| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The White River watershed encompasses 24.2 square kilometres (km2) draining into Blue River, a tributary of the North Thompson River. The mainstem of White River drains a long, steep-sided valley that rises in an alpine cirque northwest of the town of Blue River. The mainstem's valley has a history of fire and snow avalanche disturbance. Effectively no resource development has occurred in this valley. Two small tributary streams drain a steep face unit (2.32 km2) at the south end of the watershed . Forest harvesting was undertaken on the face unit between 1980 and 1992. A separate analysis is undertaken for the face unit because it has a very high road density and high Equivalent Clearcut Area (ECA). Limited additional harvesting and roading is proposed for the face unit. Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd . (GSFP) and Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd . (Weyerhaeuser) now propose to harvest additional timber in the southern third of the White River watershed. District wide watershed assessments completed by the Clearwater Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Environment in June 1997. A high mass-wasting hazard was identified in White River. The Clearwater MoF District Manager identified White River as a watershed requiring application of a full Watershed Assessment Procedure because of its status as a community watershed (letter to Major Licensees, 19 October, 1999, D.J . Munn, District Manager) . Environmental managers have expressed concern regarding the yield of fine suspended sediment from forest roads in developed sections of the watershed. Funding was made available through the Watershed Restoration Program (WRP) of Forest Renewal BC to conduct an Interior Watershed Assessment Procedure (IWAP) in the White River watershed, with Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd . acting as lead proponent. Silvatech Consulting Ltd. (Silvatech) was retained by GSFP and Weyerhaeuser to complete this watershed assessment, along with assessments in adjacent watersheds ; namely, Peddie and Berry Creeks to the south. Assessments were conducted according to the IWAP Guidelines, Second Edition, provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks in 1999. The purpose of the IWAP was to assess the hydrologic condition of the watershed and identify any areas of site degradation or concern and then, secondly, to anticipate possible environmental effects associated with proposed forest development. The watershed assessment requires that the following procedures be followed: 1) Background information be reviewed; 2) Equivalent clearcut areas for the watershed, and any designated sub-basins, be calculated; 3) A reconnaissance channel assessment be undertaken; 4) A sediment source survey be conducted. This report documents the general characteristics, hydrologic conditions and environmental impacts existing, and anticipated, in the White River watershed as related to forest harvesting . Recommendations regarding the need for further assessments, opportunities for in-channel or watershed restoration projects, and/or modifications to harvest planning are summarised in Section 8.0 for review by the Watershed Assessment Committee (WAC). Following discussion and review of points raised in this assessment, a summary of recommendations may be forwarded by the WAC to GSFP for incorporation into their development plan for Forest Licence A56291, (a new partition cut in the White River watershed) and to Weyerhaeuser for incorporation into their development plan for Cutting Permit 140, Block E of Forest Licence A18694. Minutes of the final WAC meeting following a review of this report are to be appended. watershed assessment, watershed management, forest harvest, ECA |
