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Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report, 2012

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Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report, 2012 Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 236 Wilderness Name: Mount Skokomish Wilderness Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report National Forest: Olympic National Forest State: WA Counties: Mason General Location: Olympic Peninsula Acres: 13,291 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 1 of 4 Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 236 Wilderness Name: Mount Skokomish Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Year Established 1984 Establishment Notes 99-685, Washington State Wilderness Act of 1984 Designation Clean Air Act Class 2 Administrative Olympic National Forest Unique Landscape Features Mt. Skokomish Wilderness is located in the southeast corner of Olympic National Forest, just north of Lake Cushman. Two long ridges here, running roughly northeast to southwest, support several bold rocky summits and numerous sharp spires. Elevations range from about 2,000 feet to 6,434 feet on Mount Skokomish, which anchors the northwest boundary. The northern ridge rises to Mounts Skokomish, Lincoln, and Cruiser, with ragged Sawtooth Ridge, popular for its excellent rock- climbing opportunities, stretching between Lincoln and Cruiser. The southern ridge includes the summits of Mounts Pershing, Washington, Rose, Ellinor, Jefferson Peak, and Tran Spire, all interesting and often challenging climbs. Between the ridges lies the headwaters basin of the Hamma Hamma River, which gathers its waters from Mildred Lakes and tributary streams in the western portion to flow east across the Wilderness. Magnificent old-growth western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas fir dominate the forest in the lower elevations, providing a shady home for elk, black- tailed deer, black bears, and mountain lions. Higher elevations display firs, pines, and dwarf juniper, and open rock faces alive with marmots and mountain goats (which look like pockets of old snow from a distance). Most of the area is wild and ruggedly free, penetrated only by four short and wondrously neglected trails. The Putvin Trail crosses the northeast corner of the Wilderness, climbing steeply up Whitehorse Creek to gorgeous Lake of the Angels inside the park. The faint Mildred Lakes Trail runs to Mildred Lakes below the Sawtooth Ridge. Short, trails provide access to Mounts Rose and Ellinor in the southern portion of the area. Lakesides have suffered abuse, and campfires are not allowed near bodies of water. Lakebed Geology Sensitivity Low Lakebed Geology Composition andesite dacite diorite phylite (48%), amphibolite hornfels paragneiss undifferentiated metamorphic roc (52%), GC 1+2 (48%), GC 1+2+3 (48%), GC 4+5+6 (52%) Visitor Use Not reported in the database. Mean Annual Precipitation Not reported in the database. Elevation Range 507 - 1933 (meters) Mean Max Aug Temp Not reported in the database. Mean Min Dec Temp Not reported in the database. Lake Acres 51 Pond Acres 27 Lake Count 2 Pond Count 22 TES Flora Claytonia lanceolata var. pacifica Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 2 of 4 Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 236 Wilderness Name: Mount Skokomish Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness TES Wildlife Bald Eagle TES Fish steelhead Ozone Sensitive Plants Not reported in the database. Air Quality Sensitive Lichens Not reported in the database. 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 Mildred Lakes. While at lakes, collect water samples for anions, cations, nutrients. 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: Low Flora Receptor 3: Ozone Flora Indicator 3: Visible injury on ozone-sensitive plants Flora Trends 3: Not reported in the database. Flora Actions: Repeat visit to lichen plot, once every 10 years to monitor trends. Consider surveying sensitive plants for ozone injury. Visibility Visibility Priority: Medium Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views Visibility Indicator: Regional haze Visibility Trends: Not reported in the database. Visibility Actions Nearest, most representative IMPROVE visibility monitor is the Olympic National Park site (OLYM1). Refer to the Washington Regional Haze Plan and IMPROVE monitoring report for details. Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3 of 4 Mount Skokomish Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 236 Wilderness Name: Mount Skokomish Wilderness 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: Medium Water Receptor 3: Diatoms Water Indicator 3: Community Composition Water Trends 3: Not reported in the database Water Actions: Collect water samples from Mildred Lakes. Analyze for cations, anions, and nutrients. While at the lake, consider collecting fish for mercury analysis. Challenge Points Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Flora Challenge Points: 6 Total Plots: 1 Desired Plots: 1 Additional Plots Needed: 0 Data Type: Baseline Round 1 Visits: 0 Round 2 Visits: 1 Baseline %: 100 Trends %: 0 Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Water Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 4 of 4 .
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