Meeting Minutes – TWG Meeting March 20, 2003

 In Attendance –

Sandra Thiel, IDWR
Genna Ashley-Poulson, IDWR
Rick Patten, Idaho Panhandle National Forest
Greg Tensmeyer, Idaho Panhandle National Forest
Leigh Bailey, Payette National Forest
Al Rea, USGS
Roger Hirschman, NRCS
Ervin Cowley, BLM

Via Phone Conference –

 No Attendees

 The meeting began at approximately 10:00 a.m., MST

NEWS TO REPORT

Per phone call from Duane Anderson, he is coordinating Montana watersheds and has linework from Kootenai and Flathead/Lolo National Forests.  He will be the Montana contact for Idaho.

Utah has sent final linework in for certification.  Idaho has a copy of the final coverage and will coordinate with Karen Hanson, USGS if changes are proposed for the Idaho portion of the hucs.  Watershed delineation training will take place for BLM employees at the Idaho State BLM Office on March 31.  Erv Cowley, Linda Davis and Genna Ashley will instruct.

An interim TWG review meeting will be scheduled for the Bear Lake hucs 16010202 and 16010201.  The meeting will be held on May 2^nd at 10:00 a.m. at the USGS office in Boise.  Contact Al Rea, USGS for Net Connection information.

E-mail was sent to Kenny Legleiter asking if any additional changes would be made to the “Federal Standards for Delineation of Hydrologic Unit Boundaries” manual.  Kenny’s reply was yes; changes would be made based on input from users, probably sometime in April.

 E-mail was received from Kathleen Ronning-Schimetz, an independent contractor for hydrologic unit delineation in North Dakota.  She is charging $6500 per huc for delineation work.

IDWR received a request from Toro Otawa, University of Idaho, for watershed data of the Hangman Creek huc to be used in a class next semester.  Data was sent with a cc to Frank Roberts (Coeur d’Alene tribe) requesting any updated 5^th/6^th field linework they might be able to provide prior to a review meeting.  Gerald Green is the biologist working with Frank Roberts and has interest in the delineation of this huc.  He will contact Toro Otawa for a possible collaborative effort.

HUC REVIEW

Rick Patten began the Idaho Panhandle National Forest review by giving a general overview of the IPNF areas that were delineated.  He noted that the Rathdrum Prairie area had not been delineated because IPNF did not have any interest in this area.  Rick stated that he had not yet had any response from the Department of Lands or DEQ and had not delineated this area.

Huc 17010305 – Upper Spokane - This huc has not been completely delineated.  The group identified some 5th fields, and Rick will check with Washington REO to see if delineations have already been made.  Rick will also contact Dick Jones for any suggestions he may have regarding coordination with the Washington contacts.  Greg Tensmeyer made some notes to capture the Rathdrum Prairie watershed where it drains into the Spokane River and look at the size criteria and compare it to any Washington data.  Genna Ashley will download the latest REO watershed data and forward it to Idaho Panhandle National Forest for coordination.  This huc will be delineated and Rick will bring this huc back for another review via NetMeeting.

Huc 17010301 Upper Coeur d’Alene – The 5^th fields were reviewed and OK’d by the group.  The 6^th fields were reviewed and the following notes were documented:  the 6^th field huc 170103010102 will be broken out into additional 6^th’s.  Falls Creek 6^th’s will be combined.  The 6^th field Prichard Creek will need to be combined with Prichard Creek above Eagle Creek.  The Lower North Ford Coeur d’Alene River below Prichard Creek will be broken at the mouth of Steamboat or somewhere close to meet criteria.  Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River above Cabin Creek and Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River below Cabin Creek will be broken out.  This huc will be brought back for a continuing review in the future.

Huc 17010302 South Fork Coeur d’Alene – The 5^th fields were reviewed.  Big Creek will be lumped into the South Fork Coeur d’Alene 5^th field.  The 6^th fields were reviewed.  Lower Pine Creek will be lumped with Pine Creek above East Fork Pine Creek.  South Fork Coeur d’Alene will be split into additional 6^th fields.  Canyon Creek will be combined with Ninemile Creek.  Place Creek is OK.

Huc 17010303 Coeur d’Alene Lake – The 5^th fields were reviewed.  Latour Creek will be combined with Upper Main Coeur d’Alene River and Coeur d’Alene Lake will be combined with Wolf Lodge Bay.  The 6^th fields were reviewed and it was decided to break out Alder Creek.  Rick stated that some additional 6^th field hucs could be created from huc 170103030301 (Lower Coeur d’Alene River) because it consisted of many, many small lakes.  Concept lines will be delineated for these areas.  There was much discussion regarding the division of natural lakes.  It was determined that IF the lake is large enough to be it’s own 5^th or 6^th, depending on size criteria, it should be treated as a separate huc, and if the remnant pieces fit with the size criteria, they will be included also.  If not, they will be considered “remnant”, per the standards, section 4.9.  

Huc 17010214 Pend Oreille Lake – The 5^th fields were reviewed.  Rick will check the area where the lake ends for the 5^th field, and decide whether or not to cross the lake.  There was much discussion regarding the numbering sequence.  It was determined that IF a huc could not be hydrologically defined and further sub-divided; it would be coded as 00.  The 6^th fields were reviewed.  Rick will make a decision on Hoodoo Creek, whether or not to cross the river.  Sand Creek will break out as an additional 6^th field and Pack River Above Sandy Creek will be broken out.

Huc 17010213 Lower Clark Fork – The 5^th fields were reviewed on this huc.  It was determined that Blue Creek will be grouped with Lower Clark Fork below Cabinet Gorge.  Several 6^th fields will also be broken out.  This huc was postponed until further delineation work can be completed. 

Huc 17010104 Lower Kootenai – It was noted that the 4^th code northern boundary didn’t match, but the Idaho Panhandle Forest line was the correct line for this huc, instead of stopping at the US/Canada border.  The 5^th fields were reviewed.  Mission Creek will be a 6^th field and become part of the Lower Kootenai 5^th.  Kootenai River above Bonners Ferry will be split and 6^th fields created.  The 6^th field hucs were reviewed.  Kootenai Valley (107,000 acres) will be split into smaller 6^th fields.  Caribou Creek and Ruby Creek will be combined with Deep Creek below Brown Creek.  East Fork Boulder Creek will be included with Boulder Creek below Middle Fork Boulder Creek.

Huc 17010105 Moyie – The 5^th fields were reviewed.  One 5^th field borders Canada and it was determined to use the Canadian watersheds if the data was available.  Hawkins Creek will become a 5^th field and Kanuk Creek, and American Creek will become nested 6^th’s.   Moyie River above Placer Creek will also become a 5^th.  No 6^th field hucs have been delineated for the Moyie River above Placer Creek huc – Rick will delineate concept lines for this area into Canada.

Huc 17010215 Priest – The 5^th fields were reviewed.  It was determined that the lake is it’s own 6^th field huc at approximately 23,300 acres and would include any remnant pieces with the same 6^th field number.  Rick will break out as many 6^th field hucs as possible around the lake and then delineate the lake and remnant sections as a 6^th.  The Lower East River will be combined with the Middle Fork East River huc.

Huc 17010304 St. Joe – Several large 5^th and 6^th field hucs were identified.  Rick will work on splitting the 5^th/6^th fields and this huc will be reviewed again in the future.

MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION

Al Rea stated that there is a toolset available for download, “ArcHydro”.  He stated that USGS has used this with good results.  Genna Ashley will download these tools from the ESRI website. 

Genna Ashley will make available the large watershed contact list in Excel format for anyone who would like a copy. 

The Watershed portion of the I-Plan was sent out for comment to all TWG members on March 19.

An interim meeting date was scheduled for review of the Bear hucs 16010201 and 16010202.  The date will be May 2^nd at 10:00 at the USGS office in Boise.  Additional information will follow as it becomes available.

Leigh Bailey requested to be on the May agenda for the Weiser huc.

ACTION ITEMS:

Rick Patten will work on the identified changes for the above-mentioned watersheds.  He will schedule a continuing review meeting in the future, late spring/early summer when all changes have been implemented.

Genna Ashley will download and send Rick Patten the latest REO watershed linework for coordination and the linework from Duane Anderson in Montana.

Genna Ashley will download the ArcHydro Toolset that is available from the ESRI website.

NEXT SCHEDULED TWG MEETING (S):

 April 24^th at 10:00 a.m. MST – The following hucs are scheduled to be reviewed:

17040218 - Big Lost: Continuing review with Betsy Rieffenberger, Salmon-Challis NF
17060206 - Lower Middle Fork Salmon River:  Continuing review with Betsy Rieffenberger
17050123 – North Fork Payette River:  First review with Leigh Bailey, Payette NF
17050120 – South Fork Payette:  Final review with T.J. Clifford, Boise NF
17060205 - Upper Middle Fork Salmon River:  First Review with T.J. Clifford (Data Steward), Betsy Rieffenberger (SCNF), and Leigh Bailey (Payette NF)
17050113 – South Fork Boise River:  Continuing review with T.J. Clifford and Valdon Hancock
17050111 – North and Middle Forks Boise River:  Final review with T.J. Clifford and Valdon Hancock
17050103 – Middle Snake-Succor:  Continuing review with Erv Cowley, BLM
17050108 - Jordan:  Continuing review with Erv Cowley, BLM

***Subject to change before meeting

 May 2^nd at 10:00 a.m. MST USGS Office, Boise, ID – Interim Review of the Bear hucs, 16010201 and 16010202.

 The meeting concluded at approximately 3:30 p.m., MST.