Biological Effects Analysis Report
About This Report
 King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks contracted with Aquatic Resource Consultants of Seattle, Washington to prepare a Biological Effects Analysis to determine the potential effects of the King County River Management Program on endangered, threatened, and candidate salmonids. This analysis of King County's River Management Program was initiated during the summer of 2000, a little more than a year after the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed wild populations of Puget Sound chinook salmon, and Coastal Puget Sound populations of bull trout, as threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on the results of this analysis, the County could decide if any elements of the River Management Program might require modification to come into compliance with ESA.
For purposes of this biological effects analysis, the study area was limited to the portions of the mainstem rivers within each of the six major watershed in King County where the King County River Management Program facilities are located. The goal of this report has been to summarize the key elements of the King County River Management Program; provide a broad description of King County's mainstem river habitats and their sensitive salmonid resources; and determine the probable impacts of the King County River Management Program on those salmonid resources. The target audience for this report is staff of King County, various cities, and state and federal natural resources and regulatory agencies.
Research studies on salmonid ecology and the impacts of urbanization on habitat processes, as well as inventories of watershed and river-reach habitat quality have increased dramatically since the Puget Sound ESA salmonid listings.
More information available on-line:
Tri-County Salmon Information Center
King County Watershed Planning for Salmon Habitat
Files Available for Download:
(In PDF format...please use Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or greater to open these). Get free Acrobat Reader.
| File |
Description |
Size |
| Main Report Text |
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| Front Matter |
Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures
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52 KB |
Chapter 1
Introduction |
Describes the origin and functions of the River Management Program (RMP), as outlined in the 1993 King County Flood Hazard Reduction Plan (FHRP). This chapter lists the distinct FHRP Program Elements that together make up the River Management Program; describes the approach proposed to obtain ESA coverage for Program activities; and identifies some key questions central to this biological effects analysis.
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878 KB |
Chapter 2
Affected Fishes
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Presents generalized life history summaries for chinook salmon, coho salmon, and bull trout stocks represented in King County rivers and describes the distribution of individual stocks among the various river systems.
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132 KB |
Chapter 3
Management Zone Habitat Evaluation: Existing Conditions
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Initially presents an overall description of each river system with notes on fish utilization. This is followed by an assessment of the existing state of environmental pathways and indicators important to the survival and recovery of ESA-listed and candidate fish species. |
150 KB |
Chapter 4
Management Zone Habitat Evaluation: Biological Effects of Programmatic Actions |
Presents a biological effects analysis, again using environmental pathways and indicators, for those elements of the Flood Hazard Reduction Plan and the River Management Program likely to affect salmonid habitat and populations of concern within King County’s rivers. |
94 KB |
Chapter 5
Key Findings |
Summarizes the most important findings derived from the biological effects analysis of the River Management Program and the Program’s contribution to species recovery. |
37 KB |
| References |
A list of all references used in the report. Please see appendices also for addl. info. |
55 KB |
| Files |
Description |
File Size |
| Appendices |
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| A. |
King County Council Ordinance #11112 (11/15/93) |
4.58 MB |
| B. |
King County Council Motion #9167 (11/15/93) |
4.7 MB |
| C. |
Rivers Program: Programmatic Elements |
453 KB |
| D. |
Proposed Desimone Levee Repair, Engineering Drawings |
2.3 MB |
| E. |
Tri-County Model ESA Response Program: Regulation of Near-shore and Aquatic Development |
96 KB |
| F. |
Matrix of Pathways and Indicators (NMFS 1996) |
55 KB |
| Files |
Description |
File Size |
| Folio Maps |
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| Folio Map 1-1 |
King County Showing Rivers Facilities |
2.7 MB |
| Folio Map 4-1 |
South Fork Skykomish River and Major Tributaries: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
827 KB |
| Folio Map 4-2 |
Snoqualmie River: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
4.9 MB |
| Folio Map 4-3 |
Snoqualmie River: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
1.3 MB |
| Folio Map 4-4 |
Cedar River: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
5.2 MB |
| Folio Map 4-5 |
Green River Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
4 MB |
| Folio Map 4-6 |
Green and White River: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
2.2 MB |
| Folio Map 4-7 |
White River: Chinook Cluster Spawning and Upper Extent of Salmonid Distribution |
1.2 MB |
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