Tatoosh Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 240 Wilderness Name: Tatoosh Wilderness

Tatoosh Wilderness Air Quality Report National Forest: Gifford Pinchot National Forest State: WA Counties: Lewis General Location: Southern Cascade Range Acres: 15,725

Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 1 of 4 Tatoosh Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 240 Wilderness Name: Tatoosh Wilderness

Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Year Established 1984 Establishment Notes Washington State of 1984 Designation Clean Air Act Class 2 Administrative Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, Gifford Pinchot National Forest Unique Landscape Features One of five Wilderness areas near Mount Rainier National Park, the Tatoosh Wilderness Area shares a portion of the park's southern boundary. Tatoosh Ridge, a long, formidably rugged ridge, runs north-south out of the park to cross the Wilderness near the middle. On the eastern side of the area, you will find the southern end of another rocky spine, Backbone Ridge, which also hails from the park. Numerous streams cascade off the ridges into the Muddy Fork of the or into Butter Creek, both of which funnel down to the Cowlitz River south of the Wilderness. Deer and elk winter along the Muddy Fork, then wander into the higher country in warmer seasons. Black bears may be seen foraging in the forest of hemlock, fir, and red cedar, and mountain goats scramble along the upper elevations, which top out at the 6,310-foot Tatoosh Lookout. About 25 feet of snow falls on Tatoosh Ridge during the winter, dusting a half-dozen small lakes (including three that thoroughly satisfy the meaning of "tiny"). The 8.6-mile Tatoosh Trail climbs wickedly steep up Tatoosh Ridge but then mellows out substantially for a long descent off the ridge top and down through subalpine meadows abounding with summer wildflowers. The view of Mount Rainier to the north is breathtaking. Side trails will take you to Tatoosh Lakes and the historic Tatoosh Lookout. Camping, fires, and stock are not allowed beside the fragile wilderness lakes within the Tatoosh Lakes Basin. Lakebed Geology Sensitivity High Lakebed Geology Composition andesite dacite diorite phylite (80%), basalt gabbro wacke argillite undifferentiated volcanic rocks (19%), amphibolite hornfels paragneiss undifferentiated metamorphic roc (1%), GC 1+2 (81%), GC 1+2+3 (99%) Visitor Use Not reported in the database. Mean Annual Precipitation Not reported in the database. Elevation Range 380 - 1915 (meters) Mean Max Aug Temp Not reported in the database. Mean Min Dec Temp Not reported in the database. Lake Acres Not reported in the database. Pond Acres 17 Lake Count Not reported in the database. Pond Count 5 TES Flora Ptilidium californicum TES Wildlife Not reported in the database. TES Fish Not reported in the database. Ozone Sensitive Plants Not reported in the database.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 2 of 4 Tatoosh Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 240 Wilderness Name: Tatoosh Wilderness

Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Air Quality Sensitive Lichens Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria capillaris, Bryoria fuscescens, Cladonia mitis, Hypogymnia apinnata, Hypogymnia occidentalis, Nodobryoria oregana, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Parmeliopsis hyperopta Cultural Resources Not reported in the database. Status/Trends: Acid Deposition: Not reported in the database. Status/Trends: Nutrient Not reported in the database. Enrichment: Status/Trends: Ozone Impacts: Not reported in the database.

AQRV's Fauna Fauna Priority: Medium Fauna Receptor: Fish Fauna Indicator: Concentration of methyl mercury Fauna Trends: Not reported in the database. Fauna Actions: Sample resident fish for mercury, from waters which are most heavily fished by people or fish-eating wildlife. Collect water quality samples concurrently. Flora Flora Priority: High Flora Receptor: Lichens Flora Indicator: Changes in community composition Flora Trends: Not reported in the database. Flora Priority 2: High Flora Receptor 2: Lichens Flora Indicator 2: Concentrations of N, S, P, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ni, Ti, V and Zn Flora Trends 2: Not reported in the database. Flora Priority 3: Medium Flora Receptor 3: Ozone Flora Indicator 3: Visible injury on ozone-sensitive plants Flora Trends 3: Not reported in the database. Flora Actions: Waiting for lichen samples which have been collected to be evaluated for trends. Revisit lichen plots once every 10 years. Consider surveying vegetation for ozone injury while on-site. Visibility Visibility Priority: Low Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views Visibility Indicator: Regional haze Visibility Trends: Not reported in the database.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3 of 4 Tatoosh Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 240 Wilderness Name: Tatoosh Wilderness

Visibility Actions None. Water Water Priority: Medium Water Receptor: Water Chemistry Water Indicator: ANC Water Trends: Not reported in the database. Water Priority 2: Medium Water Receptor 2: Water Chemistry Water Indicator 2: DIN: TP Water Trends 2: Not reported in the database. Water Priority 3: Low Water Receptor 3: Diatoms Water Indicator 3: Community Composition Water Trends 3: Not reported in the database. Water Actions: Collect water quality samples from high elevation lakes. Analyze for cations, anions, and nutrients. Also, if fish are sampled for mercury, also collect water quality samples from these locations. Challenge Points

Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Flora Challenge Points: 8 Total Plots: 2 Desired Plots: 1 Additional Plots Needed: -1 Data Type: Trends Round 1 Visits: 2 Round 2 Visits: 1 Baseline %: 254 Trends %: 127 Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Water Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 4 of 4