Shade Rule keeps it cool

BONNERS FERRY — Water temperature directly and indirectly affects many aspects of stream ecology, and consequently, the removal of trees along a river can have devastating effects, allowing the sun to directly warm the water.

Many aspects can be affected by temperature, like the amount of oxygen that is dissolved in the water. Some fish, including trout, need high oxygen content. Cold water is better able to produce this type of environment. Also, the metabolism of fish is raised in warmer water, causing them to increase their food intake. The temperature also directly affects spawning of native species.

To address this concern, in 2014, a revised Class 1 Tree Retention rule, also known as the “Shade Rule,” was approved by the Idaho Legislature, after more than 10 years of study by The Idaho Forest Practices Act Advisory Committee (FPAAC), who worked with multiple partners to create the rule. The Shade Rule deals with harvesting of trees alongside and near Class I streams, which are streams with fish in them.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Idaho Department of Lands (DOL) are teaming up for a joint study, along with the University of Idaho, implementing and studying the effects of the Shade Rule while harvesting near Twenty Mile Creek. They hope to determine if the rule minimums will produce the desired results.

“We are harvesting to the rule minimums and DEQ is taking before and after measurements to see how much impact it has on shade over a stream course,” said Idaho Department of Lands Forester Jonathan Luhnow, who has been working on the project for two years.

The Shade Rule requires that a 75 foot wide tree buffer be left, known as the Stream Protection Zone. It offers two options for landowners, so they may choose what best fits their needs. The 60-30 Option requires that more trees be left in the inner 25 feet, while the 60-10 Option leaves more trees in the inner 50 feet.

The numbers, 60-30 and 60-10, are based on a point system, calculated by the amount of trees as well as other factors.

“It is hard to describe the number. It is kind of a voodoo number almost. It is a combination of basal areas, heights of trees, and numbers of trees,” explained Private Forest Specialist Jim Kibler of the Kootenai Valley Forest protection District.

In simple math, a tree with a larger diameter will score higher on the scale, while smaller trees are worth less points. This enables the landowner to decide whether to leave a few larger trees or many smaller ones in order to reach their goal and stay within the rule.

For the Twenty Mile Creek project, they chose to go with Option 2, leaving a denser amount of trees in the inner 50 feet, while being able to thin more in the outer 25 feet.

On July 26, members of several agencies met for a tour of the Twenty Mile Creek project. They gathered together and carpooled in to the project site which was currently being logged by Everhart Logging. The tour was led by Luhnow, and he talked to the group, handed out informational sheets, and answered questions.

Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative (KVRI) was one of the agencies following the Shade Rule study.

“The TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) subcommittee of KVRI uses citizen-based monitoring on the lower Kootenai and Moyie Rivers and Tributaries and therefore takes an interest in the results of this study,” said Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Administrative Director Rhonda Vogl.

Regional Habitat Wildlife Biologist for North Panhandle Fish and Game, Evan DeHammer, also attended the tour.

“Part of it is just for curiosity,” said DeHammer. “It’s part of my learning curve, having not been here for very long.”

DeHammer also stressed that it is also really important that Fish and Game is part of the management organizations and that they work together with everybody else, including the constituents at KVRI.

“Getting an understanding for projects that they have going on and how we can fit in, as far as whether we can offer advice, or learn techniques that they are doing,” he said. “That will give our recommendations, that we do with comment letters on timer sales and stuff, it will make it more applicable and more valuable that way. To me it is a lot of understanding about techniques and processes, as well as the people that are involved in it. That makes you a better teammate.”

As the tour continued, Luhnow explained that the Shade Rule study done by DEQ involved an 800 foot section of Twenty Mile Creek that is fitted with monitors that will record the sunlight hitting the water, that are adjusted for time of day, time of year, and latitude.

“We have the rule, based on a bunch of science and model runs,” said Luhnow. “The model said this. Let’s go out there and cut it according to the rule and measure it, and see what it actually is, see if those two numbers match. If they are close— great. If they are widely different, then we will have to reevaluate and go from there.”

Lands Program Specialist-Biologist Colton Finch for the Idaho Department of Lands was also part of the tour. Where most of the others stayed to the logging roads, Finch clambered over logs and debris, and navigated steep terrain to reach the creek itself. He came back, reporting on the healthy fish he saw in the water.

“Obviously it is nice to see,” said Finch about the fish. “When you are conducting an experiment especially, you want to see that there is contrast. Documenting the presence of fish, and a good water quality beforehand, then informs any changes you might have observed based on the experiment that you are running.”

“As the biologist for the Idaho Department of Lands I’m essentially an in house science consultant for anything we do related to biology,” said Finch. “Where our jurisdiction overlaps with the Department of Environmental Quality, for the sake of fish we like to have biology involved, because that is the ultimate driver of what is generating this stream Shade Study; why we have to follow certain rules in different watersheds.”

With many discussions, questions asked and answered, all the representatives of the agencies appeared happy with the tour and the opportunity to learn and contribute.

“I thought that it went pretty well,” said Luhnow at the end. “I thought there was good discussion and good input, from Jim and Colton and everyone there. They brought up some good points.”

Luhnow plans to do a follow up tour when the project is complete.