Great Gulf Wilderness Area

Index

Introduction

Cradled within the rugged crescent of New Hampshire's Presidential Range lies the Great Gulf Wilderness. This peaked carpet begins at Mount Washington, unfurling north and east to cover the flanks of Mounts Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. Then, finally, it enfolds the Great Gulf, the largest cirque in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The small and beautiful Spaulding Lake lies on the floor of this steep-walled bowl and is drained eastward by the West Branch of the Peabody River. Many rivulets tumble into the Peabody from both sides of the glacially carved valley. From the headwall rising 1,100 feet to 1,600 feet above the bowl's bottom, the gulf drops ruggedly east for about 3.5 miles, then flattens into more open country for another 1.5 miles.

Mount Washington, just south of the wilderness boundary, stands at 6,288 feet, the highest point in New England. Let the records show that it was here, on April 12, 1934, that winds howled past at 231 miles per hour, one of the highest wind velocities ever documented on Earth. The southern wilderness boundary lies just north of the Mount Washington Auto Road, which provides motorized access to the summit. Mount Adams anchors the northwestern wilderness boundary, and at 5,799 feet garners second place in the New England height tourney. Mount Madison, at the northernmost point of the wilderness, tops out at 5,366 feet then plummets 4,000 feet to river valleys below. The views from the ridge and summits of the Presidentials, and from the floor of the bowl, rank among New England's best.

The name of the wilderness likely comes from the early misadventures of legendary explorer Ethan Allen Crawford. Upon taking a wrong turn on an 1823 hiking trip, Crawford found himself at the "edge of a great gulf." The area is rich in history that dates back to its first recorded observation by Darby Field in 1642. Botanists, geologists and lovers of the wild began their visits in the early 19th century and the first trail was blazed in 1881. A number of other historic trails were constructed in the 30 years that followed, most of which are still used today.

A number of spur trails hook up to the Great Gulf Trail, which serves as the main artery for the area's trail network and cuts roughly east-west through the center of New Hampshire's oldest and smallest wilderness. Beginning about 1.5 miles east of the wilderness boundary, the trail traverses approximately five and a half miles of wilderness and then continues toward the summit of Mount Washington. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs essentially perpendicular to the Great Gulf Trail as it takes in 2.7 miles of the wilderness on its way from Georgia to Maine. In all, there are about 22 miles of maintained hiking trails within the wilderness.

The 5658 acre wilderness area, designated by Congress in 1964, is located on the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. This wilderness ranges from 1680 feet to 5807 feet above sea level.

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Air Quality Related Values

Visibility

Visibility is a mandatory air quality related value at most Class I wilderness areas, including the Great Gulf Wilderness area in the WMNF. Speciated fine particulate measurements have been taken since 1995 near the Great Gulf Wilderness area as part of the national IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) network (http://views.cira.colostate.edu/web/). The IMPROVE monitor at Camp Dodge, just south of Gorham NH, is representative of the Great Gulf Wilderness area. Visibility is variable throughout the year, with some higher peaks in the summer. Fine ammonium sulfate particles account for the largest contribution to visibility impairment. Between 2001 and 2008, visibility at Camp Dodge improved at 3% per year.

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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) 289 191 122 40 203 101
Haze Index (dv) 3.73 7.66 11.99 22.82 7.07 13.77

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Vegetation

The area is characterized by mostly spruce-fir vegetation that runs from river bottoms onto the steep slopes of the high ridgelines. Changes in this pattern are found at the lower elevations of the wilderness where northern hardwood forests - spectacular in their autumn foliage - dominate, and in the highest elevations where the weather and soils dictate that only alpine-adapted plants will survive. Visitors may encounter deer, moose, black bear, or any of several other species of wildlife while traversing the area along the many available hiking trails.

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Surface Water

Within the Great Gulf Wilderness area, stream water quality monitoring has occurred in recent decades. The Wilderness Transect Study (1995-1997) monitored stream water chemistry in the Great Gulf Wilderness to develop baseline data on water quality. This data was then used to determine additional investigations relating to the sensitivity of the ecosystems. The summertime stream monitoring effort (2001-present) sampled several sites to measure the chemical output of the alpine vegetation community. More recently, data collected in 2011 from a low elevation site of the wilderness area showed that the Great Gulf site had a pH value of 5.6 with a calculated ANC of 17.4 μeq/L (Murray, G. and C. Griffin. 2011. AMC 2011White Mountain National Forest Class I Wilderness Areas Air Quality Values Report. Unpublished.).

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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 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 Higher level near-field screening and 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 Plume blight near-field 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.
Plume Blight Color Difference Index 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.

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AQRV Type: WATER
Sensitive Receptor Sensitive Receptor Indicator Thresholds
Aquatic Organisms Chemistry Sulfur deposition may significantly impact aquatic organisms at levels above 14 kg/ha/yr. Levels below 6 kg/ha-yr are not expected to significantly impact aquatic organisms.
Aquatic Organisms Chemistry Total sulfur plus 20% of nitrogen deposition at levels exceeding 16 kg/ha-yr may cause ANC loss that would impact aquatic organisms. Levels below 7 kg/ha-yr are not expected to significantly impact aquatic organisms.
Perennial Lakes and Streams Chronic Acid Neutralizing Capacity To maintain healthy biological functioning in perennial lakes and streams, the chronic acid neutralizing capacity must be >= 25 ueq/l. ANC's below 10 ueq/L (the red line) are expected to cause adverse effects.
Perennial Lakes and Streams Episodic Acid Neutralizing Capacity To maintain healthy biological functioning in perennial lakes and streams, the episodic acid neutralizing capacity must be >= 0 ueq/l.

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Pollutant Exposure Concern Thresholds
Pollutant Exposures Level Name Thresholds
Nitrogen EXCEEDANCE The Deposition Analysis Threshold for nitrogen deposition below which estimated impacts from a source are considered negligible is 0.010 kg/ha/yr.
S +20% N DEPOSITION Total sulfur plus 20% of nitrogen deposition at levels exceeding 12 kg/ha-yr may cause ANC loss that would impact aquatic organisms. Levels below 9 kg/ha-yr are not expected to significantly impact aquatic organisms.
Sulfur EXCEEDANCE 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.
Sulfur CHANGE Plume blight near-field 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.
Sulfur CHANGE 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.
Sulfur 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 %ile change in light extinction is <5% for each year modeled, when compared to the 20% best natural background values.
Sulfur EXTINCTION For sources generally further than 50 km from a Class I area, the visibility threshold for concern is not exceeded if the 98th %ile change in light extinction is <5% for each year modeled, when compared to the annual average natural condition value for that Class I area.
Sulfur CHANGE Higher level near-field screening and 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.
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):New Hampshire
County(s):Coos
Forest Service Administrative Unit(s):Northern Region (Region 9) -- White Mountain National Forest
Size:5,658 acres
Elevation Range:1,680 - 5,807 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: 10/22/13