| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
At the request of Weldwood of Canada Limited, hydrological stability assessments of the Saunders Creek and No Name Creek watersheds were initiated in October, 2003. These two watersheds were selected due to their high Equivalent Clearcut Areas and the need to conduct mountain pine beetle salvage operations. The three components of the hydrological stability assessment are a Channel Assessment, a Riparian Assessment, and a Sediment Source Survey. The objectives of this project are to: 1. determine the integrity and hydrological stability of the watersheds by assessing the cumulative hydrological effects of past forest management activities and other disturbances, such as fire and insect infestation; 2. monitor hydrological values to comply with commitments in Weldwood of Canada Limited’s sustainable forest management plan; 3. provide documentation of baseline conditions for comparison with the results of future assessments/monitoring. The two watersheds were determined to be hydrologically stable. Both watersheds had occurrences of partially aggraded or degraded channels, impacted riparian zones and low hazard sediment sources. Beetle-killed stands, if left unharvested, will have little impact on the hydrologic stability of the watershed. To protect the hydrologic stability of the watershed, it is imperative that any future harvesting includes riparian protection measures, diligent road planning and building, and a comprehensive road maintenance program. Additional recommendations are provided |
