Agua Tibia Wilderness

Agua Tibia Wilderness, (Spanish for "warm water") (abbreviated as ATW), is mostly contained within the Cleveland National Forest, Palomar Ranger District. [cite web | url = http://www.asmwest.com/scout588/boyscout/outdoors/dripping_springs.html |title= Dripping Springs Campground, Cleveland National Forest |publisher=asmwest.com |accessdate=2007-11-02] It is located in Riverside County, California and San Diego County, California. The ATW was designated in 1975 by the United States Congress and has a total of 15,933 acres. Between its inception and 1984, the ATW was San Diego County's only officially designated wilderness area. [cite web |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yIoay-qReoUC&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=agua+tibia+wilderness&source=web&ots=pvnS3g0NaR&sig=-UYv26kr0wcZ1xD7_mCOGYpzh5s |title=Afoot & Afield in San Diego County |author=Jerry Schad |publisher=goggle.com |work=pdf |accessdate=2007-11-02]

Its approximate boundaries are:cite web |url=http://tchester.org/sd/places/agua_tibia.html |title=Agua Tibia Wilderness General Information |publisher=tchester.org |accessdate=2007-11-02]
* North- SR-79 South
* East- Arroyo Seco River
* South- Fray Creek
* West- Pala Road

There are no permanent streams in the ATW. The largest part of the ATW is the Agua Tibia Mountain, whose elevation ranges between convert|1615|ft|m and convert|4763|ft|m. [cite web |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/air/technical/class_1/wilds.php?recordID=1 |title=General Information |publisher=fs.fed.us |accessdate =2007-11-02]

Though the summer climate is typical of the Temecula Valley—hot, with limited shade, and no water sources—for 110 years, there were no fires in the ATW. That changed in the last two decades, with the 1987 Palomar Mountain Fire, the 1989 Vail Fire, the August 2000 Agua Tibia Fire, and the 2007 Poomacha Fire.

Its pollution exposure is monitored within the San Diego Air Basin. [cite paper |url=http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:UlMgJM-Vw8kJ:ocid.nacse.org/airlichenPDF/AguaTibia.pdf+agua+tibia+wilderness&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us |title=Lichens and air quality in the Agua Tibia Wilderness, California: a baseline study |author=Bruce D. Ryan |date=May 1990 |work=html |accessdate=2007-11-02]

The ATW is home to rare plants, found only in or near it, which include:
* Nevin's Barberry
* Rainbow Manzanita
* Round-leaved Boykinia
* Vail Lake Caenothus

References

External links

* [http://www.fs.fed.us/air/technical/class_1/wilds.php?recordID=1 USDA Forest Service official site]
* [http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.4&lon=-116.97&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=m&s=200 Topo Map]
* [http://www.sdreader.com/php/roamshow.php?id=20060316 Trail map and photo]
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland/projects/forestplan/part2/land-uses-prospect-aguanga-pt2.shtml Land Management Plan Strategy]