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HomeMy WebLinkAboutE2 �y 4 �o Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Ron Brey, Assistant City Manager Chris Kukulski, City Manager SUBJECT: Bozeman Watershed Project—U.S. forest Service MEETING DATE: Monday June 12, 2006 BACKGROUND: After the City Commission established fuels reduction in the Bozeman as a goal, the Forest Service stepped forward offering to partner with us on a project that reduced fuels in the entire watershed and not just on City held land. They have been soliciting and reviewing comments and will take this opportunity to update the Commission on the status of the project. RECOMMENDATION: Review attachments, listen to presentation and submit any questions or comments to USFS presenters FISCAL EFFECTS: None at this time. ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission. Respectfully submitted, On Ron Brey, Assistant City Manager Chris A. Kukulski, City Manager Attachments: USFS Scoping doc Report compiled on 6/07/06 BOZEMAN CREEK MUNICIPAL WATERSHED PROJECT GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST LEGEND SCOPING MAP x Commercial Thin V11111 Precommerciai Thin ` y NNOW Broadcast Sum National Forest System Land Gallatin National Forest Boundary \ Paved Road Forest Road s- -—' Trail + Stream + \ 19,WWI 4 2M Ole, O T ff � ��''.,5ag-.>- '�J i s 11 .. Q E �" U (` "�' mlamia.aew.ry.• dr+YrY+PwaA1� - - -- Bozeman Municipal s Wat ^ wer �d Pro ,;, , A,. Sco Documet.f St5pteftiber 200� rM :ti P ,,� w✓r I ^ro � " � �~ � yr1IS..'rlLr'A r �.+'q�y,� 1 µ ' '^� � , - ti��•� � a n '+ ��t' " ,1, �y,`. Bozeman Municipal Watershed to reduce potential fire spread and Project ScO i Document intensity between National Forest p System lands and adjacent private Gallatin National Forest lands. Bozeman Ranger District 01 i i 7',_ l Based on findings from studies conducted Background over the past three years and on-going In 2004 the Bozeman Watershed Council collaborative discussions with the Bozeman completed a study that provided baseline Watershed Council,City of Bozeman,Gallatin resource information and identified County, and other concemed citizens, the conditions which limit watershed integrity and Forest Service (Bozeman Ranger District, function within the Bozeman. Creek Gallatin National Forest) watershed (Bozeman Watershed proposes to implement a Council, 2004). One o£ the main M pyre joata d ,;for, fuel reduction project on conclusions of this analysis was National Forest System a a� P a '' aO h that the Bozeman Creek municipal (NFS) lands in the Bozeman fir;' watershed is "at risk of high Creek and Hyalite Creek , severity fire and fuel reduction drainages (please see Figures measures may be necessary to I-1 and I-2). protect water quality from "The purpose and need for this project is to extensive sediment delivery". The help maintain a high-quality, long term, and Bozeman Watershed Council has predictable domestic water supply for recommended the Forest Service reduce the Bozeman area residents through cooperative heavy fuel loading through vegetative fuel efforts with the City of Bozeman in treatments, including prescnbed fire, timber implementing sustainable land management Vest and thinning. practices. To accomplish this, the Forest The City of Bozeman contracted with Service proposes to: Western Groundwater Services to complete a • Begin reducing the potential severity Source Water Protection Plan focusing on the and extent of future, wildland fires *in water supply sources for Bozeman's public the Bozeman and Hyalite Municipal water system. The report studied the Watersheds. potential impacts that could occur to these • Begin creating vegetation and fuel sources and identifies activities the city could conditions that will reduce the risk of use to protect these source waters. It excess sediment and ash reaching the concluded that wildfire is the highest potential municipal water treatment plant in the threat to the Hyalite Creek and Bozeman event of a severe wildland fire. Creek watersheds saying, "a significant • Create vegetation and fuel conditions wildfire in one drainage would likely enter the that will provide for firefighter and other resulting in a complete shutdown of the public safety by beginning to modify City of Bozeman water treatment plant during potential fire behavior. runoff events". • Reduce vegetation and fuel conditions in the wildland/urban interface (WUl) Bozeman Municipal Water Project- 1 Forest Service personnel conducted a fire risk these two drainages by reducing forest assessment for the Bozeman Municipal density, increasing crown base height and Watershed (Bozeman Creek drainage and reducing existing high levels of down Hyalite Creek drainage) in 2003. The woody debris. The proposed treatments combined sized of these drainages is 42,000 will be spaced over a five to eight-year acres with 3,900 acres of City of Bozeman period and concentrated within the lower land. Fire simulation models showed that a reaches of . large fire started in either Bozeman Creek or both Am s ��� wvd Mer Hyalite Creek could easily bum into the drainages, �"t'a v' l4v stimd�i- adjacent e, resulting in a situation rather than "�' ����"'��� l drainage, t ak enad e�r7yhxa AWv where both major sources of city water supply scattered tie adfacent dmAnge,m are sunuhaneously finpacted. Like other throughout. studies, a key finding of this assessment was In order to sommes ui'�ity*vier smpplyon that burned areas could become significant maintain a simalumouslyiMmcird. sources of sediment and ash delivery to reduced level streams. Major rainfall or runoff events of fire severity and probability, future following a wildfire could result in heavy treatments will likely be necessary as the sediment loads that would exceed the capacity forest grows and changes of the city s water treatment plant. Under such conditions, which could last from days Current Situation: Currently the level of to weeks and persist for several years vegetation management occurring within following a major fire event,the city would be these two drainages is very limited. The incapable of meeting water demand, resulting last activity of note occurred almost a in a local water supply crisis. Another decade ago called the Bozeman Creek conclusion of the Forest Service assessment visual rehabilitation project that partially was that a catastrophic wildfire within the harvested around 720 acres in order to municipal watershed would pose significant improve the visual integrity that had been danger to both firefighters and the recreating created with a 1981 timber harvest where public due to limited road access in these clearcuts were used. Presently, the areas. Based on these findings, Forest Service forested vegetation is dominated by managers and resource specialists presently mature and older forest (70%) with a consider both Hyalite and Bozeman Creek smaller percentage (30%) consisting of drainages to be high priority, full suppression pole size and the smaller seedling and areas in the event of a wildfire. sapling forest type. Where the older trees dominate, insect outbreaks and or serious fire risk exist. Presently, an outbreak of A ^ .a western spruce budworm is occurring throughout both drainages where the Begin to reduce the potential severity and mature and older Douglas-fir forests extent of future wildland fires in the dominant. The many harvests that have Bozeman and Hyalite Municipal occurred in these areas over the last 40 to Watersheds. 50 years are the only reason younger, faster growing and healthier stands of To achieve a meaningful reduction in fire forest exist today. These stands are fairly severity and probability,the Forest Service resistant to insect and disease attack and proposes treating extensive areas of are providing areas where fire severity forested and non-forested land within levels would be lower were a fire to occur. Bozeman Municipal Water Project-2 Begin to create vegetation and fuel conditions that will reduce the risk of Wildfire related ash deposits and sediment excess sediment and ash reaching the in Bozeman and Hyalite Creeks, due to municipal water treatment plant in the increased erosion in wildfire areas, is a event of a severe wildla.nd fire. major potential source of contamination to Bozeman's water supply. A large Current Situation: Bozeman wildfire in Hyalite and and Hyalite Creeks are the A PmzhM4 `0%6fdw Bozeman watersheds could major sources of water supply C "$ result in short to long term for the City of Bozeman. The terse 40"4W$- wil* loss of water supply from a City has water intake a1auree few days to several weeks. diversions on both streams The most at risk situation ,� near the Forest boundary with "`' ' would be heavy rainfall pipelines to the City Water Treatment within 2 years of a major wildfire. In the Plant near the Bozeman Creek trailhead. event of temporary closure of the Approximately 95% of the City's water treatment plant, water could be rationed supply originates from these drainages, from the storage tank on the east side of with an additional minor source in Lyman Bozeman with about a 3 day drinking Creek in the Bridger Mountains. supply if conservatively used. In a prolonged shutdown Bozeman residents The City of Bozeman Water treatment may need to use bottled water until the plant uses a direct filtration process, treatment plant resumes operation. including flocculation followed immediately by filtration and chlorination. Create vegetation and fuel conditions that Although the water treatment plant is will provide for firefighter and public designed to remove suspended sediment safety by beginning to modify potential and particulates, rapid shifts in sediment fire behavior. and turbidity and high levels of particulates Current Situation: Both the Bozeman Moth de Baaemm and creates and Hyalite Creek road systems are Owk nwd treatment potential evacuation corridors for the pntealewrctxatnc� difficulty and recreating public should a large fire event �ii*A�• A under severe occur. At the same time, these roads are the kecss mute kriwouft circumstances the access route for incoming firefighters would not and equipment to fight the fire. This is IU aoQe allow essentially a one-way in, one-way out Ow isrt � treatment. situation in both drainages. The corridors =1104ihi4 + +p '��rnnairr ' The City has are narrow and winding with few places to L contracted pull off the road or turn vehicles around with Allied Engineering for a facility plan Up to 2,000 vehicles per day may be (contract due 12/05) which will entering Hyalite Canyon on a busy recommend renovations to the treatment summer weekend day. This is a safety system (such as conventional filtration) concern because of potential traffic jams and possibly additional raw or treated during a fire event. The situation is water storage. The upgraded treatment compounded when smoke impairs plant would cost several million dollars visibility and breathing; heat, flames and and would not be completed for 6-15 burnt trees falling can block passage along yew. Bozeman Municipal Water Project-3 the corridors and potentially injure firefighters and the public. Current Situation: The current fuel situation in the WUI, the terrain, Much of the vegetation along both sides of prevailing winds and long term drought the Bozeman and Hyalite roads are in are conditions that pose a concern for a Condition Class 2 and Condition Gass 3, potential wildfire to spread either from which are a high fire hazard. The condition the Forest to private lands or from private of the vegetation is such that tree density is lands onto the Forest. The WUI for this greater and dead and down fuel loadings are analysis area is along the northern higher because natural fire frequencies have boundary where private land meets been missed This means there is great National Forest Land in both Hyalite potential for fires to burn hotter and spread Creek and Bozeman Creek; and along the faster than historic conditions would allow. northwest boundary adjacent to the ridge Safety concerns outlined above in regards to between Hyalite Creek and Cottonwood the evacuation corridors could begin to be Greek The common goal would be to mitigated with fuel reduction treatments. reduce fuels in the WUI,thereby reducing conditions for initiation and spread of Reduce vegetation and fuel conditions in crown fire, which will lessen the fire the wildland/urban interface (WUI) t+a behavior and potential of a fire spreading reduce potential fire spread and intensity from or to national forest system (NFS) between National Forest System lands lands. and adjacent private lands. The purpose and need for this project would Wildland Urban Interface is defined as: be achieved by: The line, area or zone where structures + Maintaining low fire severity and other human development meet or conditions through prescribed intermingle with undeveloped wildland or big; vegetative • Reducing the potential for severe fuels. The fire by removing excessive canopy Healthy Forest :' ; . ,' and surface fuels off the landscape Restoration through harvest and fuel Act further ad ormwn treatments; defines WUI in kaarexx die� • Reducing the fire behavior terms of at-risk potential along access routes; communities. �"� " Under HF � � • Maintaining the Hyalite road as an evacuation corridor, Section 101(1), + Maintaining the effectiveness of the an at risk community is one that: riparian filtration zone by removing or • Is a group of homes and other structures with basic infrastructure cutting conifers to invigorate shrub communities; and services (such as utilities and . Treating invasive weed species to collectively maintained transportation routes) in or adjacent to Federal land; mamtarn name plant communities • Has conditions conducive to a large- and allow the riparian area to function scale wildland fire;and as efficiently as possible; + Faces a significant threat to human Treating up to 6,000 total acres,human life including a small portion of the or property as result of wildland fire. Gallatin Divide Inventoried Roadless Bozeman Municipal Water Project-4 Area, in the Bozeman Creek Portions of lower Bozeman Creek watershed watershed which would encompass: and the Hyalite drainage have a high o up to 4,900 acres of prescribed probability of stand replacement fire. burning or thinning combined Sensitive soils found in portions of the area with fuel treatments; and steep erosive slopes increase the risk of o up to 1100 acres of timber harvest excessive sediment deposition to the creek including thinning, partial cutting, following a severe wildfire. Also, large areas and regeneration. of grassland and transition forest land are • Treating up to 3,000 acres in the being encroached by conifers which are Hyalite Creek watershed which would increasing the fire severity potential. encompass: a up to 1,100 acres of thinning and Treatments Proposed Pam; o up to 1,000 acres of prescribed The Forest Service is 7he -Famst Scn*e i$ burning;and looking for ways to . Axdo�v' fbr ' Ip do a up to 900 acres of thinning and do innovative inmwim trestuwx& to prescribed burning combined or treatments to addms A& ,,per*ew commercial thinning. address this project's pugwe sod a r purpose and need. Pft"W fWJ'tWOhV" r; Potential fuel 1obw cowi&md '. treatments being PJ "'1�4r�t�! � r"- considered include c ux-Jd' thixxin , rescnbed b sro�:,,h$W6 Project Area p g� fend cmnuvwi/ At i thinning, brush offtes. The Bozeman Municipal Watershed analysis cutting, and area is a landscape dominated by steep commercial harvest canyons and timbered slopes in the lower of trees. reaches of Bozeman and Hyalite Creeks. Proposed prescribed Vegetative types are predominantly Douglas- firburning and lodgepole pine forest, riparian spy and fall burns of low to moderate communities, and minor amounts of aspen, intensity: Thinning and commercial harvest grassland,and sagebrush. activities could occur most any time of year that there's access, generally April thru These two drainages are very popular and November. receive heavy use for outdoor recreation activities such as pleasure driving, hiking, Proposed Treatmerrt Areas biking, camping, picnicking, fishing, and hunting to name a few. For analysis purposes, the project Interdisciplinary Team (ID Team) identified The area along the northern boundary of the two primary treatment areas within the project area where private land abuts National Bozeman and Hyalite Watersheds (Please see Forest land constitutes the wildland urban Figure I-2). These focal areas generally interface (WUI). There are several homes and involve the lower portion of both drainages, sub-divisions in this WCJI area. Many of the near the intake and water treatment plant homes are within one half mile of the forest facilities. The Interdisciplinary Team will boundary. further define specific treatment sites within the broader study area presented in this document after reviewing public comments, Bozeman Municipal Water Project- 5 continuing coordination efforts with other Fisheries - Fuel reduction, including timber groups and organizations, and conducting in harvest, construction of roads and log depth resource analyses. landings, disturbed soils could increase the potential for erosion and sediment transport The Bozeman Municipal Watershed Project and deposition in streams. Increased fine would be responsive to the National Fire Plan sediment in streams has been shown to and the Healthy Forest Initiative M. This reduce habitat quality and cause adverse project will be considered for use with the effects to fish populations. Harvest activities Healthy Forest Restoration Act (I BRA) may also reduce riparian integrity and bank authority. stability. Fuel reduction treatments could reduce the amount of large woody debris For more information about the National Fire (LWD) recruited to stream channels. In Plan, HFRA and HFI visit riparian areas that are treated, this project could improve the health of the fishery. Gallatin Divide Inventoried Roadless Area - Inventoried roadless areas will be managed " L N , , &, ,�. to preserve their roadless characteristics. The e.va�,A.W,,.u.4L'Ai�� ��.�:w1F:�,,�r�a:,. Forest is considering treatment options within Wildlife - Agency actions taken to reduce fuel the Gallatin Divide Inventoried Roadless Area loading can cause disturbance and alter habitat to address this project's purpose and need. conditions,which could impact some wildlife. These treatments would be guided by Forest Animals that may be affected by such actions Service national policy. include species federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and Forest Service Recreation - Proposed treatment options Sensitive Species, as well as a broad spectrum may have the potential to impact the general Public who recreate in these heavily used of other creatures inhabiting wild lands within the Gallatin National Forest. On the other drainages. Area access may be restricted hand, catastrophic wildfire can convert huge during Periods of management activities. expanses of habitat to a condition that is unsuitable for occupation by many wildlife Water Quality - Water Quality in the species for several generations. Bozeman and Hyalite Creeks is at risk to sediment and ash from precipitation events Soils - Soils in the Bozeman Creek drainage following .wildfire which could cause major are generally moderately-fine textured. They problems with the City of Bozeman water have moderate fertility and water-holding treatment plant and reduce the supply of capacity. Soil erosion and compaction treated water for municipal needs. Fuel potential is moderate to high. There is reduction treatments also have potential to potential for landslides in some areas.Wildfire increase sediment and are constrained by is a disturbance that can affect soil strict water guy standards• productivity through erosion, but is unlikely to produce large impacts in this drainage. Sensitive Plant Species - Vegetative treatment such as timber harvest, brush Issues of protecting soil productivity under timber harvest may be mitigated by use of removal and prescribed burning can damage standard Best Management Practices for or eliminate individuals or even entire ground-disturbing activities. populations of sensitive plant species inhabiting treatment areas. Alternatively, many of the sensitive plant species occurring Bozeman Municipal Water Project-6 on the Gallatin National Forest do not Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis respond positively to fire,and would therefore will be necessary. The Forest Service will be adversely affected by a catastrophic conduct a broadscale and a cumulative effects wildfire event. analysis. The Forest Service will also continue public involvement efforts and will document Invasive Plants — Fuel the issues that surface as a result reduction efforts could 1fypu woWAt to he added,; of those efforts. introduce or further spread 'disPIWOC ' invasive plant infestations in + or "Y Depending upon the level of both drainages. Reducing the srbtc3' NEPA determined necessary, spread of and treating current ' s the Forest could potentially infestations of invasive plants implement treatment activities in �. would be a priority of this 2006. The Forest Service project. Jan „' estimates that it would take five years after initial treatment Scenery/Visual Quality - A activities begin to accomplish large part of the project area is within the the purpose and need foreground to background view-shed of Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley, as well near If you would like to be added to this project's a few popular recreational trails. Fuel mailing list please write to,or you may submit reduction could change the character of the comments to: scenery and the mans for accomplishing that Gallatin National Forest fuel reduction could also reduce the quality of Bozeman Watershed Project the scenery. However,a large scale crown fire P.O.Box 130 could dramatically alter the scenery in ways Bozeman,MT 59771 that might be perceived as negative. A= Jim Devitt Air Quality (Smoke) - Prescribed burning Electronic comments can be sent to: associated with the Bozeman Municipal - Watershed project may temporarily increase Please include Bozeman Watershed Project in particulate levels in the wildfire urban the subject line. To be most helpful, interface residential areas at the mouth of comments should be received by November Hyalite Creek and Bozeman Creek. Smoke 11,2005. plumes may also increase particulate levels in Bozeman. d? Y d*% A*i'0*� Smoke from the Bozeman Municipal '. Watershed project may temporarily obscure visibility along the Hyalite Creek road and O& 44 Bozeman Creek trail and temporarily obscure views to scenery. 17 +md.' te..1tJ. lAn.aSvanmN..rwwCl. Public comments and resource analysis will help determine what level of National Bozeman Municipal Water Project-7 e 91 99 Shi Ids '' i '.'fit•+'".':.. Ri A , r r Ri or a , w r " ., J Cly Park Ma 'son Ew Ri or Ga ti ° Ri r « Boz n Livings 1� Bozeman Creek atershed Gallatin ateway w Ye st0 ` or 25 ,, nt aN jd ij 114 q j"�� Rau %10 tonal 4ri River BOZEMAN CREEK MUNICIPAL WATERSHED PROJECT r ' GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST : FIGURE 1-1 VICINITY MAP atone ® Project Area N Gallatin National Forest Boundary • National Forest System Lands NFS Lands-Wilderness 20 nemE" N 0 5 10 kilcmeten milec ---------------------- BOZEMAN CREEK MUNICIPAL WATERSHED PROJECT GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST :,Ghew Ut.NI FIGURE 1-2 SCOPING MAP c c $ —40 AR, 8 9p�• 'Hear Lakes tic take 13 lit fee ersh Xle jr afite Cr ek Wite shed � . Hyalite Il®eelrvnir LEGEND . Waton:hod Boundary � ^' / ��.yy �� , fi', a Gallatin National Forest Boundary N A=css to forest Road '�' d'fti+ r� V /� /,•.,�� 3 Inv.ntorial RUxdlI Ama Pall Fira Activity gad National I orast Systam Land �tp