The Effects of Wildfires on Aquatic Species Persistence in Southern California

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Milton McCormick
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1 The Effects of Wildfires on Aquatic Species Persistence in Southern California Adam R. Backlin 1, Elizabeth A. Gallegos 1, and Robert N. Fisher 1 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station, CA U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey

2 USGS San Diego Field Station Conservation at a landscape level * Multi taxa approach Carnivores Small mammals Bats Invertebrates Birds Reptiles Amphibians Freshwater fish

3 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Urbanization * Habitat fragmentation * Invasive species * Air and water pollution * Disease * Natural disasters

4 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Urbanization Bonita Canyon Reservoir Intersection MacArthur & Ford Rd.

5 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Habitat fragmentation

6 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Invasive species

7 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Air and water pollution

8 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Disease

9 Southern CA Issues Many species in southern California are declining for multiple reasons * Natural disasters

Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego It is a year of disasters, wide-spread

10 Wildfires Are wildfires in southern California a natural process? During the past three or four days destructive fires have been raging in San Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego It is a year of disasters, wide-spread destruction of life and property and, well, a year of horrors. - The Daily Courier, San Bernardino 27 September 1889

last 130 yrs 8 megafires, 4 occurring in the last 7

11 Wildfires Increase in fire frequency * Megafires (>50,000 ha) Followed by long, severe droughts In the last 130 yrs 8 megafires, 4 occurring in the last 7 years (Keeley & Zedler 2009) * Urbanization Arson, power line ignitions

12 Wildfires What are the physical processes impacting stream systems following wildfires? Chronological Timeline * During the fire * Following the fire * Following the rain

13 During the Fire Chronological Timeline * During the fire Vegetation is burned, creating smoke and ash Rapid water and air temperature fluctuations LEAST impact on aquatic species

Following the Fire Chronological Timeline * Following the fire Ash deposits in stream systems Alters the water chemistry Water temperature fluctuations

14 Following the Fire Chronological Timeline * Following the fire Ash deposits in stream systems Alters the water chemistry Water temperature fluctuations Loss of canopy Unstable soils Dry ravel Increasing sediment load in streams ** Collaborating with other USGS researchers to further investigate these processes

sites across Station Fire Immediately post-burn & after first flush Installed &

15 Following the Fire USGS, California Water Science Center Carmen Burton, John Izbicki, Eric Reichard, Jim Bowers, Bruce Hill * Water Quality Sampling Sampled sites across Station Fire Immediately post-burn & after first flush Installed & monitored multi-parameter probes at sample sites Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and ph

16 Following the Fire USGS, Columbia Environmental Research Center Diana Papoulias, Robin Calfee, Ed Little, Carl Orazio * Toxicology & Pathology Fish & amphibians Sampled burned and unburned watersheds Sampled sites for ammonia

Imaging Spectrometer Leachate study Understanding

17 Following the Fire USGS, Spectroscopy Lab Todd Hoefen, Geoffrey Plumlee * Map Surface Cover - Imaging Spectrometer Leachate study Understanding the interactions of ash and burned soil with rainfall

18 Following the Fire Unstable Soils/Slopes * Model of sediment release by dry ravel post-burn, without any precipitation Cone formation in the channel and base of slope is typical from this process Florsheim, Keller, and Best, 1991

19 Following the Fire Dry Ravel Santiago Fire 2007

20 Following Rain Chronological Timeline * Following the first rain event Flooding Sedimentation Debris flows ** Collaborating with other USGS researchers to further investigate these issues

severity parameters Property & life protection Estimate increased

21 Following Rain USGS, Landslide Hazards Program Sue Cannon * Landslide Hazards Develop models based on geology, slope, and burn severity parameters Property & life protection Estimate increased debris flow/flood risk due to altered run-off characteristics in burned basins

22 Following Rain Flooding, Sedimentation, & Debris Flows * Loss of vegetative structure on slopes unstable soils Damage dependent on rain 1) Amount & duration 2) The slope of the surrounding hillside 3) Geology of the area 4) Burn severity

23 Following Rain Example of unstable slopes * Post-fire erosion is clearly visible within circle * Debris flow December 2004 (View of Flores Peak from Harding Road) December 2007

24 Following Rain Debris Flow Old Fire 2003

Objectives Assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic

Water quality Reduction in vegetation structure

Disease * Understand the immediate post-fire impacts

25 Objectives Assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity * Fire impacts that can cause declines Water quality Reduction in vegetation structure Stream morphology alteration Habitat type conversion Disease * Understand the immediate post-fire impacts on T & E species * Assess long-term recovery of these species

26 The goal of this research is to assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity Questions: * What is the sensitivity of native species to wildfire and post wildfire processes? * What are the mechanisms that negatively impact these species? * Can these T & E species recover from these events on their own or is active management required?

27 Southern California riparian sensitive and T & E species * Potentially impacted by ash, sediment, and debris flows Fish Santa Ana sucker Santa Ana speckled dace Arroyo chub Unarmored threespine stickleback Southern steelhead resident rainbow trout Amphibians Coast range newt Arroyo toad California red-legged frog Sierra Madre yellow-legged frog California red-legged frog Turtle Western pond turtle Snake Two-striped garter snake

Southern steelhead resident rainbow trout Amphibians Coast range newt Arroyo toad California red-legged

28 Southern California riparian sensitive and T & E species * Potentially impacted by ash, sediment, and debris flows Fish Santa Ana sucker Santa Ana speckled dace Arroyo chub Unarmored threespine stickleback Southern steelhead resident rainbow trout Amphibians Coast range newt Arroyo toad California red-legged frog Sierra Madre yellow-legged frog California red-legged frog Turtle Western pond turtle Snake Two-striped garter snake

29 Fish * Trout Santiago Fire (2007) Last remaining population of native trout in Orange County (Girman & Garza 2006) Have not been detected since December 2007 June 2007 November 2007 December 2007

30 Fish * Trout Santiago Fire (2007) Last remaining population of native trout in Orange County (Girman & Garza 2006) Have not been detected since December 2007 June 2007 November 2007 December 2007

31 Fish * Trout Santiago Fire (2007) Last remaining population of native trout in Orange County (Girman & Garza 2006) Have not been detected since December 2007 June 2007 November 2007 December 2007

Fish * Trout Station Fire (2009) Pacoima

Creek after fires but before debris flows

32 Fish * Trout Station Fire (2009) Pacoima Arroyo Seco Big Tujunga (LA River) South Fork Little Rock Creek September 2009 October 2009 February 2010 Arroyo Seco Creek after fires but before debris flows and flooding. Arroyo Seco Creek after fire with sedimentation resulting from the first rain event. Arroyo Seco Creek after fires and debris flows.

33 Fish * Stickleback Cottonwood Fire (2009) Documented some immediate mortality following fire

34 Fish * Stickleback Station Fire (2009) Population of CA State and Federally Endangered unarmored threespine stickleback downstream of Station Fire

35 Fish * Santa Ana Sucker, Arroyo Chub, and Speckled Dace Surveys completed pre-post rain Species remains present Speckled Dace Santa Ana Sucker Arroyo Chub

36 Western Pond Turtle * Big Tujunga (LA River) Trapped post-fire Post-rains Sedimentation, no pooling habitat * Pacoima Turtles documented in few pools post-fire Post-rains Sedimentation, no pooling habitat

37 California Red-legged Frog Only 2 remaining populations south of Ventura County Historically occupied Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties

38 California Red-legged Frog * San Francisquito Canyon - Copper Fire (2002) Debris flows Few frogs detected Before After

39 California Red-legged Frog * San Francisquito Canyon - Copper Fire (2002) Artificial pools created Breeding documented 2010 habitat reestablishing, population is rebounding

California Red-legged Frog * Aliso Canyon

40 California Red-legged Frog * Aliso Canyon - Station Fire (2009) Frogs documented post-fire Post-rains Sedimentation, no pooling habitat Few frogs observed Artificial pools constructed (Forest Service) Egg masses & tadpoles observed No metamorphs observed

41 California Red-legged Frog * Aliso Canyon Station Fire (2009) Artificial Pools

42 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog Mountain yellow-legged frog Most endangered vertebrate in southern California Less than 200 adults remain in wild All remaining 9 populations are isolated from each other Aquatic frog

43 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * City Creek - Old Fire (2003) Before After

City Creek after fire and debris flow but before Note the lack

44 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * City Creek - Old Fire (2003) City Creek before fires, debris flows, and flooding. Note the riparian vegetation, alder tree canopy, and plunge pools. City Creek after fire and debris flow but before flooding. Note the lack of riparian vegetation and the sediment filling in the plunge pools. City Creek after fires, debris flows, and flooding. Note the lack of riparian vegetation and the sediment has been flushed out by record rainfall and plunge pools forming in the bedrock.

45 Adult Frogs Aquatic Species Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * City Creek - Old Fire (2003) City Creek Old Fire

tadpoles from burned canyon Coordinated with Forest

46 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009) Entire watershed burned Salvaged 106 tadpoles from burned canyon Coordinated with Forest Service and BAER Team Permitted by US Fish and Wildlife Service & CDFG

47 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009)

48 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009)

49 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009)

50 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009) Fresno Chaffee Zoo

51 Sierra Madre Yellow-legged Frog * Devils Canyon Station Fire (2009) Plans to release frogs in Spring 2011 Keep a subset to use for captive breeding

52 The goal of this research is to assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity Questions: * What is the sensitivity of native species to wildfire and post wildfire processes? * What are the mechanisms that negatively impact these species? * Can these T & E species recover from these events on their own or is active management required?

53 The goal of this research is to assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity Questions: * What is the sensitivity of native species to wildfire and post wildfire processes? Trout & stickleback had immediate die offs Not as much with the other fish species Frogs had declines and extirpations sedimentation events Invasive species often not adapted to fires

54 The goal of this research is to assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity Questions: * What are the mechanisms that negatively impact these species? Understanding why species are affected in different ways Water quality, ash particulates, etc? Collaborations

from these events on their own or is active management required?

55 The goal of this research is to assess the impacts of wildfires on aquatic biodiversity Questions: * Can these T & E species recover from these events on their own or is active management required? As species become more rare and isolated, they can not reestablish on their own.

56 Acknowledgements

WATERSHED. Maitland Valley. Report Card 201

WATERSHED. Maitland Valley. Report Card 201 Maitland Valley WATERSHED Report Card 201 The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority has prepared this report card as a summary on the state of our forests, wetlands, surface water, and ground water resources.