EIS Arapahoe & Roosevelt National Forest, Pawnee National Grassland

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Chapter 3- Affected Environment and Consequences ? Beneficial use of water in the form of water diversions from existing streams will not vary by alternative. Potential adverse effects of current and future uses will exist and increase with each water rights application. These effects are common to all alternatives. Cumulative Effects. Timber Management • Potential cumulative effects resulting from past, current and future timber management is based on the amount of timber and number of areas harvested and roads constructed. This results in increases of connected disturbed area. Reductions in connected disturbed area resulting from soil and water improvements can reduce the potential for adverse effects to watershed potential. Of all alternatives being analyzed, implementation of Altemative E has the highest risk of adverse cumulative effects to the water resource, followed by Alternatives A, G, D, C, B and F. The use of best management practices and WCP direction should reduce potential for adverse cumulative effects. Watershed potential should not meet tolerance levels. Range Management - Potential cumulative effects of livestock grazing include degraded riparian areas which will result in the loss of riparian vegetation, decreased channel stability, both of which affect water qualiry. A loss in the riparian vegetation could lead to lowering of the water table and change in riparian community. Existing grazing practices without a change in stocking levels or grazing systems could lead to adverse cumulative effects to watershed poten- tial. Potential adverse cumulative effects of implementation of Alternatives E, A, and G would be the highest. Alternatives B, C, D, and F reduce current livestock stocking levels, and have similar risk. Alternative F has the least potential of adverse cumulative effects. Implementation of State BMP's, Forest Plan standards and guidelines, and WCP practices will improve existing watershed conditions and will enable the Routt National Forest to meet State Water Quality Standards, thus be in compliance with Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Recreation - With increases in recreation users forestwide, potential impacts to streams, riparian vegetation and overall watershed potential could increase. With the implementation of the WCP, improved environmental awareness, and continuing efforts to improve existing recre- ational facilities on the Forest, cumulative effects to watershed potential should be reduced. Potential cumulative effects of recreation will not vary by altemative. Riparian settings receive protection under all altematives through the application of the forest- wide standards and the WCP handbook. The possibilities for damage to the riparian system is greater in those alternatives with more activities such as road building and timber harvesting. Nevertheless, identification of riparian areas during project planning and monitoring should prevent any widespread and long-term deterioration of riparian resources. Ski Areas - Potential cumulative effects of ski areas on watershed potential will not vary by altemative. The existing Steamboat Springs Ski Area and proposed Lake Catamount Ski Area, do and, will affect the watershed resource with implementation. Stream channels and riparian vegetation are altered permanently with these operations. Management in these situations emphasizes use of and monitoring of best management practices to achieve state standards. Diversions - Potential cumulative effects as a result of water put to beneficial use through diversions of surface water will depend on future water rights applicants. More applications for water diversions will strain existing stream systems further and potentially dewater streams entirely. This will affect the hydrologic function of watersheds, and would violate laws that the ? Forest must follow. The continuation, expansion and monitoring of the In-stream Flow (ISF) ; program should prevent this from happening. Rouft Nationa/ Forest • EIS (Water/Riparian/Wet/ands) 3-51