Results of erosion analysis of the Clear Creek Watershed, New Perce-Clearwater National Forests
| Authors: | William J. Elliot, I. S. Miller, Longxi Cao |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Type: | Miscellaneous |
| Station: | Rocky Mountain Research Station |
| Source: | Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station |
Abstract
The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (NPC) is planning a major restoration project to improve forest health and decrease the risk of wildfire in the 178 km2 (68 mi2) Clear Creek Watershed, southeast of Kooskia, ID (Moose Creek Ranger District, 2015). Elliot and Miller (2017) provided a detailed analysis estimating likely erosion from the proposed treatment areas, but at that time, did not have the tools to satisfactorily estimate sediment from the road network. Roads play a critical role in allowing access to the forest for the proposed treatments. However, the road network is the main source of sediment in most forested watersheds in the absence of wildfire (Elliot, 2013; Grace, 2017). Earlier estimates of likely road sediment generation were made with the NezSed cumulative effects model, which was not able to consider erosion from individual road segments. When Dr. Cao joined the research team, we were able to develop the methodology described below to complete a road network erosion analysis. This report is an example of applying this new methodology and evaluating its utility to support watershed analysis.