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
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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-overhand 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%)
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Visitor Use
Mean Annual Precipitation
Elevation Range
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
1375 - 2759 (meters)
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
20
8
1
2
Allotropa virgata, Arnica viscosa, Botrychium pumicola, Mycocalicium subtile,
Ptilidium californicum, Rhizopogon parksii
Bald Eagle
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
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Mount Thielsen Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 226
Wilderness Categories
Air Quality Sensitive Lichens
Cultural Resources
Status/Trends: Acid Deposition:
Status/Trends: Nutrient
Enrichment:
Status/Trends: Ozone Impacts:
Wilderness Name: Mount Thielsen Wilderness
Information Specific to this Wilderness
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
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
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
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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.
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