Trip Report: USFWS Tour of Aquatic, Wetland and Riparian ... Report: USFWS Tour of Aquatic, Wetland...

Trip Report: USFWS Tour of Aquatic, Wetland and

Riparian Areas within the LCNCA Jeff Simms, Fishery Biologist, Gila District

The BLM provided a tour of aquatic resources for the USFWS, Ecological Services on Empire

Spring and Cienega Creek on June 23, 2014. Participants included Steve Spangle, Jean Calhoun,

Julie Crawford, Susan Sferra, and Marcia Radke (BLM) and myself.

The purpose of the tour was to show Service staff the aquatic resources and current conditions of

aquatic habitat on the LCNCA for purposes related to Section 7 consultations with the USFS on

the Rosemont Mine project.

We gathered at the Empire Ranch at about 7am. The agenda was to visit the following locations:

1. Empire Spring

2. Cienega Ranch Wetland

3. Cienega Creek below the LC6901 cement stream crossing

4. Cienega Creek at the power line crossing

5. Cienega Creek below Cold Water Spring (Fresno Gap)

6. Empire Gulch near the confluence with Cienega Creek

7. Cieneguita Wetland restoration area

8. Cienega Creek above Gardner Canyon

9. Empire Wildlife Pond

The first stop was Empire Spring. The group walked from the parking lot to the spring source.

This area had a continuous ribbon of surface water. We observed willow flycatcher habitat (yew

leaf willow). Marcia Radke bands birds at this location and had heard willow flycatchers here

earlier in the month. We also looked at older cottonwood and mesquite woodlands that comprise

yellow-billed cuckoo habitat which is currently occupied by this bird. Although no Huachuca

water umbel occurs here, the habitat appeared conducive to this plant. The aquatic habitat was

flowing, but choked with duck weed, beggar’s tick (Bidens sp.) and watercress. A few leopard

frogs were observed. We looked at the headcut erosion at the spring source as well. I discussed

the fencing and past grazing management that has led to the riparian conditions we see today.

Points made at this location:

No tree regeneration upstream of the headcut as the elevation difference is 6+ feet, which

means the ground water elevations are too deep to support germinating or sapling trees.

The headcut is moving slowly on the northern side and is “self-healing” due to

vegetation colonizing sediments as the erosion moves upstream (depth to water is

important for this to occur).

The older portion of the headcut (south side) is stabilized by mature cottonwoods that

will not regenerate due to low water table (discharge at spring is over 6’ below the

upstream bed elevation).

The plunge pool at the headcut is about 8 feet deep.

Base flows ranged from 6 to 40 gpm.

Surface flow between pools protects habitats from stagnant conditions with poor water

quality.

No Huachuca water umbel here but conditions appear to be favorable in terms of

moisture and substrate.

Willow flycatcher have been documented using this area but none have been observed

nesting here to date.

The “glay layer” of soil in the exposed terrace walls indicates that wetland habitat

existed here before the incision of this channel circa 1890 to 1900.

Because the duck weed and other plants choke the channel for long periods of time, it

appears that flood peaks are relatively low. This may be caused by the slow runoff rates

of the grassland coupled with high infiltration rates of the sand bed wash upstream.

The next stop was at the Cienega Ranch Wetland. It is currently choked with bulrush that is

being replaced slowly by Goodding willow. Points made at this location:

The wetland was divided by the canal constructed to redirect flood flows away from the

alfalfa fields (“old ag fields”).

It was used to supply water for pumping.

A well at the south end had a large diesel pump at acquisition in 1988. The well flow is

low volume artesian.

Grazing in the spring kept the wetland with an open pond.

The wetland was fenced in about 1990 and became a bulrush/cattail marsh which is being

converted to a swamp by the invasion of willow trees. This habitat has had sora, Virginia

and black rail recorded at this sight.

Photograph of Cienega Ranch Wetland showing bulrush and Goodding willow mix. The wetland

is becoming a swamp habitat type as willows move into habitat occupied by herbaceous

vegetation.

We then walked up Cienega Creek to look at channel conditions. It is currently very dry.

Points made at this location:

The creek here only runs with base flow in the winter and early spring if we get

precipitation and during the summer monsoons.

As we walked downstream the channel was bordered by deer grass in poor health and

dead and dying willow trees.

Ash trees were coming in and will likely replace cottonwoods and willows as they are

able to flourish under dryer conditions.

The basin fill here is 800 feet or more deep which requires a lot of recharge to fill the

aquifer to the point it meets the channel elevation. This had occurred in the 1980s.

Enough water here in the 1980s and early 1990s to fill three ponds for irrigation. These

ponds held Gila topminnow and Gila chub.

All three were removed and the canal plugged. This allowed both base flows and flood

flows to come through the reach.

Incision (~7 ft deep) was observed about ¼ mile north of the cement crossing.

This segment was part of a stream restoration project completed in 1998. The stream

restoration included a cement crossing with footers 11 feet deep in case the reach should

ever experience accelerated erosion. This will protect the stream from the progression of

the head cut by acting as a man-made geologic control.

Through the ag fields reach, it will take decades for the process of channel evolution

(deepening, widening, establishment of a new floodplain adjacent to the channel). This

will be entirely dependent on sufficient moisture (surface water) for riparian plant

development.

Current riparian function is low and declining with the channel turning into a wash

(likely has entered the “nonfunctional” PFC category).

Roots that once held the fine soils in the bed and bank now stranded in the air creating a

web or “hammock”. Loss of soil stability occurs with the loss of root systems.

If the mine adds to the drawdown, then the reach will get dryer and riparian function will

likely decline further upstream and downstream.

May lose Cienega Ranch Wetland if there is added drawdown from the mine or other

sources.

Photograph showing headcut and tree roots that once stabilized the stream bed are now

suspended in the air. This reach has dead and dying trees and deer grass suggesting that its

new state will be an ephemeral wash.

Mr. Spangle asked about the solution for the erosion problem. Answer – The solution is

stream restoration as long as there is enough moisture. Under current conditions this reach is

becoming an ephemeral wash (PFC rating has changed and is likely “non-functional”).

Mr. Spangle asked, what are the factors for the aquifer decline in this reach? Answer - there

was enough water to fill 3 ponds for irrigation, historically. It appears that climate and

expansion of ground water pumping are causes. There is a belt of private land between the

FS boundary and the BLM with ranchettes supporting ponds, orchards and gardens.

We proceeded to the north end of the NCA at a ford below the high tension power lines. We

walked about ½ mile of the creek. Points made at this location:

Huachuca water umbel is abundant here.

Most of the HWU was wilted or brown and dead.

No flowing water observed.

Pools very low, down about 3-4 ft. Only about 1ft of water or less remaining in most of

them.

Not sure if pools would have water next week as they had diminished since the wet-dry

10 days earlier.

A leopard frog was observed.

Gila topminnow, Gila chub and longfin dace were observed in some pools.

One pool was stagnant with tea colored water. It had the characteristic crust of diatoms

(unicellular algae) covering the water’s surface. Diatoms store energy as oil. When they

die, they release the oil creating a telltale “sheen.”

I mentioned that downstream about 1 mile of riparian habitat had been lost resulting in 2

headcuts.

Below the crossing, there were no pools observed where several were observed for the

annual wet-dry inventory. These pools had supported Gila topminnow, Gila chub and

longfin dace. They are now gone.

The reach below the ford has the largest HWU patches inventoried on the creek in 2011.

These patches were hard to locate because they were wilted or brown (dead).

Plants growing across the channel bottom due to the higher soil moisture and lack of

flowing water.

A riparian photopoint t-post was located. It was only sticking up about 18 inches

(originally 5 ft in 1989) demonstrating sediment accumulation from riparian plants

changing sediment transport (bank building).

Rising banks help with aquifer recharge as the floodplain is inundated more frequently.

Photograph showing Julie Crawford (Botanist, FWS) placing flags around HWU patch that is

in poor condition from desiccation.

We proceeded to Fresno Gap where Mattie Canyon and Cold Water Spring join Cienega

Creek. All the trees and other vegetation looked green and healthy. Points made at this

location:

Flow was strong (about 0.25 cfs).

Large pools had abundant populations of Gila topminnow, Gila chub, and longfin dace.

Several young leopard frogs (Chiricahua) produced from a release made in previous years

were observed.

Wetland at Cold Spring Seep is expanding as evidenced by dead mesquites that “drown”

in wet soils and the extensive spread of yerba-mansa (characteristic wetland plant).

Channel and expansive floodplain are well connected and floods frequently inundate the

floodplain.

Floodplain elevation allows for frequent flooding and expansive size allows for large

amounts of recharge.

Cows kept out by previous rancher going as far back as 1988 (maybe longer), leaving

vegetation to grown to its full potential. This stabilized the soils and allowed for channel

roughness that facilitated deposition and channel/floodplain equilibrium to be maintained.

This reach is the best example of a stream flowing through a cienega (wetland) in the

LCNCA. It is functioning at or near full potential.

Most of the water here comes from Cold Water Spring.

This is where Susan Sferra with the USFWS broke her leg at the ankle. We rendered first aid and

walked her back to the truck (~1/4 mile).

We departed for the Empire Ranch. We stopped briefly at Empire Pond located next to Empire

Gulch. Gila topminnow, desert pupfish, northern Mexican gartersnake and Chiricahua leopard

frogs occupy this pond. Replacement waters (galvanized steel troughs) are located below this

location next to the well.

Photograph of Empire Wildlife Pond located 2.7 miles above Empire Spring. The artificial pond

supports new populations of Gila topminnow, desert pupfish, Chiricahua leopard frog, and

northern Mexican gartersnakes.

Final note: Not all areas on the agenda were visited due to various circumstances. We missed

Empire Gulch near the confluence with Cienega Creek, Cieneguita Wetland restoration area, and

the portion of Cienega Creek above Gardner Canyon. The tour went well and Mr. Spangle

thanked me. The hydrograph, which is an indicator of ground water elevation flux is presented in

appendix A. Additional picture taken on the tour can be found in the appendix B.

Appendix A

USGS Hydrographs for Cienega Creek showing flows from June 1 to July 10, 2014.

The second hydrograph is from June 30th to July 6th

.

Note date of tour has a blue arrow. The low flow for June 30th

and July 1st was at or near 0.0 for

a time as indicated by the red arrow. Some of the days did not follow the daily pattern wide

swings in flow, as cloudy days usually result in median flows that are greater than typical as a

result of lower ET rates. The second graph shows more clearly the lowest flow situation.

Appendix B Photographs from tour and annual surface water monitoring (wet-dry)

of Cienega Creek on 06-12-2014

Tour photographs

Photo of head spring at Empire Spring located in Empire Gulch near the historic Empire Ranch.

This pool is relatively stable due to riparian plants that provide a root structure that is erosion

resistant and water shed function which produces relatively low peak floods as inferred from the

modest size of the woody debris located on the flood plain and lack of new erosion feature

following the monsoons. Note heavy vegetation on the surface of the pool.

Photograph of Cienega Creek channel just above the power line ford (northern end of LCNCA).

The stream channel is largely dry except for some residual pools. Vegetation condition shows

good vigor. Bank protection is excellent. However, aquatic habitat is lacking.

Photo is located a short distance above the previous one. Here Huachuca water umbels is

growing across the channel bottom where soil has the most moisture. Pin flags are being set by

Julie Crawford (FWS) to delineate an HWU patch. In this location the patch had live, wilted and

dead plants.

Photograph shows a pool typical in the stream reach above the Mattie Canyon Confluence. This

pool is 5+ feet deep.

Photo of conditions near the confluence of Cienega Creek and Mattie Canyon. Vegetation

condition shows good vigor. Bank protection is excellent. The herb growing at water’s edge is

water parsnip. The terrace in the background was part of the floodplain before incision that

began in the 1890s. Since then the channel and floodplain have evolved to a new equilibrium that

is stable.

Photo of conditions near the confluence of Cienega Creek and Mattie Canyon. Large pool 5+ feet

deep with longfin dace and Gila chub observed. These pools are common in this reach of

Cienega Creek. All pools were connected by runs with about ¼ cfs flow (estimated - not

measured).

Two photos showing floodplain-wetland conditions about ¼ miles upstream of the confluence of

Cienega Creek and Mattie Canyon. Vegetation condition shows good vigor, except mesquite

trees are dead from saturated soil conditions. This is common on the floodplain in this reach. The

herb is yerba mansa.

Photo of floodplain conditions about 2-300 yards downstream of the confluence of Cienega

Creek and Mattie Canyon. Vegetation condition shows good vigor. Sacaton grass, mesquite, and

hackberry occupy dryer portions of the floodplain, which is more than 200 yards wide. Such

large floodplains capture water that would otherwise end up downstream so it can be released

slowly to the channel. Notice that the fence posts are only about 2 feet above the surface.

Flooding over the last 20 to 25 years has allowed for deposition, whereby increasing aquifer

capacity.

Susan Sferra is being supported by Julie Crawford, as Susan had broken her leg just a short time

before this photo was taken. She fared well on the trip back to Tucson and received medical

treatment as soon as possible.

Wet-dry monitoring photographs taken on June 12th

(Power line ford to the Narrows).

This is one of the segments segment visited on the tour.

Only the upper end of the segment was visited.

Photo depicting dry reach between Fresno and Apache canyons. Formerly this reach had surface

water that supported Gila topminnow and longfin dace. Trees still have enough moisture to

remain healthy.

Photo of Sonora mud turtle moving through dry stream bed. Turtles in this situation are more

vulnerable to predation than those occupying pool habitat.

Photo of Huachuca water umbel in a moist stream bed that likely has surface flow at night when

plants are not using water (not transpiring). Aquatic plants in this situation are vulnerable to

desiccation should soil moisture drop further.

Photo of stream reach below the Narrows showing the conversion of the riparian plant

community (cottonwood, willow and ash) to one dominated by seep willow and other species

tolerant of dry conditions (xeroriparian).

The next 2 photo show stressed cotton woods, willow and ash trees. Seep willow is coming in on

ecological sites otherwise suitable for cottonwood and willow. Plant community is moving

towards a xeroriparian type. In the second photo cottonwood regeneration is occurring in the

stream bed where saplings are protected from flood scour.

The next 2 photo show headcutting (accelerated erosion) as a result of the loss of riparian plants

rom dry conditions. These 2 headcuts are located less than a quarter mile apart and 7 and 5 feet

deep, respectively. If they merge, the incision would be 12 feet deep.

Photo shows bank erosion as a result of the loss of riparian plants. On the right, a new strand of

willows has established in the bottom of the incised channel. The deergrass on the left is too far

removed from adequate soil moisture and is diminishing in vigor, thus unable to support root

systems that hold bank soil; this change is the result of incision.

The last group of habitat photos is comprised of remnant pool habitats. Some are nearing desiccation

while others appear deep enough to persist at least a few more weeks.

Photo showing stagnant conditions that are acute enough reduce fish survival. The “crust” is comprised

of diatoms (unicellular algae) that at the aggregate at the water’s surface under conditions of little or no

base flow. The algae store oil (lipids) as energy reserves that are released and cover the water surface

when they die. The oil acts as a barrier to gas exchange that limits oxygen levels in the water column.

Photo of fish and amphibians found in some of the remaining pools on June 12th. The species include

Gila chub, Gila topminnow and leopard frog tadpole (either Chiricahua or lowland). Longfin dace were

resent but illustrated in the photo.