporated into this decision as public comments submitted on the Integrated Report included new information that there may be more disturbance in the watershed than was indicated in the LOE. The new information was submitted during the public comment period and will be considered in the next listing cycle. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against removing this water segment-pollutant combination from the section 303(d) list. There is sufficient justification to place it in the Being Addressed portion of the 303(d) list because a TMDL has been completed and approved by the Regional Water Board and USEPA, and is expected to result in attainment of the standard. This conclusion is based on the staff findings that: (1) The data used satisfies the data quality requirements of Section 6.1.4 of the Policy. (2) The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of Section 6.1.5 of the Policy (3) 15 of 15 MWMT values exceed the U.S. EPA (2003) 16 C evaluation guideline used to determine an adverse affect on beneficial uses. These exceedances are more than the allowable frequency in Table 4.2 of the Listing Policy. (4) The Salmon River, Siskiyou County, California Total Maximum Daily Load for Temperature and Implementation Plan was adopted by the Regional Water Board on June 22, 2005, and established by the U.S. EPA on March 29, 2006. The TMDL establishes targets for effective shade. Compliance with the effective shade targets constitutes compliance with the TMDL, and reflects achievement of the natural receiving water temperature objective. Regional Water Board staff are unaware of data that demonstrates whether the TMDL effective shade targets are being met. (5) Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are met.

Regional Board Decision Recommendation:	After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be removed from the section 303(d) list because it can not be determined whether the applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are being met.

State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:

State Board Decision Recommendation:	After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.

USEPA Action (if applicable):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 9540, Temperature, water	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

LOE ID:

21156

Pollutant:

Sediment

LOE Subgroup:

Adverse Biological Responses

Matrix:

-N/A

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Fish Migration | Fish Spawning | Freshwater Replenishment | Preservation of Rare & Endangered Species | Wildlife Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

None of the 2 model results (for landslide volumes and from surface erosion volumes) in the Wooley Creek Watershed exceed the evaluation guidelines. Estimated surface erosion from anthropogenic activities including harvest, fires, and roads account for a 7% increase above background in model-estimated sediment delivery. Estimated landslide erosion from the same anthropogenic activities account for a 24% increase over background in model-estimated sediment delivery. Estimates were calculated from models conducted by staff of the Klamath National Forest (USFS 2008).

Data Reference:

Wooley Creek Model Data Following the 2006 Wildfires (2007 model year)

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Per the Basin Plan (NCRWQCB 2007): The suspended sediment load and suspended sediment discharge rate of surface waters shall not be altered in such a manner as to cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - North Coast Region (Region 1)

Evaluation Guideline:

Per the "Quantitative Models for Surface Erosion, Mass-Wasting and ERA/TOC" (Elder & Reichert 2004): Landslide/mass-wasting volumes of 200% over background conditions as computed by the USFS mass wasting model, and surface erosion volumes of 400% over background conditions as computed by the USFS USLE model, indicate the inference point where the risk of initiating or contributing to existing adverse cumulative watershed impacts (including impacts from excess sediment discharges) becomes a cause for concern.

Guideline Reference:

Quantitative Models for Surface Erosion, Mass-wasting and ERA/TOC. CWE 2004. Cumulative Watershed Effects Analysis Process Paper. Klamath National Forest

Spatial Representation:

The Klamath National Forest models are specific to the Wooley Creek watershed.

Temporal Representation:

Model results are based on data collected following the 2006 wildfires for the 2007 model year.

Environmental Conditions:

The data were collected following the 2006 wildfires for the 2007 model year.

QAPP Information:

Model results were calculated as part of the Universal Soil Loss Equation Model and GEO Mass Wasting Model conducted by staff of the Klamath National Forest in accordance with the procedures described by Elder and Reichert (2004).

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quantitative Models for Surface Erosion, Mass-wasting and ERA/TOC. CWE 2004. Cumulative Watershed Effects Analysis Process Paper. Klamath National Forest

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 9540, Temperature, water	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

LOE ID:

21155

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Fish Migration | Fish Spawning | Freshwater Replenishment | Preservation of Rare & Endangered Species | Wildlife Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

Land use information and location of sources

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Much less than 15% of the Wooley Creek watershed has been or is currently disturbed by human activities. Per the Klamath National Forest (KNF 2001, Attachment F), 95% of the Wooley Creek watershed is a congressionally designated Wilderness Area. An additional 3% of the lands are managed as late-successional reserves, which limits management activities to those which promote old-growth habitat. Less than 1% of the watershed is privately owned.

Data Reference:

Attachment F: Supporting Narrative for Upslope, Channel and Habitat-associated Criteria (1-9) Rating Rationale. Klamath National Forest's Northern Province Category 1 Watersheds which meet "management-constrained" criteria

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Per the Basin Plan (NCRWQCB 2007): The natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Water Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses. At no time or place shall the temperature of any COLD water be increased by more than 5 F above natural receiving water temperature.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - North Coast Region (Region 1)

Evaluation Guideline:

Human disturbance within a watershed can impact water temperature and alter natural conditions. Activities that remove or reduce shade-producing vegetation, or that result in a discharge of sediment to a stream, can increase stream temperatures. Per NOAA Fisheries (1996), the guideline for the properly functioning condition for disturbance history is for the entire watershed to be less than 15% disturbed with no concentration of disturbance in (1) unstable areas, (2) potentially unstable areas, (3) refugia, and/or (4) riparian areas. For areas under the Northwest Forest Plan (which includes the Wooley Creek watershed), the guideline for the properly functioning condition for disturbance history is also for there to 15% retention of late succession and old growth forest in the watershed.

Guideline Reference:

Making Endangered Species Act Determinations of Effect for Individual or Group Actions at the Watershed Scale. Prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Environmental and Technical Services Division Habitat Conservation Branch

Spatial Representation:

The disturbance and land use information was assessed for the entire Wooley Creek Hydrologic Sub-Area.

Temporal Representation:

The disturbance and land use information from the Klamath National Forest is current as of 2001.

Environmental Conditions:

There are no known environmental conditions (e.g., seasonality, land use practices, fire events, storms, etc.) that are related to these data.

QAPP Information:

Land use information was generated from GIS-based data sources of high quality and resolution.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 9540, Temperature, water	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

LOE ID:

25802

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

Not Specified

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Unspecified--This LOE is a placeholder to support a 303(d) listing decision made prior to 2006.

Data Reference:

Placeholder reference 2006 303(d)

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Temporal Representation:

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

QA Info Missing

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 9540, Temperature, water	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

LOE ID:

26643

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Fish Migration | Fish Spawning | Freshwater Replenishment | Preservation of Rare & Endangered Species | Wildlife Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

According to the Salmon River TMDL (NCRWQCB 2005), stream temperature in the Salmon River Watershed, including the Wooley Creek HSA, have been altered by changes in riparian cover, increased solar heating, changes in streamside microclimates, and sediment delivery -- through processes such as channel aggradation and pool infilling. Therefore, the natural receiving water temperature of Wooley Creek has been altered by human activities, and 15 of the 15 MWMT values calculated from near-continuous summertime temperature samples collected in Wooley Creek exceed the evaluation guideline. MWMT values range from 16.1 to 25.6 C. Data are summarized by the Klamath National Forest (KNF 2008).

Data Reference:

Salmon River, Siskiyou County, California Total Maximum Daily Load for Temperature and Implementation Plan. Adopted June 22, 2005. NCRWQCB Resolution No. R1-2005-0058. Prepared by California North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Total Maximum Daily Load Development Unit Staff

Stream Temperatures, Klamath River Basin. Includes data for Thompson Creek, Grider Creek, Clear Creek, Wooley Creek, North Fork Salmon River, and South Fork Salmon River

Map of Temperature Monitoring Stations. Klamath National Forest

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - North Coast Region (Region 1)

Evaluation Guideline:

Per "U.S. EPA Region 10 Guidance for Pacific Northwest State and Tribal Temperature Water Quality Standards" (USEPA 2003), the U.S. EPA recommends a criterion for the protection of moderate to high density summertime salmon and trout juvenile rearing (i.e., core juvenile rearing) of a maximum weekly maximum temperature (MWMT) of 16 degrees C. The MWMT is also known as the maximum 7-day average of daily maximums (7DADM). The 16 degrees C MWMT criterion is recommended to (1) safely protect juvenile salmon and trout from lethal temperatures; (2) provide upper optimal conditions for juvenile growth under limited food during the period of summer maximum temperatures and optimal temperatures for other times of the growth season; (3) avoid temperatures where juvenile salmon and trout are at a competitive disadvantage with other fish; (4) protect against temperature induced elevated disease rates; and (5) provide temperatures that studies show juvenile salmon and trout prefer and are found in high densities.

Guideline Reference:

EPA Region 10 Guidance for Pacific Northwest State and Tribal Temperature Water Quality Standards. EPA 910-B-03-002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 Office of Water, Seattle, WA.

Spatial Representation:

The Klamath National Forest models are specific to the Wooley Creek watershed. Temperature samples were collected from 4 locations in Wooley Creek as follows: (1) downstream from Big Meadows Creek, (2) downstream of North Fork Wooley Creek, (3) downstream of Bridge Creek, and (4) 300 m upstream from the mouth of Wooley Creek.

Temporal Representation:

Temperature samples were collected (1) downstream from Big Meadows Creek from October 1991 to August 1992; (2) downstream of North Fork Wooley Creek from October 1991 to September 1993; (3) downstream of Bridge Creek from October 1991 to April 1992, and July 1992 to September 1993; and (4) 300 m upstream from the mouth from October 1991 to September 1993, June to September 1998 to 2000, late April to September 2001, June to September 2003 to 2005, and July to October 2006.

Environmental Conditions:

There are no known environmental conditions (e.g., seasonality, land use practices, fire events, storms, etc.) that are related to these data.

QAPP Information:

Temperature data was collected in accordance with the quality assurance guidelines described by Schuyler (2008).

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Memorandum from John Schuyler, Klamath Nation Forest, to Rebecca Fitzgerald, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Regarding the 303(d) DeListing Request

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 9540, Temperature, water	Region 1
Klamath River HU, Salmon River HA, Wooley Creek HSA

LOE ID:

21154

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Fish Migration | Fish Spawning | Freshwater Replenishment | Preservation of Rare & Endangered Species | Wildlife Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

Land use information and location of sources

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Per the Klamath National Forest (USFS 2008), the road density in the Wooley Creek Hydrologic Sub-Area is 0.47 mi / sq. mi. As identified on Figure 2.11 in the "Salmon River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load for Temperature" (NCRWQCB 2005), the majority of the roads are on ridge tops, on mid-slope locations, or near by the upper reaches of high-gradient small streams and not in the valley bottoms.

Data Reference:

Wooley Creek Model Data Following the 2006 Wildfires (2007 model year)

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - North Coast Region (Region 1)

Evaluation Guideline:

The density of roads within a watershed can impact water temperature and alter natural conditions. Near-stream roads that run parallel to a waterbody do not allow for vegetation to grow and produce shade. Roads are also a major source of erosion and sedimentation on most managed forest lands. Excess sediment in the stream channel can result in higher water temperatures as pools fill in with sediment and channels widen in response to the increased load. Per NOAA Fisheries (1996), the guideline for the properly functioning condition for road density and location is less than 2 miles of road per square mile of watershed with no valley bottom roads.

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Road density and location information were assessed for the entire Wooley Creek Hydrologic Sub-Area.

Temporal Representation:

The road density data from the Klamath National Forest are based on data collected following the 2006 wildfires for the 2007 model year. The road location data used for the Salmon River TMDL was collected in 1993.

Environmental Conditions:

The road density data from the Klamath National Forest are based on data collected following the 2006 wildfires for the 2007 model year. There are no known environmental conditions (e.g., seasonality, land use practices, fire events, storms, etc.) that are related to the data from the Salmon River TMDL.

QAPP Information:

Road density data from the Klamath National Forest were developed as part of the Equivalent Roaded Area (ERA) model conducted by staff of the Klamath National Forest in accordance with the procedures described by Elder and Reichert (2004). The Salmon River TMDL is of sufficient quality per Section 6.1.4 of the 303(d) Listing Policy. It describes temperature conditions and their impacts on water quality, provides linkages between the TMDL and the temperature water quality standard, is scientifically defensible, was developed by qualified professionals, was scientifically peer reviewed, and was adopted by the Regional Water Board.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quantitative Models for Surface Erosion, Mass-wasting and ERA/TOC. CWE 2004. Cumulative Watershed Effects Analysis Process Paper. Klamath National Forest