Upper Buffalo Wilderness

Index

Introduction

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness lies in the Buffalo River watershed in northern Arkansas. The wilderness encompasses 10,590 acres of rugged terrain with steep slopes, rock bluffs and mountain streams. The wilderness has a variety of wildlife habitat which provides refuge for dear, turkey and black bear.

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Air Quality Related Values

Scenery

The scenic beauty of the landscape is an important characteristic of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. The visual resource is highlighted by the scenic qualities of the Buffalo River and its many tributaries, numerous rock formations and bluffs, and a wide diversity of native plants. There are several small waterfalls in the area. The canyon floors are characterized by flowing creeks, streams, rivulets, runnels and runs. During periods of runoff following storms, the water cascades over rocks forming forgotten or unknown waterfalls. Dry periods support quiet pools which have their own unique scenic beauty and attractions. The rugged terrain includes upland plateaus and canyons or hollows. The hollows are high-walled with steep slopes or sheer rock walls which contain rock shelters and many other interesting and scenic formations. These rock outcroppings and bluffs provide numerous highpoints and overlooks where the visitor can view across the wilderness or up and down various hollows. There are at least 35 tree species present in the Wilderness area and a variety of understory plants, including flowers which combine to produce unending variety of colors and textures.

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Natural Background Visibility
Site Specific Rayleigh scattering coefficient: Clearest 20% Natural Clearest 20% 2000-2004 Baseline Haziest 20% Natural Haziest 20% 2000-2004 Baseline Average Annual Natural Annual Average 2000-2004 Baseline
Standard Visual Range (km) 276 125 127 29 193 58
Haze Index (dv) 4.18 11.71 11.57 26.27 7.53 19.15

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Water Quality

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness embraces the headwaters of the Buffalo National River and its strategic position was recognized as an essential ingredient in the overall effort to maintain the Buffalo River as an unpolluted, natural waterway. The public's desire to protect and maintain the river system free of anthropogenic changes was a primary reason for wilderness designation. The Wilderness includes the upper portion of the Buffalo River and ten tributaries. These high quality mountain streams are flashy in nature with high runoff in winter and following storms, but during dry season contain pools which support a diverse and unique assemblage of fish species. Fish fauna are characterized by non-game species, including a variety of darters and minnows, as well as sport fish such as smallmouth bass, spotted bass and green sunfish. In the rainy season, the Buffalo River is an exciting, swiftly moving stream which carries a large volume of water. In the dry season it still contains appreciable water, but it lies in large and fairly deep pools with small streams flowing largely underground from pool to pool. Several scenic waterfalls and springs are in the Wilderness. Water quality related uses in the area include fishing, aesthetics, wildlife and floating. Water quality is important in maintaining riparian habitats for several sensitive plant species. Ferns, mosses and lichens are especially luxuriant beneath the many waterfalls where water cascading down or splashing over rocks gives them constant moisture.

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Floral Diversity

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness supports a wide diversity of native plants. Ozark chinkapin, yellow mandarin, French's shooting star, Arkansas alumroot, little leaved alumroot, goldenseal, bristlefern, shining clubmoss, monkeyflower, and Ozark spiderwort are Potentail Endangered, Threatened or Sensitive (PETS) species found here. Sandstones, acid and calcareous shales, limestone and dolomite comprise the bedrock. Because these parent materials weather differently, there is a great variety of topographic features. Broad upland flats, narrow ridge tops, steep slopes broken by structural benches, rock bluffs, coves and floodplains provide a variety of landforms. The geologic and landform variety has generated many different soil types with a full range of soil moisture regimes. This provides many diverse micro habitats which support unique vegetation. This diversity of habitats provides the opportunity to encounter vegetation unique to micro habitats, witness the successional changes occurring on flat areas once cleared for homesteads, while steep inaccessible lands provide remnants of an undisturbed oak-hickory forest. The diversity of sites, species richness and intermingled, undisturbed forest all contribute to wilderness designation.

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Resource Concern Thresholds

AQRV Type: VISIBILITY
Sensitive Receptor Sensitive Receptor Indicator Thresholds
Natural Visibility Light Extinction In specific Class I areas to maintain consistency with Regional Haze implementation plans or BART, the visibility threshold for concern is not exceeded if the 98th percentile change in light extinction is <5% for each year modeled, when compared to the 20% best natural background values.
Natural Visibility Light Extinction For sources generally further than 50 km from a Class I area, the visibility threshold for concern is not exceeded if the 98th percentile change in light extinction is <5% for each year modeled, when compared to the annual average natural condition value for that Class I area.
Plume Blight Absolute Contrast Screening Analysis: For near field sources (within 50 km of a Class I area), no additional analysis will be requested if screening analysis of a new or modified source can demonstrate that its emissions will not cause a plume with hourly estimates of DeltaE (color difference index) greater than or equal to 2.0 or the absolute value of the contrast greater than or equal to 0.05 when modeled against natural conditions.
Plume Blight Absolute Contrast Refined Analysis: No further analysis will likely be requested if a new or modified source can show that impacts from a new or modified source will stay with the threshold of DeltaE <1.0 and |C| <0.02 modeled against natural conditions.
Plume Blight Color Difference Index Screening Analysis: For near field sources (within 50 km of a Class I area), no additional analysis will be requested If screening analysis of a new or modified source can demonstrate that its emissions will not cause a plume with hourly estimates of DeltaE (color difference index) greater than or equal to 2.0 or the absolute value of the contrast greater than or equal to 0.05 when modeled against natural conditions.
Plume Blight Color Difference Index Refined Analysis: No further analysis will likely be requested if a new or modified source can show that impacts from a new or modified source will stay with the threshold of DeltaE <1.0 and |C| <0.02 when modeled against natural conditions.

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AQRV Type: WATER
Sensitive Receptor Sensitive Receptor Indicator Thresholds
Perennial Streams Acid Neutralizing Capacity In perennial streams, no more than 0.1 microequivalent/liter measurable decrease in acid neutralizaing capacity is acceptable
Perennial Streams Chronic Acid Neutralizing Capacity To maintain healthy biological functioning in perennial streams, the chronic acid neutralizing capacity must be >= 25 ueq/l.
Perennial Streams Chronic pH To maintain healthy biological functioning, the chronic pH of perennial streams must be >= 6.0.
Perennial Streams Episodic Acid Neutralizing Capacity To maintain healthy biological functioning in perennial streams, the episodic acid neutralizing capacity must be >= 0 ueq/l.
Perennial Streams Episodic pH To maintain healthy biological functioning, the episodic pH of perennial streams must be >= 5.5.
Perennial Streams pH In perennial streams, no more than 0.1 measurable decrease in pH is acceptable

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Pollutant Exposure Concern Thresholds
Pollutant Exposures Level Name Thresholds
Nitrogen DEPOSITION Nitrogen deposition may be expected to cause cation leaching in soils when N levels are greater than 12 kg/ha/yr. Below 5 kg/ha/yr, negative effects to soil and vegetation are not expected
Nitrogen EXCEEDANCE The Deposition Analysis Threshold for nitrogen deposition below which estimated impacts from a source are considered negligible is 0.010. kilograms/hectare/year.
Ozone W126 Biomass reduction of ozone sensitive species may occur when the W126 ozone metric (for April-September) is ≥ 14.5 ppm-hours. This should be evaluated in conjunction with the N100 value.
Ozone N100 Biomass reduction of ozone sensitive species may occur when the number of hours from APRIL-SEPTEMBER with an ozone concentration greater than or equal to 0.100ppm equals or exceeds 4. This should be evaluated in conjunction with the W126 value.
Sulfur DEPOSITION Sulfur deposition may be expected to cause cation leaching and increased aluminum toxicity in soils when levels are greater than 20 kg/ha/yr. At 5 kg/ha/yr or below, sulfur negative effects to soil and vegetation are not expected.
Sulfur EXCEEDANCE The Deposition Analysis Threshold for sulfur deposition below which estimated impacts from a source are considered negligible is 0.010 kg/ha/yr.

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General Information
State(s):Arkansas
County(s):Newton
Forest Service Administrative Unit(s):Southern Region (Region 8) -- Ozark - St. Francis National Forest
Size:12018 acres
Elevation Range:1,240 - 2,340 feet
Image(s):https://www.wilderness.net/images/
Detailed wilderness information:https://www.wilderness.net
GIS Map/Official Boundary:https://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/

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updated: 03/08/13