Sunday, May 03, 2009

Bluewater upstream of 2008/2009 Restoration Work

Comments: Beaver Dams (current and historic), as well as rock slide debris creaet riffle pool complexes, overbank (not channelized) flow and side channels.

Heavily vegetated banks, but no/few deciduous woodies. Some bluestem and coyote willow further up (becoming more common/denser the further up the reach). Browsing : 100% explains lack of woodies. Good underbank cover, and possibly better overbank cover at the end of the growing season. Poor shading is cause of listing 404-d Temperature Impairment. Lots of mallards, but is there nesting habitat? Stable cutbanks. Rock ledges in this canyon create enhanced moisture habitats.

Water Q: 5,2 = 3.5
Hydrogeomorphology: 5,5,5,5,5 = 5
Fish Aquatic Habitat: 4,4,1,5,5,5 = 4
Riparian Vegetation: 5,5,4,5,5,5,3,1 = 33/8 = 4.125
Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat: 2,2,2,5 = 2.75

Average = 3.875


Species List and Notes:

2 Species of Juniper (Utah (osteosperma) and One-Seed (monosperma) taking over remnants of old floodplane from derelict relict cottonwood. dead cottonwoods perched on historic floodplain, but not really that much higher than the new, active floodplane.
Old Gooding Willow

stubby skink in high diversty meso wet meadow with cottonwood (many branched/browsed) sprouting, lots of digging (mole?). Tons of potato bugs. Lupine, Viola nephrophylla, Stellaria, horehound, Oenothera, Horsetail, Clematis, Thalictrum.

Patch-nosed snake (Thamnophis hammondii)
oak gambell.
maiden hair fern.
new mexico olive.
red spiney unknown
jeff reports others
cherry
rose
Borage= lapula, mustard, stellaria, rose, cherry with catkin berries (not open yet)
3 species of aquatic plants plus sedge and rush
wax currant
orange gooseberry
skunkbush sumac currant

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