Water Quality Management Handbook

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region

DRAFT Water Quality Management Handbook

May 23, 2011 Vallejo, California

Cover photo: Lake Valley on the Stanislaus National Forest (USFS photo by James Frazier).

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DRAFT Water Quality Management Handbook

Table of Contents

Acronyms..................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1

Objectives................................................................................................................................... 2 Relationship between the Clean Water Act and Forest Service Best Management practices .. 3 Water Quality Management Handbook Chronology................................................................... 3 Forest Service Authorities .......................................................................................................... 6 Related Forest Service Programs .............................................................................................. 7 Policy ........................................................................................................................................ 11 References ............................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2. Best Management Practices........................................................................................ 14 The Water Quality Management Handbook and Site-Specific Best Management Practices .. 14 Organization and Format of Best Management Practices ....................................................... 16

Timber Management ........................................................................................................ 17 Timber Management BMPs.............................................................................................. 18 Road Management Activities............................................................................................ 46 Road Management BMPs ................................................................................................ 47 Mining ............................................................................................................................... 94 Mining BMPs..................................................................................................................... 94 Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 102 Recreation BMPs............................................................................................................ 102 Vegetation Manipulation ................................................................................................. 138 Vegetation manipulation BMPs ...................................................................................... 138 Fire Suppression and Fuels Management ..................................................................... 153 Fire Suppression and Fuels Management BMPs........................................................... 153 Watershed Management ................................................................................................ 161 Watershed management BMPs...................................................................................... 161 Range Management ....................................................................................................... 172 Range Management BMPs ............................................................................................ 177 Chapter 3: Administrative Processes for BMP Implementation .................................................. 188 General................................................................................................................................... 188 National Environmental Policy Act Procedures...................................................................... 190 Project Implementation........................................................................................................... 191 Chapter 4: Adaptive Management............................................................................................... 193 Purpose and Scope................................................................................................................ 193 Chapter 5: Watershed Prioritization for Restoration.................................................................... 209 Chapter 6: Monitoring .................................................................................................................. 215 Chapter 7: Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation .............................................................. 224 Minimizing Adverse Effects of Current Activities.................................................................... 224 Chapter 8: Needed Future Actions .............................................................................................. 226 Administrative Practices ......................................................................................................... 226 BMPs ...................................................................................................................................... 226 Restoration ............................................................................................................................. 227 Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................................................... 228

List of Figures

Figure 1. ? Road management options ......................................................................................... 49 Figure 2. Adaptive management process for managing range allotments.................................. 182 Figure 3. Lines of communication feedback loop within Forest Service organization................. 196 Figure 4. State Water Quality Management Handbook conceptual model for identifying key

monitoring questions ........................................................................................................... 201

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Acronyms

ACS AMP AOI BMP BMPEP CWE EHR EPA FIB FERC FSH FSM HazMat HUC LRMP NEPA NFS NWFP OHV RWQCF SCI SMZ SNFPA SPCC SWAMP SWRCB TMDL TRACS USFS WIN WIP WWOS

Aquatic conservation strategy Allotment management plan Annual operating instructions Best management practice Best management practice evaluation program Cumulative water effects Erosion hazard rating Environmental Protection Agency Fecal indicator bacteria Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Forest Service Handbook Forest Service Manual Hazardous materials Hydrologic unit code Land and resource management plan National Environmental Policy Act National Forest System Northwest Forest Plan Off-highway vehicle Regional Quality Management Handbook Stream condition inventory Streamside management zone Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment Spill prevention control and countermeasures Surface water ambient monitoring program State Water Resources Control Board Total maximum daily load Trail assessment and condition survey United States Forest Service Watershed improvement needs inventory Watershed improvement program Wet weather operations standards

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