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
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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
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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%)
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
Air Quality Sensitive Lichens
Cultural Resources
Status/Trends: Acid Deposition:
Status/Trends: Nutrient
Enrichment:
Status/Trends: Ozone Impacts:
1113 - 2875 (meters)
Not reported in the database.
Not reported in the database.
1,105
228
45
391
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
Bald Eagle
Not reported in the database.
Ponderosa pine, Scoulers willow, Snowberry
Alectoria imshaugii, Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria fremontii, Bryoria
fuscescens,Cladonia fimbriata, 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.
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
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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
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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
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