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ClemsonUniversi SEP 231991 IrtfflAf* United States Department of the Interior / National Park Service Volume IV Photographic Documentation Soleduck Revegetation Project Soleduck Valley Road Olympic National Park Washington CONTENTS APPENDIX A: RETAKING THE PROJECT PROJECT OVERVIEW 1 MONITORING PHOTOGRAPHS 16 PURPOSE AND NEED 1 REVEGETATION PROJECT SUMMARY 1 APPENDIX B: SOLEDUCK ROAD PAPER MILEPOST SYSTEM 9/30/88 20 THE PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD 3 CENTERLINE SERIES 3 PREPARERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS 28 The 1,000' Color Centerline Series 3 The 100' Centerline Series 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 29 Other Centerline Series 3 SOLEDUCK ROAD SLOPE PHOTOS 5 REVEGETATION TECHNIQUES 5 SOLEDUCK REVEGETATION CREWS 7 STUDY PLOTS PHOTOS 7 SOLEDUCK ROAD PLANTS 7 VISTA CLEARING PHOTOGRAPHS 7 SOLEDUCK ROAD SPECIAL TOPICS 7 METHODS 9 EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES 9 TECHNICAL PROBLEMS 9 RECORDING AND RELOCATING PHOTO POINTS 10 DATA SHEETS 10 LOGISTICS AND SCHEDULING 10 PHOTO STORAGE AND ORGANIZATION 12 ONGOING MONITORING 13 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ROAD PROJECTS 14 DATA RECORDING 15 ONGOING MONITORING 15 in PROJECT OVERVIEW PURPOSE AND NEED REVEGETATION PROJECT SUMMARY Between February 1987 and October 1988, about 12 miles of As part of the Soleduck road reconstruction, the National the Soleduck valley road, between U.S. Highway 101 and the ParkService requested and received funding from the Federal Sol Due Hot Springs Resort, were reconstructed under a Lands Highway Program (FLHP) for a revegetation program. FederalHighway Administration (FHWA) contractfundedby The starting point for the program was NPS management's the Federal Lands Highway program (FLHP). Because of wish to restore the reconstructed road slopes in a manner concern about impacts on the old growth forest stands that appropriate for a western park road through an old growth border nearly two-thirds of the alignment, the reconstructed forest. Rather than reproducing the wide grassy road road incorporates a number of unique or experimental shoulders typically found along interstate highways and features. Examples of these unique elements are wooden eastern parkways, management wanted to restore the visual retaining walls of an unusual design, intended to reduce character of the preconstruction road slopes. Because these clearingimpacts, and a large-scale, experimental revegetation slopes were originally covered with a variety of native effort intended to mitigate visual impacts and assist the shrubs, tree seedlings, ferns, herbs, and some grasses, a reestablishment of native forest vegetation. primary goal of the revegetation program was to assist the recovery of native forest species on the new cuts and fills. The Soleduck revegetation project was extensively Other goals were to control erosion and to protect local gene documented with photographs between spring 1986 and fall pools. 1988. These photographs cover every aspect of the project from initialreconnaissance toexperimentaltest plots to native The original revegetation program was developed in the plant propagation to actual planting. As part of the long-term summer of 1985 under the assumption that road construction documentation of the project, a series of centerline and slope would begin the following fall. The initial approach was photographs were selected to be retaken each year for the relatively simple. Most cuts and fills would be hydroseeded next five years and at less frequent intervals after that. for erosion control with a short-lived nurse crop. High visibility slopes would be planted with sword fern The majority of the photographic record is the work of the (Polystichum munitum), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), two individuals who served as project photographers. This western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and other native plants report summarizes the results of their efforts: the types of salvaged from the construction zone or transplanted directly photographs taken, methods and procedures used, proposed from nearby native communities. ongoing monitoring, and recommendations for photographic documentation of future park roads projects. Appendix A Delays, which pushed the start of construction back to contains directions forretakingthe project monitoringphotos. February 1987, gave the revegetation project additional planning and preparation time. Under the new schedule, it Photographic Documentation was possible to develop a comprehensive program which 5. Seedingapproximately 6 miles of ditch area with a mix included the following elements: of mat forming grasses to control erosion and prevent invasion of woody species close to the asphalt roadway. 1. Initial hydroseeding for erosion control on the majority of the steep cuts and fills. A short-lived nurse crop consisting of a sterile wheat hybrid (Agropyron x Triticum) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) was used in this first seeding. The intent of this approach, suggested by Park Botanist Edward Schreiner, was to control erosion with fast-establishing species that would not persist in the Soleduck environment. The nurse crop would hold the slopes until they were colonized by natives. 2. Mulching selected areas with locally collected duff, litter, and rotted wood which contained native seed, roots, and other propagules. 3. Planting the steepest, most highly visible cuts with over 42,000 native ferns, shrub tubelings, and tree seedlings in the fall of 1987 and the spring and fall of 1988. Seventy-five percent of these transplants were either salvaged from the construction zone or were propagated from seed or cuttings collected in the Soleduck drainage. The remainder were grown from certified seed collected in the same seed zone and elevation bands as the project area. 4. Reseeding the areas that had not been planted in the fall of 1988. The mix used for this seeding was basically the sterile wheat/annual ryegrass mix. Blue wildrye, a native grass grown from Soleduck seed by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS), was added to the mix in most areas (11 of 16 hydroseeder loads). Other natives were added to the mix in smaller amounts in selected areas. Photographic Documentation THE PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD CENTERLINE SERIES quite as well as the fall 1988 project photographs, they were taken under better lighting conditions and give a better Several series of slides were taken from regularly spaced picture of the changes on the road (see photos 4-5). points along the projected centerline of the new road. Their purpose was to capture the general character of the preconstruction views up the road. These slides would then The 100' Centerline Series be compared with views from the same points photographed during construction, immediately after revegetation, and in In spring 1986, at the same time the color slides were taken, succeeding years. the revegetation crew also did a series of black and white prints spaced about every 100 feet along the new centerline. The rationale for the black and white series was that it would The 1,000' Color Centerline Series comprise the permanent project record and would be useful in publications. In 1987, because the crew was pressed for The revegetation crew took a set of color slides looking up time, the 100-foot black and white series was discontinued. the road (toward the Sol Due Hot Springs Resort) from photo The 1000-foot color slides could be retaken in about one-third points about 1000 feet apart on the projected centerline (see the time and were proving to be more useful. photos 1-3). The series was first shot in May 1986, about nine months before clearing and grubbing began. (The location of the new centerline had been surveyed and marked by that Other Centerline Series time.) Assistant Superintendent John Teichert took two sets of color As of spring 1990, this photo series has been retaken three slides about 100 feet apart from centerline before and after times. A set of preplanting retakes was begun in fall of 1987 construction and revegetation. This series gives a good and finished in spring of 1988. The preplanting photos could picture of the changes caused by road construction and is a not be shot at one time because we wanted all the slopes to valuable supplement to the project photographers' work. be finish graded when photographed for this series. The slopes above station 210+00 were not that far along when planting began on the lower slopes in the fall of 1987. Second and third sets of retakes were completed in fall 1988 and spring 1989. These sets are supplemented by a sequence of centerline shots taken in fall 1988by Assistant Superintendent John Teichert using the revegetation project photo points. Although these photographs do not match the previous series Photographic Documentation Photo 3: Color centerline series (1,000 ft), station 270+34 (mile 5.1), before construction, May 1986. Photo 1: Color centerline series (1,000 ft), station 1 Photo 6: Road slope series, stations 52+32 to 54+00 250+60 (mile 4.7), before construction, May 1986. (miles 0.99 to 1.0), before revegetation, August 1987. Photo 4: Color centerline series (1,000 ft), station 260+59 (mile 4.9), during construction, March 1988 (compare with photo 2). Photo 2: Color centerline series (1,000 ft), station Photo 7: Road slope series, stations 52+32 to 54+00 260+59 (mile 4.9), before construction, May 1986. (miles 0.99 to 1.0), after revegetation, May 1989. Photo 5: Color centerline series (1,000 ft), station 260+59 (mile 4.9), afterconstruction, May 1989. Photographic Documentation