(Last Updated December 2005)

MRC is committed to careful management of the sensitive areas adjacent to watercourses. Stream zone buffers on all of our watercourses provide stream shading to protect water temperature, provide for large trees for large woody debris recruitment to the watercourse, protect fish and wildlife values and act as sediment filter strips. MRC divides its watercourses into four distinct watercourse classes (please see additional information below) based on whether they are fish-bearing and size of the watershed.

MRC provides protections such as no-harvest buffers, additional buffers with canopy retention requirements, as well as equipment limitation zones. For instance, a class I watercourse receives 190 foot buffer, with the first 100 foot band being a no-harvest buffer and the last 90 foot band requiring retention of at least 50% of the overstory canopy. A large class II watercourse receives a 190 foot buffer, with the first 75 foot band being a no-harvest buffer and the last 115 foot band requiring retention of at least 50% of the overstory canopy. Additional protections are applied around small class II and class III watercourses.

Currently MRC is conducting technical discussions with the National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Game and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a long-term sustainable forest management plan that may involve changes to the above policy.

Watercourse Classification Criteria

(Last Updated October 2005)

Water Class: Water Class Characteristics or Key Indicator Beneficial Use

Class I:

1. Domestic supplies, including springs, on site and/or within 100 feet downstream of the operations area and/or
2. Fish always or seasonally present onsite, includes habitat to sustain fish migration and spawning.

Large Class II:

1. Watershed is > 100 acres in size.
2. Aquatic habitat for nonfish aquatic species.
3. Excludes Class III waters that are tributary to Class I waters.

Small Class II:

1. Watershed is < 100 acres in size.
2. Aquatic habitat for nonfish aquatic species.
3. Excludes Class III waters that are tributary to Class I waters.

Class III:

No aquatic life present, watercourse showing evidence of being capable of sediment transport to Class I and II waters under normal high water flow conditions after completion of timber operations.

Class IV:

Man-made watercourses, usually downstream, established domestic, agricultural, hydroelectric supply or other beneficial use.