Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report, 2012
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Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 226 Wilderness Name: Mount Thielsen Wilderness Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report National Forest: Deschutes National Forest, Umpqua National Forest, Winema National Forest State: OR Counties: Douglas, Klamath General Location: Southern Oregon Cascade Range Acres: 54,914 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 1 of 4 Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 226 Wilderness Name: Mount Thielsen Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Year Established 1984 Establishment Notes Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 Designation Clean Air Act Class 2 Administrative Deschutes National Forest, Fremont-Winema National Forest, Umpqua National Forest Unique Landscape Features Carved majestically by glacial activity and rising 9,182 feet to aspire-shaped summit referred to sometimes as the "Lightning Rod of the Cascades," Mount Thielsen anchors the southern portion of this Wilderness. To the south is Crater Lake National Park, and on the periphery is flat to moderately rolling country, which changes to very steep and sharply dissected ridges toward the crest of the Cascade Mountains. Timberline stands at about 7,200 feet, just above a forest of mountain hemlock and fir mixed with whitebark pine. Lodgepole pine dominates the vegetation lower down. Many streams carry a substantial amount of snowmelt in spring, giving rise to an abundance of early summer mosquitoes. A 34-mile segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail crosses the Wilderness from Tolo Mountain in the north to near Summit Rock in the south. The Mount Thielsen Trail enters for approximately five miles from the west side to rise above the tree line and, after 200 feet of hand-over- hand scrambling, finally reaches to within 80 feet of the summit and a breathtaking view. The summit itself requires a short technical climb. The trail system totals about 78 miles. The land on the eastern side of the crest ranks among the most pristine in the state, a region far less visited by humans. Lakebed Geology Sensitivity High Lakebed Geology Composition gneiss quartzite schist granite (1%), andesite dacite diorite phylite (94%), amphibolite hornfels paragneiss undifferentiated metamorphic roc (5%), GC 1+2 (95%), GC 1+2+3 (95%), GC 4+5+6 (5%) Visitor Use Not reported in the database. Mean Annual Precipitation Not reported in the database. Elevation Range 1375 - 2759 (meters) Mean Max Aug Temp Not reported in the database. Mean Min Dec Temp Not reported in the database. Lake Acres 20 Pond Acres 8 Lake Count 1 Pond Count 2 TES Flora Allotropa virgata, Arnica viscosa, Botrychium pumicola, Mycocalicium subtile, Ptilidium californicum, Rhizopogon parksii TES Wildlife Bald Eagle TES Fish Not reported in the database. Ozone Sensitive Plants Not reported in the database. Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 2 of 4 Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 226 Wilderness Name: Mount Thielsen Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Air Quality Sensitive Lichens Alectoria imshaugii, Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria capillaris, Bryoria fremontii, Bryoria fuscescens, Bryoria trichodes, Hypogymnia occidentalis, Kaernefeltia merrillii, Nodobryoria abbreviata, Nodobryoria oregana, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Parmeliopsis hyperopta, Solorina crocea 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: Collect fish from most heavily fished lake and sample for mercury. While at the lake, also collect water samples for nutrients, anions, cations. 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: Not reported in the database. Flora Receptor 3: Ozone Flora Indicator 3: Visible injury on ozone-sensitive plants Flora Trends 3: Not reported in the database. Flora Actions: Repeat visits to lichen plots once every 10 years. Waiting for evaluation of community composition using east-side gradient model before lichens can be scored. Once, scored, should receive full points. Visibility Visibility Priority: Medium Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views Visibility Indicator: Regional haze Visibility Trends: Not reported in the database. Visibility Actions Nearest representative IMPROVE visibility monitoring site is located at Crater Lake National Park (CRLA1). Refer to the Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3 of 4 Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 226 Wilderness Name: Mount Thielsen Wilderness Oregon Regional Haze Plan and IMPROVE monitoring reports for more details. 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 samples from lakes. Analyze for ANC and nutrients. While at lakes, consider also collecting fish for mercury analysis. Challenge Points Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Flora Challenge Points: 7 Total Plots: 7 Desired Plots: 3 Additional Plots Needed: -4 Data Type: Trends Round 1 Visits: 6 Round 2 Visits: 5 Baseline %: 255 Trends %: 146 Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Water Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 4 of 4 .