Inventory

Network Air Quality Inventory

Four out of the six parks in the Klamath Network are designated as Class I air quality areas, receiving the highest protection under the Clean Air Act. Crater Lake NP, Redwoods NSP, Lava Beds NM, and Lassen Volcanic NP are all Class I areas. Oregon Caves NM and Whiskeytown NRA are Class II air quality areas, which also receive protection under the Act, but to a lesser degree.

Although most of the park units in the Network are some distance from cities and pollution sources, they nevertheless can experience poor air quality from pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and toxics. These air pollutants affect, or have the potential to affect, air quality and natural resources in the Klamath Network, including vegetation, wildlife, soils, water quality, and visibility.

Four parks in the Network have air quality monitoring stations: Crater Lake NP, Lassen Volcanic NP, Lava Beds NM, and Redwood NP. The Network map below provides information on air quality monitoring. Ozone, sulfur dioxide, dry deposition, and meteorology are collected by the Clean Air Status and Trends (CASTNet) and Gaseous Pollutant Monitoring (GPMN) Networks. Ozone is also monitored with passive samplers and portable continuous analyzers. Wet deposition is monitored through cooperation with National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). The Mercury Deposition Network (MDN), part of NADP, collects precipitation samples that are analyzed for mercury. Visibility is monitored as part of the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE).

Air quality monitoring in or near the Network is indicated on the map by symbols, with the blue line showing the approximate borders of the Network. The legend shows the symbols for the type of monitoring present, with NPS park units in green. Class I areas have linkable access to ARIS information.

There is a variety of information about air quality monitoring in the Klamath region. Just click on the links below to access the information you are interested in learning more about.

Park Web Sites

Three parks, Crater Lake NP (http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Permits/ARIS/crla/), Lassen Volcanic NP (http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Permits/ARIS/lavo/), and Redwood NSP (http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Permits/ARIS/redw/) have NPS Air Quality web sites.

Lassen also has an air quality tour (at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/edu/someair/parks/lavo/IIB2.html) and a quality assurance web site maintained by California Air Resources Board (http://www.arb.ca.gov/qaweb/site.php?s_arb_code=45566).

Crater Lake NP, Lava Beds NM, and Lassen Volcanic NP, as well as other selected Cascade volcanic peaks, have web cameras showing current air quality (http://www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeWebCams.php).

Air quality data for parks with on-site monitoring stations can be found at the respective web sites:

NADP/NTN = National Atmospheric Deposition Program at http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/
CASTNet = Clean Air Status and Trends Network at http://www.epa.gov/castnet/
IMPROVE = Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments at http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/views/
Ozone = EPA AirData at http://www.epa.gov/air/data/index.html and NPS AirWeb at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/data/index.htm
Passive ozone at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/studies/passives.htm
Portable ozone at http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/studies/portO3.htm

Air quality data for parks without on-site monitoring stations can be found at:

NPS Air Atlas http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/Maps/AirAtlas/index.htm

Additional Documents

A risk assessment for Klamath Network indicates that the risk for ozone injury is high at Whiskeytown NRA; moderate at Crater Lake NP; Lava Beds NM, Oregon Caves NM, and Redwood NSP; and low at Lassen Volcanic NP.

Handbooks and Monitoring Protocols can be found on the Air Quality Information for Inventory and Monitoring Parks site at: http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/permits/aris/networks/index.cfm.