Adverse impacts are those that degrade water quality (e.g., temperature, chemistry, etc.) in the Planning Area, particularly where there are special status fish species. Beneficial impacts are those that improve and/or preserve water quality and quantity in these areas. Direct impacts are similar to those identified in Section 4.4.5 Fish and Wildlife Resources - Fish and include onsite disturbances to fish habitat, while indirect impacts result from changes in water quality and quantity.

For this analysis, short-term impacts to special status fish species include those activities that contribute to the decline in abundance or distribution of a species within 5 years of when the activity occurs. Long-term impacts to special status fish are those that require more than 5 years to manifest, such as efforts to improve habitat over time or remove competitive nonnative species.

In general, management actions that affect fish would also affect special status fish species. Section 4.4.5 Fish and Wildlife Resources - Fish provides a detailed analysis of direct and indirect management actions that impact fish. This section focuses on the potential impacts of the alternatives to special status fish species habitat (including habitat of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, a BLM sensitive species), proactive management that could beneficially impact these species, and potential impacts to federally listed species downstream of the Planning Area.