Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report, 2012
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Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 219 Wilderness Name: Sky Lakes Wilderness Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report National Forest: Rogue River National Forest, Winema National Forest State: OR Counties: Jackson, Klamath General Location: Southern Oregon Cascade Range Acres: 113,849 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 1 of 5 Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 219 Wilderness Name: Sky Lakes 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 Fremont-Winema National Forest, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Unique Landscape Features With a name like Sky Lakes, this Wilderness is obliged to deliver at least more than one impressive sapphire pool, and it does. In fact, it takes in three major lake (former glacial) basins as it stretches along the crest of the volcanic Cascade Mountains from the border of Crater Lake National Park on the north to State Highway 140 in the south: Seven Lakes, Sky Lakes, and Blue Canyon basins. All of southern Oregon seems to lay at your feet when viewed from the rugged summit of the beautiful volcano Mount McLoughlin (elev. = 9,495 feet a.s.l.), and then extends out northward into Sky Lakes' broad plateau-like ridges, dotted with many of the Wilderness's lakes. You'll find creeks and ice-cold springs (such as Ranger Springs, where the Middle Fork of the Rogue River springs to the surface almost "full- grown" from the beneath the lava), grassy meadows, and scores of crystalline sub-alpine lakes. Several of the Wilderness's lakes (Alta and Natasha among them) were found (by 1980s-90s E.P.A. baseline study of a id-rain conditions in Western U.S mountain lakes) to have among the most chemically pure water known of all lakes on the globe. Most of the area's lakes (some of them stocked by the State of Oregon with game fish) are set against a backdrop of tall trees that reach to the edge of the lakeshore. An overall high-elevation forest consisting largely of Shasta red fir, western white pine, and mountain hemlock yields to lodgepole pine around many of the lakes, as well to moisture- loving Engelmann spruce here and there. Hardy, long-lived whitebark pines are found near the summits of Mt. McLoughlin and Devil's Peak. The forest's understory is dominated by species of huckleberry, as well as manzanita, snowbrush, and heather. Elk herds spend much of the summer and early fall in the northern third of the Sky Lakes Wilderness, and the elk-hunting season can be very active; the entire wilderness supports roving populations pine martens and fishers, black bears, cougars, coyotes, as well as pikas and golden-mantled ground squirrels and other species of wildlife. During October and November, migrating birds pass over in the hundreds of thousands, often stopping at the high lakes. Ospreys regularly visit Sky Lakes to try their luck at fishing. Thirsty swarms of mosquitoes hatch from snowmelt until mid-August. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail passes the entire length of Sky Lakes Wilderness north-south for about 35 miles, but much of the PCNST's route is well away from streams, springs, and other water sources. Human use is heavy in the three main lake basins, particularly at the larger lakes, which are popular fishing, hiking, and camping destinations. The 1888-inscribed "Waldo Tree," at the southeast shore of Island Lake is a draw for a few historically minded visitors each year, as is the opportunity to hike along the route of an 1860s-1890s military wagon road, on the present Twin Ponds Trail. The summit of Mt. McLoughlin is a popular but very strenuous summer day-hike. Other areas of the Wilderness typically provide excellent opportunities for solitude. Lakebed Geology Sensitivity High Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 2 of 5 Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 219 Wilderness Name: Sky Lakes Wilderness Wilderness Categories Information Specific to this Wilderness Lakebed Geology Composition gneiss quartzite schist granite (14%), basalt gabbro wacke argillite undifferentiated volcanic rocks (75%), amphibolite hornfels paragneiss undifferentiated metamorphic roc (11%), GC 1+2 (14%), GC 1+2+3 (89%), GC 4+5+6 (5%) Visitor Use Not reported in the database. Mean Annual Precipitation Not reported in the database. Elevation Range 1113 - 2875 (meters) Mean Max Aug Temp Not reported in the database. Mean Min Dec Temp Not reported in the database. Lake Acres 1,105 Pond Acres 228 Lake Count 45 Pond Count 391 TES Flora Albatrellus flettii, Arnica viscosa, Asarum wagneri, Buxbaumia viridis, Chaenotheca furfuracea, Chamonixia caespitosa, Chiloscyphus gemmiparus, Collomia mazama, Gastroboletus subalpinus, Gentiana newberryi, Gomphus floccosus, Gyromitra californica, Hieracium bolanderi, Hydrothyria venosa, Hygrophorus caeruleus, Leptogium rivale, Mimulus jepsonii, Mycena overholtsii, Nephroma parile, Nivatogastrium nubigenum, Polyozellus multiplex, Ramaria rubrievanescens, Rhizopogon truncatus, Sarcosoma mexicana, Tayloria serrata, Utricularia minor TES Wildlife Bald Eagle TES Fish Not reported in the database. Ozone Sensitive Plants Ponderosa pine, Scoulers willow, Snowberry Air Quality Sensitive Lichens Alectoria imshaugii, Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria fremontii, Bryoria fuscescens,Cladonia fimbriata, Hypogymnia occidentalis, Kaernefeltia merrillii, Nodobryoria abbreviata, Nodobryoria oregana, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Parmeliopsis hyperopta, Vulpicida canadensis 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 fish for mercury from the most frequently visited lakes by people and osprey. Collect water quality samples while at these locations. Flora Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3 of 5 Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 219 Wilderness Name: Sky Lakes Wilderness Flora Priority: Medium Flora Receptor: Lichens Flora Indicator: Changes in community composition Flora Trends: Not reported in the database. Flora Priority 2: Medium 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: Need to add one more lichen plot to achieve the desired 1 plot/20,000 acre spatial density. Waiting for existing lichen samples to be scored. Repeat visits once every 10 years. Also consider surveying sensitive vegetation for ozone injury concurrently. Visibility Visibility Priority: High Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views Visibility Indicator: Regional haze Visibility Trends: Decrease. Visibility Actions The IMPROVE visibility monitor at Crater Lake (CRLA1) is representative of this wilderness. Refer to the Oregon Regional Haze Plan and the IMPROVE monitoring reports for more details. Water Water Priority: High Water Receptor: Water Chemistry Water Indicator: ANC Water Trends: Not reported in the database. Water Priority 2: High 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: Repeat visits to Grass, Isherwood, Notasha, McKee and No Name Lakes for ANC and nutrient ratios. Challenge Points Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Flora Challenge Points: 4 Total Plots: 5 Desired Plots: 6 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 4 of 5 Sky Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report Wilderness ID: 219 Wilderness Name: Sky Lakes Wilderness Additional Plots Needed: 1 Data Type: Treands Round 1 Visits: 2 Round 2 Visits: 5 Baseline %: 88 Trends %: 35 Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database. Water Challenge Points: 10 Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 5 of 5 .