North Fork Umatilla Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 224
Wilderness Name: North Fork Umatilla Wilderness
North Fork Umatilla Wilderness Air Quality Report
National Forest: Umatilla National Forest
State: OR
Counties: Umatilla, Union
General Location: North Eastern Oregon
Acres: 20,299
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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North Fork Umatilla Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 224
Wilderness Name: North Fork Umatilla 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
Umatilla National Forest
Unique Landscape Features
Instead of rising into high peaks, to offer a somewhat unique Wilderness experience
the gently sloping hills of North Fork Umatilla Wilderness fall into extremely steep,
timbered canyons below a high plateau. Down along the river you'll probably feel
more isolated than the small acreage of the area would indicate. Vegetation ranges
from juniper, sagebrush, and ponderosa pine to fir, spruce, lodgepole pine, and
western larch. Elevations drop from 5,400 feet to 2,000 feet in a relatively short
distance to provide a substantial physical workout. The North Fork Umatilla River
supports populations of bull trout as well as runs of anadromous fish, including
steelhead, a major force in pushing for designation of this area as well as an attraction
to anglers. However, the river is designated catch and release only. Hunters come for
big-game animals, including a fairly large population of Rocky Mountain elk.
In the northern Blue Mountains the weather tends to change radically and
unpredictably any day of the year. Snow usually melts by early spring, and the lower
elevation trailheads are usually accessible from April through November. The upper
elevation trailheads are generally snowed in from December through early to midJune.
Lakebed Geology Sensitivity
High
Lakebed Geology Composition
Visitor Use
Mean Annual Precipitation
Elevation Range
andesite dacite diorite phylite (100%), GC 1+2 (100%), GC 1+2+3 (10%)
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.
715 - 1582 (meters)
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
0
Not reported in the database.
2
Carex backii, Chaenotheca subroscida
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
Blue elderberry, Ninebark, Red alder, Snowberry
Not reported in the database.
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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North Fork Umatilla Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 224
Wilderness Name: North Fork Umatilla 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:
Sample resident fish in the river for mercury. Collect water chemistry samples concurrently 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:
Repeat visit to lichen plot once every 10 years to monitor trends. Waiting for evaluation of lichen community composition
before full credit can be given for characterizing baseline.
Visibility
Visibility Priority: Medium
Visibility Receptor: Scenic Views
Visibility Indicator: Regional haze
Visibility Trends: Not reported in the database.
Visibility Actions
Nearest IMPROVE visibiliyt monitoring site is located at the Starkey Experimental Forest (STAR1).
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
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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North Fork Umatilla Wilderness Air Quality Report
Wilderness ID: 224
Wilderness Name: North Fork Umatilla Wilderness
Water Receptor 3: Diatoms
Water Indicator 3: Community Composition
Water Trends 3: Not reported in the database
Water Actions:
Collect water samples from the river. Analyze for anions, cations, and nutrients. Consider collecting fish for mercury
analysis from same location/sampling trip.
Challenge Points
Fauna Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Flora Challenge Points: 5
Total Plots: 1
Desired Plots: 1
Additional Plots Needed: 0
Data Type: Baseline
Round 1 Visits: 0
Round 2 Visits: 1
Baseline %: 99
Trends %: 0
Visibility Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Water Challenge Points: Not reported in the database.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
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