Categorical Exclusion Documentation
A. Background
BLM Office: Prineville Field Office
NEPA log#: DOl - BLM - OR- P040- 2015- 0003 - CX
Proposed Action Title: South Fork Culvert Replacement
Location: Oliver Creek- 6 Miles East of Dayville- T14S, R26E, Section 01.
Round Creek- 10 Miles Northwest of lzee- T16S, R27E, Section 09.
Description of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action is to replace culverts at two locations; Oliver Creek along the South Fork
Road and Round Creek on the Deer Creek Road. The current culverts have inadequate capacity
to convey the quantity of runoff that may occur as a result of the 2014 South Fork Complex Fire.
The BLM would install two 48 inch culverts on Oliver Creek to replace the current 36 inch
culvert that is in place in order to facilitate for the added post fire flow. Watershed modeling
utilizing NRCS's small watershed hydrology model, TR-55, predicts that this action would reduce
the risk of an event that would over-top and possibly damage or destroy the South Fork Road
from 40% to about 9% over the next five years. Approximately five juniper trees would be
removed just below the culvert and the channel would be widened to allow for room for the
two culverts. About 20 cubic yards of rock, 18 inches and smaller would be placed along the
left embankment for the first 30 feet below the crossing to prevent bank erosion during any
high flow events. Fish passage requirements will not be necessary as there is a natural barrier
already in place downstream of the culvert and no fish are present in Oliver Creek.
On Round Creek, the current 30 inch culvert is also inadequate to pass the projected flows
resulting from the fire. The BLM would install a five foot diameter pipe which would be of an
adequate size to pass the modeled post-fire 100 year event of 96 cfs. There are no fish in
Round Creek so a stream-simulated bed through the bottom of the culvert would not be
necessary. The road this culvert is located on is also a fairly high traffic route connecting the
South Fork Road to the Malheur National Forest. The BLM would spot rock along the Deer
Creek road to facilitate the equipment reaching the project site. Approximately 150 cubic yards
of rock will be hauled from the Magic Lantern Quarry and placed along washed out and
exceptionally rocky sections of the road.
The culvert replacements would help to lessen the risk of a washout of the road occurring and
discharging high volumes of sediment from the road fill into Deer Creek and the South Fork
John Day Wild and Scenic River, both identified as Mid-Columbia River summer steelhead
critical habitat. It also decreases the likelihood that someone would be injured trying to ford
the crossing during a high flow event in which water is overtopping the road.
The Oliver and Round Creek watersheds were two of the more heavily burned basins within the
fire perimeter. Thirty percent of the Oliver Creek watershed experienced a high burn severity
according to the Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) imagery. An additional 23%
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rated as moderate. Roughly 2% of the Round Creek watershed experienced a high severity burn
and 32% rated as moderate severity. Watershed modeling, utilizing TR-55, indicates- an
increase in post fire discharge flow volume of nearly 300% on Oliver Creek and Round Creek
could see an increase of 115%. The proposed increases in culvert size will be adequate to pass
the 50 year, post-fire event on Oliver Creek and the 100 year event on Round Creek. Once
burned areas have recovered to more natural conditions, both crossings will be of sizes
adequate to pass the 100 year event.
B. Land Use Plan Conformance
The proposed project complies with the BLM's current land use plan for the area, the 1986 Two
11
Rivers Resource Management Plan (RMP). The Two Rivers RMP states, Cadastral surveys and
engineering activities will continue to be conducted in support of resource management
programs. The road maintenance program will continue" (page 31}. The Two Rivers RMP also
states that 11 Management actions within riparian areas will include measures to protect or
restore natural functions" (page 17). The Two Rivers RMP was amended by the 2001 John Day
River Management Plan which directs the BLM to 11 1mprove ditches, culverts, and apply gravel
to the surface of the South Fork Road" (page 21).
C. Compliance with NEPA
The Proposed Action is categorically excluded from further documentation under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with 516 OM 11.9, I. Emergency Stabilization.
Planned actions in response to wildfires, floods, weather events, earthquakes, or landslips that
threaten public health or safety, property, and/or natural and cultural resources, and that are
necessary to repair or improve lands unlikely to recover to a management-approved condition
as a result of the event. Such activities shall be limited to: repair and installation of essential
erosion control structures; replacement or repair of existing culverts, roads, trails, fences, and
minor facilities; construction of protection fences; planting, seeding, and mulching; and
removal of hazard trees, rocks, soil, and other mobile debris from, on, or along roads, trails,
campgrounds, and watercourses. These activities:
(a) Shall be completed within one year following the event;
(b) Shall not include the use of herbicides or pesticides;
(c) Shall not include the construction of new roads or other new permanent
infrastructure;
(d) Shall not exceed 4,200 acres; and
(e) May include temporary roads which are defined as roads authorized by contract,
permit, lease, other written authorization, or emergency operation not intended to
be part of the BLM transportation system and not necessary for long-term resource
management. Temporary roads shall be designed to standards appropriate for the
intended uses, considering safety, cost of transportation, and impacts on land and
resources; and
(f) Shall require the treatment of temporary roads constructed or used so as to permit
the reestablishment by artificial or natural means or vegetative cover on the roadway
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and areas where the vegetative cover was disturbed by the construction or use of the
road, as necessary to minimize erosion from the disturbed area. Such treatment shall
be designed to reestablish vegetative cover as soon as practicable, but at least within
10 years after the termination of the contract.
(August, 2007}
This categorical exclusion is appropriate in this situation because there are no extraordinary
circumstances potentially having effects that may significantly affect the environment. The
proposed action has been reviewed, and none of the extraordinary circumstances described in
516 DM 2 apply. See attached CX Extraordinary Circumstances Documentation checklist.
D. Signature
Authorizingofficia~~ f}p';tlc ..,f._,~
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. . "Cnip" Faver,
Central Oregon Resource Area Field Manager
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Contact Person
For additional information concerning this review, contact: Mike McKay, Hydrologist, Prineville
Field Office, 3050 NE 3rd Street, Prineville, OR 97754, telephone (541) 416-6774,
[email protected].
Page 3 of7
CX EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES DOCUMENTATION
The proposed categorical exclusion action will:
YES
NO
2.1
Have significant impacts on public health or safety.
X
Rationale: The proposed action is not predicted to have significant impacts on public health
or safety. The replacement of the culverts would help to increase the safety of travelers
along the South Fork and Deer Creek roads by reducing the likelihood that the roads will
washout during a high flow event.
2.2
Have significant impacts on such natural resources and unique geographic
X
characteristics as historic or cultural resources; park, recreation or refuge lands;
wilderness areas; wild or scenic rivers; national natural landmarks; sole or principal
drinking water aquifers; prime farmlands; wetlands (Executive Order 11990);
floodplains (Executive Order 11988); national monuments; migratory birds; and
other ecologically significant or critical areas.
Rationale:
The proposed project is not located in park or refuge lands; therefore the proposed action
would not have a significant effect on any such lands. The Oliver Creek culvert replacement
will be occurring within the South Fork John Day Wild and Scenic River Corridor, but the
project will not be altering any of the wild and scenic properties associated with this corridor.
The road and culvert are already present and the project will merely be replacing the culvert
with one of an adequate size and returning the road to pre-project conditions. The project
proposal is not located in any national natural landmarks, national monuments, sole or
principal drinking water aquifers, or prime farmlands and thus would have no significant
effect on any such ecologically significant or critical areas.
The proposed action would not have any significant effect on historic or cultural resources
because the area is considered to have a very low potential for significant cultural resources.
The area has very low potential for significant cultural resources because the proposed
project is located within road fill associated with the already established crossings.
Additionally, there would not be any significant effect to cultural resources because any
cultural resources found during installation and operation of the trap would necessitate a halt
and an authorized officer would be contacted so that the situation can be assessed to
determine if the project could continue in such a way as to prevent significant effects on the
cultural resource.
2.3
Have highly controversial environmental effects or involve unresolved
X
conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources [NEPA Section 102(2)(E)].
Rationale: The proposed project does not have highly controversial environmental effects or
involve unresolved conflicts with other resources.
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I
2.4
Have highly uncertain and potentially significant environmental effects or
X
involve unique or unknown environmental risks .
Rationale: The proposed project would not have any highly uncertain or potentially
significant environmental effects or involve unique or unknown environmental risks because
the culverts are already present at the site.
2.5
Establish a precedent'forfuture action or represent a decision in principle
X
about future actions with potentially significant environmental effects.
Rationale: The proposed action does not set a precedent for future actions because future
actions would go through their own evaluation processes and the decision pertaining to this
proposal to replace the culvert only pertains to this proposal and not any future proposals
that may be made.
Have a direct relationship to other actions with individually insignificant but
2.6
X
cumulatively significant environmental effects.
Rationale: There are no other actions occurring in the project area that would have a
significant cumulative environmental effect.
Have significant impacts on properties listed, or eligible for listing, on the
2.7
X
National Register of Historic Places as determined by either the bureau or office.
Rationale: There are no properties associated with the National Register of Historic Places
near the project site.
2.8
Have significant impacts on species listed, or proposed to be listed, on the
X
List of Endangered or Threatened Species, or have significant impacts on designated
Critical Habitat for these species.
Rationale: The South Fork of the John Day and Deer Creek are both listed as critical habitat
for Mid-Columbia River summer steel head which are listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act. However, no effects are anticipated due to -adequate sediment
control measures that will be implemented to ensure runoff and sediment do not leave the
project area.
2.9
Violate a Federal law, or a State, local, or tribal law or requirement imposed
X
for the protection of the environment.
Rationale: The proposed project would conform to all federal, state, and tribal laws.
2.10 Have a disproportionately high and adverse effect on low income or minority
X
populations (Executive Order 12898).
Rationale: The proposed project would have no impact on low income or minority
populations.
2.11 Limit access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites on Federal lands by
X
Indian religious practitioners or significantly adversely affect the physical integrity of
such sacred sites (Executive Order 13007).
Rationale: The proposed project would not limit access or effect of physical integrity of
sacred Indian sites on Federal lands because there are no known sacred sites, or access points
to sacred sites, in or near the project area.
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2.12 Contribute to the introduction, continued existence, or spread of noxious
weeds or non-native invasive species known to occur in the area or actions that may
promote the introduction, growth, or expansion of the range of such species
X
(Federal Noxious Weed Control Act and Executive Order 13112).
Rationale: The proposed project would not contribute to the introduction, continued
existence, or spread of noxious weeds or non-native invasive species. Care would be taken to
ensure that the spread of noxious weeds does not occur by washing equipment before and
after use on public land.
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