Mountain Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 071
Wilderness Name: Mountain Lakes Wilderness
Mountain Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report
National Forest: Winema National Forest
State: OR
Counties: Klamath
General Location: Southern Oregon Cascade Range
Acres: 23,071
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Mountain Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 071
Wilderness Name: Mountain Lakes Wilderness
Wilderness Categories
Information Specific to this Wilderness
Year Established
1964
Establishment Notes
The Wilderness Act of September 3,1964
Designation
Clean Air Act Class 1
Administrative
Fremont -Winema National Forest
Unique Landscape Features
Before its eruption and subsequent transformation into a large caldera (a broad,
craterlike basin formed by volcanic violence), the area we call Mountain Lakes
Wilderness was a 12,000-foot mountain, one of the giants of the southern Cascades.
Glaciation then carved up the caldera, leaving a scattering of small alpine lakes
instead of one enormous body of water, such as Crater Lake National Park to the
north. Only eight prominent peaks remain of the caldera's rim. Unique to the National
Wilderness Preservation System, this area is the only Wilderness with a perfectly
square boundary. Long appreciated for its wonder, Mountain Lakes was one of the
three original Primitive areas created in 1930 in the Washington- Oregon region.
Mosquitoes fly thickly from snowmelt to mid-August, snack food for the rainbow and
brook trout in the lakes.
Lakebed Geology Sensitivity
N/A
Lakebed Geology Composition
Visitor Use
Mean Annual Precipitation
Elevation Range
Not reported in the database.
Mean Max Aug Temp
Mean Min Dec Temp
Lake Acres
Pond Acres
Lake Count
Pond Count
TES Flora
TES Wildlife
TES Fish
Ozone Sensitive Plants
Air Quality Sensitive Lichens
Cultural Resources
Status/Trends: Acid Deposition:
Status/Trends: Nutrient
Enrichment:
Status/Trends: Ozone Impacts:
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
1436 - 2495 (meters)
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
36
59
1
43
Boletus haematinus, Calicium viride, Collybia bakerensis, Mycena overholtsii,
Mycocalicium subtile, Nivatogastrium nubigenum
Bald Eagle
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Alectoria imshaugii, Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria capillaris, Bryoria fremontii,
Cladonia chlorophaea, Hypogymnia occidentalis, Kaernefeltia merrillii, Nodobryoria
abbreviata, Nodobryoria oregana, Parmeliopsis ambigua, Parmeliopsis hyperopta,
Vulpicida canadensis
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Mountain Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 071
Wilderness Name: Mountain Lakes Wilderness
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 and analyze fish for mercury concentrations from the most frequently fished lakes. While on site, also collect water
samples from these same water bodies and analyze for anions, cations, and 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:
Waiting for lichens to be scored for both baseline and trends for changes in community composition. Repeat visits to
lichen plots once every 10 years. While on-site, consider surveying sensitive vegetation for ozone injury.
Visibility
Visibility Priority: High
Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views
Visibility Indicator: Regional haze
Visibility Trends: Decrease
Visibility Actions
The IMPROVE visibility monitor at Crater Lake National Park (CRLA1) is representative of Mtn Lakes Wilderness. See
the Oregon Regional Haze Plan and IMPROVE monitoring reports for more information.
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
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Mountain Lakes Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 071
Wilderness Name: Mountain Lakes Wilderness
Water Indicator 3: Community Composition
Water Trends 3: Not reported in the database
Water Actions:
Collect water samples from 10% of lakes. Analyze for anions, cations, and nutrients. While at the lakes, consider sampling
fish for mercury.
Challenge Points
Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Flora Challenge Points: 7
Total Plots: 4
Desired Plots: 1
Additional Plots Needed: -3
Data Type: Trends
Round 1 Visits: 2
Round 2 Visits: 4
Baseline %: 347
Trends %: 173
Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Water Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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