PFC Standard Checklist

Location

Location Description:                  Reach
Downstream End Point
Township Range Section:  Meridian: Gila & Salt River Base Line
Township: 7N, Range: 30E, Section: 17, 1/4: NE, 1/4 1/4: NE

UTM:  Zone:12S
Northing:  meters, Easting:   meters

Lat / Long:
North Latitude: Degrees: , Decimal Minutes:
West Longitude: Degrees: , Decimal Minutes:

Upstream End Point
Township Range Section:  Meridian: Gila & Salt River Base Line
Township:7N,  Range:30E, Section: 20, 1/4: NE, 1/4 1/4: NE

UTM: Zone:12S
Northing:  meters, Easting:   meters

Lat / Long:
North Latitude: Degrees: , Decimal Minutes:
West Longitude: Degrees: , Decimal Minutes:

HYDROLOGIC

1) Floodplain inundated in "relatively frequent" events (1-3 years) YES
Remarks: Little floodplain width in this reach, may be result of little flow, barely enough flow to show on vegetation lying down within channel. This is a sedge / rush community, fully vegetated throughout active channel due to intermittent flows.
2) Active/stable beaver dams NOT APPLICABLE
Remarks: Too dry, no beaver sign present.
3) Sinuosity, width/depth ration, and gradient are in balance with the landscape setting (i.e., landform, geology, and bioclimatic region) NO
Remarks: Sinuosity: too straight, could be more sinuous, low gradient, width to depth ratio not too bad considering low flows.  Meander pattern will take a very long time to re-establish in this reach as there are too few flows of any magnitude to make this happen.
4) Riparian zone is widening or has achieved potiential extent YES
Remarks: System is widening and partially reached potential extent.
5) Upland watershed not contributin to riparian degradation YES
Remarks: Stable upland watershed condition in terms of affecting this riparian area. However, not all of upper watershed condition is in fully desirable condition.

VEGETATIVE

6) Diverse age-class distribution (recruitment for maintenance/recovery NO
Remarks: Herbaceous community present, this reach trends towards a lentic (wet meadow) vegetation type. Young Salix present, resprouting from heavily grazed root stocks. This is evidence of high historic grazing pressure year round.  Since this system is more lentic than lotic, the herbaceous vegetation is considered diverse in age class distribution.
7) Diverse composition of vegetation (for maintenance/recovery YES
Remarks: Sufficient diversity to accommodate recovery needs.
8) Species present indicate maintenance of riparian soil moisture characteristics YES
Remarks: Composition comprised of facultative wetland and obligate wetland species.
9) Streambank vegetation is comprised of those plants or plant communities that have root masses capable of withstanding high streamflow events YES
Remarks: Carex, Juncus, Salix.
10) Riparian plants exhibit high vigor YES
Remarks: 3-4 ft growth of herbaceous vegetation. Very vigorous.
11) Adequate vegetative cover present to protect banks and dissipate energy during high flows YES
Remarks: Banks fully vegetated except few vertical cutbanks that have not had enough time to lay back and stabilize with vegetation.
12) Plant communities in the riparian area are an adequate source of coarse and/or large woody debris YES
Remarks: Don't need coarse woody debris, tending towards lentic system with very little energy of flow. This reach depends on vegetated floodplain width to dissipate stream energy.

SOILS

13) Floodplain and channel characteristics (i.e., rocks, overflow channels, coarse and/or large woody debris) adequate to dissipate energy YES
Remarks: Flood plain width is most critical element. Low gradient, little coarse woody debris needed.
14) Point bars are revegetating YES
Remarks: 100% veg cover on point bars.
15) Lateral stream movement is associated with natural sinuosity YES
Remarks: Sinuosity is naturally induced in this reach, no other influence. However, this reach could be more sinuous as a whole.
16) System is vertically stable YES
Remarks: No head cuts, stable system.
17) Stream is in balance with the water and sediment being supplied by the watershed (i.e., no excessive erosion or deposition) YES
Remarks: System is aggrading slowly due to bedload deposition in floodplain but vegetation is keeping up with deposition. There is no bare soil within the floodplain of this reach.

Vegetation Community Types:

Upland: Pied/Jumo/Chna2
Wetland:

Summary Determination

Functional Rating:  FAR
Trend for Functional -- At Risk: Upward

Are factors contributing to unacceptable conditions outside agency's control or management?  Y
If yes, what are those factors? Flow Regulations, Other,

 Problem(s):  Flow regulations for irrigation.  Problems include irrigation diversions, drought conditions, condition of private land (Terry Riedhead in poor condition, no improvements done, little management, water quality has highest NTU value (> 40) of entire impaired water quality section of Nutrioso creek.
Narrow channel, incised with narrow floodplain, will take long to recover to a wider system, especially considering flows are commonly low and incapable of reshaping the channel.

 Recommendations:  No change in management, very light fall grazing possible, however watch for excess utilization, especially on willows (Salix).
NOTES: channel incised by 4 feet, second terrace incised by 20 feet. Reach is characteristic of very low flows, commonly dries up, cobbly soil (may indicate steeper gradient and higher flows at one time).
NOTES: Storage of irrigation water Nutrioso Reservoir 180 acre feet., Jarvis Reservoir +/- 80 acre feet, Rogers Reservoir 80 acre feet.
PHOTOS: TS 46 - 49

 Time to fix:  50+

 Desired Functional Condition:  Wider FP, at least 100 ft total width, more sinuosity.
Notes: This description of channel and vegetation conditions applies to EC Bar Ranch Reach 6 and 8. They are disconnected, whereas "location" information implies one continuous reach. Reach 6 is approximately 0.53 miles long (channel) with 19.74 riparian acres, and Reach 8 is 0.21 miles long (channel) with 4.82 riparian acres.

 Photographs:             4

Reach 6 and 8: #46 - 49

# 46 - Downstream view of Nutrioso Creek with fairly good vegetation density, however this shows an inadequate floodplain width, and insufficient meander pattern to be considered stable. The small weirs have been placed in 11 riffles in reach 6 to slow flows so sediment will be deposited between weirs thus raising the streambed. The "riffle weirs" were recommended by Bill Zeedyk.
 

#47 - Although the height of adjacent terraces is lower in this reach, the incised pattern of the creek has not developed sufficient floodplain width. This area was historically perennial, however with irrigation storage in several dams upstream, this reach is intermittent at best. Due to lack of natural flows, floodplains have not developed near as well as further upstream where greater amounts of flow are available to reconfigure banks. Jim Crosswhite, EC Bar Ranch owner, is shown in the photo.

#48 - View of coyote willows on Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest property immediately outside of the reach 6 elk exclosure on EC Bar Ranch. Elk have rubbed the bark off of the willows and caused branch tips to die.
 

#49 - Well vegetated floodplain in a dry section of Nutrioso Creek. Elk are excluded by elk proof fencing from Reach 6. Livestock do not graze the riparian area during the growing season. Control of large ungulates has allowed a significant recovery of vegetation in this reach. Note meander pattern is in process of forming.