Biodiversity Guide - The Intertwine

egional conservation strategybiodiversity guideAppendix I WatershedsThe National Scenic Area Act required that thenatural resources of the Columbia River Gorge beinventoried and that the inventory data be used asthe basis for land use designations and regulations.The Columbia River Gorge Commissionhas undertaken the Vital Signs Indicators Projectto study the condition of scenic, natural, recreational,and cultural resources in the NationalScenic Area. (See http://gorgevitalsigns.org/.)Washington State Route 14 leaving Washougalis designated a State Scenic Byway and is also thetravel route for the Lewis and Clark National HistoricTrail. State Route 14 is a primary travel routeinto the Columbia River Gorge and providesoutstanding scenic views, access to recreationaland natural resource areas, and opportunities forhistorical interpretation.The Columbia River, its tributaries, andadjacent wetlands provide habitat for all anadromousfish migrating upstream and downstreamthrough the greater Portland-Vancouver region.Most of the tributary streams are high gradient,with spawning habitat limited to the lowest reaches.Focal salmonid species in lower ColumbiaRiver Gorge tributaries include winter steelhead,chum, coho, and fall Chinook. Coastal cutthroattrout and Pacific lamprey also are present.Salmon and steelhead numbers have declined toa fraction of historical levels, and extinction risksare significant for all but chum; this watershed isa high priority for salmonid recovery.Unlike the Columbia River itself, many of thissubbasin’s tributaries have relatively intact hydrologybecause of the area’s steep slopes, forest cover,and large amounts of protected lands. Smalltributaries provide salmon spawning habitat,cold-water refugia, protection from predators,and rearing habit. Some tributaries are altered asa result of Bonneville Dam, water diversions (e.g.,Gibbons Creek), and small impoundments forrecreation or other purposes.Water quality in the mainstem Columbia Riveris impaired by warm temperature, toxics, andother issues; TMDL parameters include dioxinand total dissolved gas. TMDLs are still underdevelopment for some areas. Gibbons Creek has aTMDL in place for fecal coliform.The portions of the greater Portland-Vancouverregion that are within the ColumbiaRiver Gorge include numerous WashingtonDepartment of Fish and Wildlife priority habitats,including talus slopes, cliffs, old-growthand mature forests, herbaceous balds, Oregonwhite oak habitats, and riparian areas. Oregonwhite oak is particularly prevalent in parts of theColumbia River Gorge. The area also includeshabitat used by numerous species listed as sensitive,threatened, or endangered by the states orthe federal government. These species includeanadromous fish, the Larch Mountain salamander,and peregrine falcons. Many of these priorityhabitats and sensitive species are located on publiclyowned lands such as natural area parks andtrails that also provide public recreation opportunities.For example, portions of the Cape HornTrail recently were transferred from private intopublic ownership, providing recreational opportunitieswhile preserving habitat.Immediately east of the City of Washougalis Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.This 1,049-acre refuge has historical riverinefloodplain habitat, semi-permanent wetlands,cottonwood-dominated riparian corridors, pastures,and remnant stands of Oregon white oak.Adjacent to Steigerwald Lake National WildlifeRefuge is the Washington Department of NaturalResources’ Washougal Oaks Natural AreaPreserve. This 223-acre site represents native oakhabitats that once were common in the PugetSound and Willamette Valley area but are nowrare.The eastern end of the study area includes substantiallands owned and managed by the WashingtonDepartment of Natural Resources (DNR).Some of these lands are managed as State SchoolTrust lands to provide perpetual funds for stateschools. Other DNR lands are managed under theDNR’s Natural Areas Program (see Chapter 6 ofthe Regional Conservation Strategy). For example,the Columbia Falls Natural Area Preserve is managedexclusively for the preservation of highlysensitive natural resources.Captain William Clark Park is managed bythe City of Washougal and provides river accessand hiking opportunities. Reed Island State Parkis a 510-acre park located in the Columbia Rivernear Washougal. The island offers bird watching,boating, beach walking, camping and picnicking.The St. Cloud Day Use Site provides river access,has ADA facilities, and is possibly the largestremaining natural wetland in the Columbia RiverGorge, providing habitat for an extensive varietyof wildlife.Aside from hatchery and harvest issues, keypriorities for the City of Washougal–ColumbiaRiver subbasin include:n Reduce out-of-subbasin impacts on salmonand steelhead so that the benefits of in-basinactions can be realized.n Address immediate salmonids risks withshort-term habitat fixes such as building chumsalmon spawning channels and constructing cohooverwintering habitat (e.g., alcoves, side channels,and log jams).n Restore riparian function and stream habitatdiversity.n Manage growth and development to protectwatershed processes and habitat conditions.n Manage forest lands to protect and restorewatershed processes.Active habitat restoration and preservationefforts have been under way for some time nowby several government and nonprofit groups,including the Washington Department of NaturalResources, the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, Clark County, SkamaniaCounty, the Skamania County Noxious WeedControl Board, Friends of the Columbia Gorge,Columbia Land Trust, Columbia Gorge RefugeStewards, and the Lower Columbia SalmonRecovery Board.Organizations and Partnerships —City of Washougal and Columbia Rivern City of Washougal — www.cityofwashougal.usn Washington Department of Ecology —www.ecy.wa.gov/ecyhome.htmln Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife— www.wdfw.wa.govn Washington Department of Natural Resources— www.dnr.wa.gov/Pages/default.aspxn Washington State University Clark CountyExtension — http://clark.wsu.edu/n USDA National Forest Service, Gifford-PinchotNational Forest and the Columbia River GorgeNational Scenic Area Office —www.fs.fed.us/n U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (SteigerwaldLake, Franz Lake, and Pierce National WildlifeRefuges) — www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/complex/index.htmln Clark County — www.co.clark.wa.usn Skamania County —www.skamaniacounty.org/n Skamania County Noxious Weed ControlBoard – http://www.skamaniacounty.org/noxious-weeds/n The Columbia River Gorge Commission —www.gorgecommission.org/n Friends of the Columbia Gorge —www.gorgefriends.org/266 267