**INTERAGENCY**

## BURNED AREA EMERGENCY STABILIZATION PLAN

## ALASKA FIRES

**Indian Creek**

# SOIL AND WATERSHED RESOURCE ASSESSMENT

**Glacier Creek Fire, USFWS, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge**

**August 2005**

Mark Laker- Biometrician, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

John Trawicki- Hydrologist, National Wildlife Refuge System, Alaska

**INTERAGENCY**

## BURNED AREA EMERGENCY STABILIZATION PLAN

## ALASKA FIRES

**Indian Creek**

# SOIL AND WATERSHED RESOURCE ASSESSMENT

**Glacier Creek Fire, USFWS, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge**

**I. OBJECTIVES**

-   Assess overall watershed change caused by the fires, particularly
    those that pose substantial threats to human life and property, and
    critical natural and cultural resources. This includes evaluating
    changes to soil conditions, hydrologic function, and watershed
    response to precipitation events,

-   Identify potential flood and erosion source areas,

-   Identify potential threats to life, property, cultural, and natural
    resources in relation to flood and erosion source areas,

-   Develop treatment recommendations if necessary, and

-   Identify future monitoring needs.

**II. ISSUES**

-   Identify potential threats to human life or property.

-   Identify potential threats to historic and private cabins at mouth
    of Indian Creek.

-   Identify potential impacts from flooding, erosion, and sedimentation
    impacts to fisheries and water quality in Indian Creek and Tustamena

-   Identify impacts to Emma Lake Trail.

**III. OBSERVATIONS**

A.  **Background**

> **[Physiography and Soils]{.underline}:**
>
> The Indian Creek drainage is a high gradient, high velocity stream
> originating from the Indian Glacier, several unnamed remnant glaciers
> of the Harding Icefield, and several small alpine tributaries (Map 1).
> Indian Creek flows through a narrow canyon of cliffs faces, steep
> scree slope with patchy vegetation and dense undergrowth within the
> flood plain. General habitat beyond the floodplain is classified as
> mature forest habitat with a gradient to Alpine shrub-lichen habitat
> at higher elevations (USFWS 1985).
>
> The fire perimeter encompasses some gently sloping lowland soils that
> are mantled by glacial deposits with varying textures and overlain by
> well-drained to poorly-drained silt loams. The eastern portion of the
> burn occurred in steeply sloping uplands on the north side of Indian
> Creek. According to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive
> Conservation Plan (1985), the upland soils are susceptible to erosion,
> particularly if vegetative cover is removed. There are minimal areas
> of depressional muskeg within the burned area.
>
> **[Climate:]{.underline}**
>
> The climate of the Kenai Peninsula is subarctic. The area receives
> between 19 to 23 inches of precipitation annually along the coastal
> areas. In the mountains on the eastern parts of the Kenai Peninsula
> precipitation can exceed 40 inches. This is fairly evenly distributed
> throughout the months between October and May, with much of the
> precipitation occurring as snow. Average annual temperature in the
> area is around 33 degrees F. Summers temperatures rarely exceed 80
> degrees, and winter temperatures can drop below -30°F (USFWS 1985).
>
> **[Hydrology and Water Quality]{.underline}**
>
> There are no continuous water quality or discharge records for Indian
> Creek. Though the headwater glaciers of Indian Creek are small the
> impact to the hydrology of the system is significant. In general, the
> effect of the glacial input results in sustained or increased flow
> throughout the summer months and contributes to the suspended sediment
> and milky appearance due to glacial "flour" (a mostly fine-grained
> silt-sized material created as the basal ice of the glaciers scours
> and grinds underlying rocks) of Indian Creek. The steep canyon, high
> gradient drainage and glacial input all contribute to the rapid or
> flashy response of the drainage to precipitation events. As
> temperatures cool in the fall discharge decreases and water clarity
> improves. Ice cover is generally present throughout the winter and
> flows decrease over this time period. Discharge will rise with the
> melting snow, decrease slightly after the initial pulse from snow melt
> and will rise steadily through out the summer as warmer temperatures
> and long summer days increase melt of the glaciers. Dissolved mineral
> content of both glacial waters and runoff is thought to be low. Most
> lakes and streams are neutral to slightly acidic, and dissolved oxygen
> is usually high during the summer (USFWS 1985).
>
> **[Fishery Resources]{.underline}**
>
> Approximately 52 miles of stream comprise Indian Creek, of which, 8.4
> miles has been documented as anadromous. At approximately 5 miles
> upstream from Tustumena Lake the stream forks with the mainstem
> continuing north. The mainstem channel is well contained with tall
> steep banks scarred by frequent landslides. The presence of sockeye
> and coho salmon has been documented in Indian Creek (Johnson et. al.,
> 2005). Resident Dolly Varden and sticklebacks have not been
> documented, but are likely to occur. Coho salmon have been observed
> spawning in the creek directly above the confluence with Tustumena
> Lake. Additional spawning of coho and sockeye has been observed
> several miles above the burn.
>
> Indian Creek is part of a large interconnected aquatic ecosystem. The
> entire watershed for Tustumena Lake and Kasilof River is almost
> 500,000 acres, with 110 miles of anadromous streams. The Tustumena
> watershed supports several fish species including all Pacific salmon
> species (sockeye, Coho, chum, pink and king salmon), steelhead, and
> Dolly Varden. Indian Creek supports two species of importance to the
> local fishery; these include sockeye and coho salmon. There are eleven
> anadromous streams contributing to the aquatic ecosystem of Tustumena
> Lake. All of the anadromous streams support populations of sockeye
> salmon and six streams have documented coho salmon. This large
> interconnected aquatic ecosystem provides an abundance of habitat for
> fish communities to persist through isolated natural disturbances.

B.  **Reconnaissance Methods**

> An aerial reconnaissance and photographs were taken by Refuge staff
> from a Cessna aircraft on June 16, 2005. Photographs provided an
> overview of the burned area and a visual perspective of this remote
> river channel and watershed. A two day field trip was conducted on
> July 12-13, 2005 to observe burn severity, vegetation loss, vegetation
> recruitment, erosion potential, fisheries impacts, and watershed
> characteristics. Past, present and potential hazards were identified
> and discussed. Observations were primarily visual and assessments are
> based on these visual observations.

## C. Reconnaissance Observations

> **[Soil Burn Severity and Watershed Response]{.underline}**
>
> Though the Glacier creek fire only burned 1350 acres of the 47,620
> acre watershed (less than 3% of the watershed) the burn was continuous
> with very few pockets of vegetation remaining. On-site field visits
> revealed that the original BARC imagery underestimated burn severity
> on the Glacier Creek Fire, potentially due to the large numbers of
> standing dead spruce present before the fire. A detailed burn severity
> map will be provided to the refuge by that assessment team once those
> data are analyzed. Overall, the burned area was dominated by the
> "moderate" to "high" classes of soil burn severity, with small amounts
> of "moderate to low" and "low" soil burn severity. The most prominent
> areas of moderate and high severity are located in the area of
> concern, the narrow steep portion of the Indian Creek drainage, one to
> two miles upstream from the cabins at the mouth of the creek.
>
> **[Erosion Potential]{.underline}**
>
> Evidence of erosion (rills, pockets of sediment deposition within tree
> roots) was common. This fire occurred in 2004 and natural
> re-vegetation was limited or non-existent over most of the burned area
> observed in July of 2005. Given the severity of the burn the steepness
> of the slopes and the extremely low observed re-vegetation of the area
> erosion will continue over the next several years. Surface erosion
> will decrease as re-vegetation occurs. The affects on Indian Creek
> water quality due to sedimentation from erosion will be minimal. Only
> 3% of the basin burned and the floodplain below a large portion of
> what did burn will act as an effective buffer to the stream.
>
> **[Debris Flows]{.underline}**
>
> Evidence of pre and post fire debris flows was observed. Though the
> loss of surface vegetation and organic layer may increase the
> frequency and possibly the magnitude of this type of event, the
> conditions for debris flows are pre-existing. Within the small portion
> of the watershed that burned, there are only a few locations that
> posses the hillslope characteristics for a debris flow to occur.
>
> Landslides or erosion on steep "scree" slopes is also a pre-existing
> condition that will continue regardless of the fire.

**IV. Values at Risk**

> **[Human Life or Property]{.underline}**
>
> Increased risk to human life or property as a result of the Glacier
> Creek Fire within the Indian Creek drainage is minimal. With only 3%
> of the watershed burning no increase in flood potential is expected
> with the exception of flood events related to debris flows or
> avalanches that temporarily block the stream channel. These types of
> events occurred prior to the fire and are not expected to create any
> significant additional hazard.
>
> Public use of the area is limited due to the high gradient, milky
> waters, remote location and limited recreational fishing opportunities
> within Indian Creek. No public facilities exist within the flood
> plain.
>
> The private cabin located at the mouth of Indian Creek is within the
> natural flood plain of Indian Creek and will continue to experience
> occasional flooding. No significant additional impact is expected as a
> result of the Glacier Creek Fire.
>
> **[Historic Cabins at Mouth of Indian Creek]{.underline}**
>
> The Andrew Berg Home Cabin sits on the north shore, near the eastern
> end of Tustumena Lake. The cabin is not within the current flood plain
> of Indian Creek and additional risk to the cabin as a result of the
> fire is minimal.
>
> **[Fisheries and Other Natural Resources]{.underline}**
>
> Fire related effects on fish communities may be categorized as direct
> and indirect. Examples of direct effects include temporary isolation
> of tributaries from fire debris, or changes to water quality resulting
> in fish mortality. Indirect effects involve fire-induced changes to
> the physical environment which affect the fishery. Examples of
> indirect effects include removal of vegetation within the watershed
> resulting in soil erosion, and bank instability (Dunham et. al.,
> 2003). The length of stream which may be directly affected by the burn
> was 1.7 miles. The fire burned closest to the stream where the channel
> was contained by steep banks, an additional 0.9 miles of stream lies
> below the burn area. Direct effects of the Glacier Creek fire on the
> Indian Creek fishery were not observed. No stream blockage was
> observed. It is likely any fire related debris or sediment delivered
> to the stream was carried downstream to Tustumena Lake.

## 

## Coho spawn approximately 0.75 miles downstream from the burn, near the confluence with Tustumena Lake. It is in the lower reach were developing coho may experience a decrease in survival from sediment delivery. As the stream slows in the lower reach, sediments may fall from the turbulent flow to the stream substrate. Periodic flooding or high water may clean the substrate of these sediments. Landslides are a common disturbance on this stream. It is apparent from recent and historic aerial photography the lower reaches of Indian Creek are prone to large landslides. Though the lower channel has historically received sediments from upstream landslides, the burn may increase these. The increased sediments may temporarily reduce the local survival of coho in the lower reach as landslide events occur. As this population of coho has obviously remained through previous large landslide events, it is unlikely the indirect effects of the fire will have a lasting negative impact. As a whole these local effects will have little impact on the Indian Creek fishery.

> **[Emma Lake Trail]{.underline}**
>
> Within the burn area the Emma Lake Trail is generally not
> recognizable. Once the trail is re-established hazards to be cognizant
> of include: areas of potential blow down, erosion control along steep
> sections of trail.

## IV. RECOMMENDATIONS

###### Emergency Stabilization 

###### No emergency stabilization efforts are recommended to reduce erosion or stabilize hill slopes.

> **B. Management Recommendations**
>
> The inner gorge of Indian Creek at this point is very steep and
> narrow, and may be more prone to slope failures and debris flows for
> several years following the fire. There are no practical treatments
> that would be effective in mitigating these processes, nor would it
> necessarily be desirable, given that these types of geomorphic
> processes naturally occur in this watershed.
>
> No action is recommended to address surface erosion in the Indian
> Creek drainage. Again it should be noted the Indian Creek is a narrow
> steep canyon with many slopes that were void of vegetation prior to
> the burn, only 3% of the watershed burned and that erosion and
> sedimentation into Indian Creek is a pre-exiting condition.
>
> The impacts to fisheries resources will be short-term and relatively
> small, and have little impact to the Indian Creek fishery as a whole.
> Additionally, these effects are not expected to be outside the natural
> range in variability for these ecosystems.
>
> The Glacier Creek fire burned in a combination of gentle to moderate
> footslopes to steep middle and upper slopes. The soils along the
> Glacier Creek floodplain are glacial outwash deposits of sand, silt,
> and gravel, and constantly shift as waters remove and deposit bedloads
> during high flows. It is unlikely there will be any significant impact
> to water quality or fisheries in the sediment-driven system of Glacier
> Creek or Lake Tustamena into which Glacier Creek drains. A small
> portion of the steeply sloping area is classified as high soil burn
> severity and can be expected to show an increase in soil movement for
> at least several years following the fire. Since the sediment-driven
> outwash plain lies at the base of these slopes, this is not expected
> to significantly affect water quality in Glacier Creek or Lake
> Tustamena.
>
> The Emma lake trail was destroyed during this fire and it is
> recommended that when this trail is re-established it is routed away
> from steep slopes and gullies, attention is paid to areas of potential
> blow-down and proper erosion control structure s are installed.

## CONSULTATIONS

## 

## Randy Mckinley, Senior Scientis, USGS EROS Data Center (605) 594-2745

Karen Murphy, Regional Fire Ecologist, National Wildlife Refuge System
907-786-3501

Doug Newbould, Kenai Refuge Fire Management Officer 907-260-5994

## 

## REFERENCES

Dunham, J.B., M.K. Young, R.E. Gresswell, and B.E. Rieman. 2003. Effect
of Fire on Fish Populations: Landscape Perspectives on Persistence of
Native Fishes and Nonnative Invasions. Forest Ecology and Management
178:183-196.

Johnson, J., E. Weiss, and S. Maclean. 2004. Catalog of waters important
for spawning, rearing, or migration of anadromous fishes -- Southcentral
Region, effective January 15, 2005. Alaska Department of Fish and Game,
Special Publication No. 04-05.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1985. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
comprehensive conservation plan, environmental impact statement,
wilderness review. Anchorage, AK

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="6.49375in" height="6.111805555555556in"}

Figure 1. Outline of the Glacier Creek Fire with the burned portion of
the Indian Creek watershed highlighted.

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="6.0in" height="8.603472222222223in"}

Figure 2. Indian Creek watershed, lower section of burned area.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="6.0in" height="8.495833333333334in"}

Figure 3. Indian Creek watershed, middle section of burn area.

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="5.877083333333333in"
height="3.9180555555555556in"}

Figure 4. Indian Creek watershed, upper section of burned area.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="5.875in" height="4.071527777777778in"}

Figure 5. Indian Creek watershed, looking upstream from \"Emma Lake
Trail\".

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="5.629861111111111in"
height="4.211805555555555in"}

Figure 6. Note burn of organic layer, root system and surface erosion.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="5.629861111111111in"
height="4.093055555555556in"}

Figure 7. Post fire debris flow and non-fire related scarring and scree
slopes on opposite bank.

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="5.629861111111111in"
height="4.114583333333333in"}

Figure 8. Post fire debris flow, evidence of previous flows were
observed on this slope.

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="5.629861111111111in"
height="4.233333333333333in"}

Figure 9. Channel at outlet of debris flow.

![](media/image10.jpeg){width="6.5in" height="4.333333333333333in"}

Figure 10. Channel below burn area.