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The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (WSRA) establishes the national wild and scenic rivers (WSR) system; Section 7(a) of the WSRA directs the river-administering federal agency to evaluate the effects of a federally-assisted water resources project proposed within a WSR corridor on the river's free-flowing condition, water quality, and outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs). The WRSA prohibits activities that would interfere with the free-flowing condition of a WSR or degrade the values for which the wild and scenic designation was given. Rivers added to the national WSR system are given a classification: wild, scenic, or recreational, which are determined based on the level of development along the river at the time of designation.

 

The purpose of this analysis is to summarize the impacts of the Trinity River Watershed Restoration Project (Project), in accordance with Section 7(a) of the WSRA, on the mainstem Trinity River, South Fork Trinity River, North Fork Trinity River, and New River (collectively referred to as the Project WSRs in this document). Project activities and potential impacts would typically occur along roads and within areas designated as riparian reserves under the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP; USFS and BLM 1994) within the Trinity River basin, including the Project WSRs. The primary objectives of the Project are to enhance aquatic habitat conditions for native anadromous fish species (e.g., salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey) within the Trinity River watershed and to support the objectives of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS) of the NWFP, adopted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS).