Attachment_H___HOSP_Foundation_Document_0001.pdf

August 2022

Signatures 8-19-2022

Foundation Document Hot Springs National Park Arkansas

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Foundation Document

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CITY OF HOT SPRINGS

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Park Administration Building

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Maurice Historic Spring Area

Display Springs

Jug Fountain

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Tufa Rock

Hot Water Cascade

Buckstaff (active bathhouse)

Ozark (cultural center)

Quapaw (active bathhouse)

Maurice

Hale (hotel)

Superior

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Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center and Museum

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 5 Park Significance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Other Important Resources and Values 8 Related Resources 9 Interpretive Themes 10

Part 2: Dynamic Components 11

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 11 Special Mandates 11

Administrative Commitments 11

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 12 Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 12

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 24

Part 3: Contributors 32

Park 32 Region 32 Other NPS Staff 32

Appendixes 33

Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Hot Springs National Park 33

Appendix B: Past and Ongoing Park Planning Documents 47

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Integrity: We deal honestly, ethically, and fairly with the public and one another.

· Stewardship: We provide and inspire exceptional care of the places entrusted to us by the American people.

· Respect: We embrace our differences and treat each person with dignity.

· Engagement: We each participate fully, extend genuine invitations, and remove barriers to inclusion.

· Collaboration: We succeed by engaging beyond our silos, tapping new ideas, and expanding our community.

· Accountability: We earn the public’s trust each day by competently and transparently fulfilling our responsibilities.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Hot Springs National Park can be accessed online at: https://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

https://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Park Hot Springs National Park is a 5,500-acre park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, that preserves geothermal spring water and resources related to therapeutic bathing and parklands that provide opportunities for public health and wellness activities. Congress created the park in 1832 when it designated the land as Hot Springs Reservation. In 1921, the reservation name was changed to Hot Springs National Park. Today, Hot Springs National Park preserves and manages its natural and cultural resources for over 1.5 million annual visitors. Located about 55 miles southwest of Little Rock, Hot Springs National Park encompasses mostly forested mountains but includes a developed urban edge formed by Bathhouse Row, which was designated a national historic landmark in 1987.

Bathhouse Row is a 0.25-mile-long row of eight bathhouse buildings along Central Avenue and is the most heavily visited part of the park. This area encompasses a 6-acre historic-designated landscape featuring open lawns, trees, shrubs, fountains, a formal staircase entrance, a Magnolia Promenade in front of the bathhouses, and a Grand Promenade behind the bathhouses. The park occupies one bathhouse (Fordyce) as a visitor center and museum and one for the cooperating association store, administrative offices, and curatorial storage (Lamar). Another bathhouse is staffed by volunteers with Friends of Hot Springs National Park.

The building is open on weekends as an art gallery showcasing the park’s artist-in-residence collection and is used for special events (Ozark). While all the bathhouse buildings belong to Hot Springs National Park, four of the buildings are operated by private sector business partners through leases and concessions contracts. These commercial opportunities allow for adaptive use with compatible commercial activities. The currently operated buildings on Bathhouse Row include a traditional bathhouse (Buckstaff), a modern spa (Quapaw), a craft brewery and restaurant (Superior), and a boutique hotel and restaurant (Hale).

One bathhouse (Maurice) remains vacant and available for lease under the NPS leasing program. The park administration building at the south end of Bathhouse Row also houses the water distribution system. A ninth bathhouse (Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center) was established in 1922 as a free government-operated bathhouse and public health service clinic for indigent people. The building is set apart from Bathhouse Row and is currently vacant and being offered for adaptive reuse or may be used for park purposes.

Hot Springs National Park collects and distributes thermal water to the bathhouses, public fountains, a nonprofit hospital, and, at times, up to three hotels outside the park. The park uses an extensive underground collection system that is largely concealed from public view. Although most of the 47 springs on the mountainside are capped to prevent contamination, the public can interact with the spring water by bathing in the bathhouses, viewing several display springs, or by collecting it as drinking water from one of the park’s public fountains. Thousands of people come to the park to fill jugs or bottles from the outdoor jug fountains that provide the water free to the public.

The unique geology of the Ouachita Mountains creates the geothermal system that generates the hot springs.

When rainwater seeps into fractures in the highly permeable Bigfork Chert and Arkansas Novaculite formations of the mountains, the water filters down deep into the earth. The geothermal gradient causes the surrounding rock to heat at a predictable rate with increased depth. As the water travels to extreme depth, it is heated by conduction to approximately 160°F, causing various minerals to dissolve into the water. The water then rises to the surface through the faults and joints leading up to the western base of Hot Springs Mountain, where the hot mineral water is passively collected. The area where the mountains absorb the rainwater that feeds the hot springs is called the “recharge zone” and is understood to be partly within the park boundary. Recent studies show that a sizable portion of the recharge zone is found outside the boundary, east of the park. An ongoing US Geological Survey (USGS) research and monitoring project will help determine the exact extent of this recharge area.

The climate change projected for the Hot Springs National Park region could influence both discharge and temperature of the park’s hot springs (see appendix C for a more comprehensive discussion of climate change).

Recharge Zone

Hot Springs National Park

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Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishing a park. The purpose statement for Hot Springs National Park was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. Hot Springs was set aside by the federal government as a reservation in 1832 and established as a national park in 1921(see appendix A for enabling legislation and subsequent amendments, if applicable).

The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

The purpose of Hot SpringS national park is to protect its unique geothermal spring water and associated lands for public health, wellness, and enjoyment.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Hot Springs National Park and are supported by data, research, and consensus.

Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Hot Springs National Park.

(Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. Hot Springs National Park protects a unique combination of lithology, geologic structure, and water sources that produce the only nonvolcanic geothermal springs of such high quality (temperature, taste, color, odorless) in the United States.

2. Hot Springs National Park is the only national park in the United States established to promote a holistic approach to health by ensuring public access to geothermal water, the surrounding natural environment, and other public recreational landscapes.

3. Hot Springs National Park offers unparalleled opportunities for research of a geothermal hydrologic system that has been geologically stable for 200 million years, such as the study of the recently discovered globally unique thermophilic life forms and other yet-to-be-discovered resources.

4. The Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark, which contains the largest collection of early 20th-century bathhouses in the United States and the Grand Promenade, showcases the evolving approach to the architectural and landscape design of spa resorts.

5. The thermal springs in Hot Springs National Park were the first and continue to be the only federally controlled hot springs in the United States to be managed for both public health and consumptive use.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Hot Springs National Park:

· Thermal Water and All Components. The hot springs are a result of a unique geology of the area in combination with the present topography. The springs function through two interrelated geographic areas: the discharge zone and the recharge zone.

The water is geothermally heated at a depth of approximately 7,000 feet in the recharge zone, and the thermal springs emerge in the discharge zone along Bath House Row, all of which are capped for the unimpaired protection of their natural properties. The water itself is distributed to park visitors for use and/or consumption.

· Water Collection and Distribution System. The water collection and distribution system allows the public and park visitors to experience the thermal waters. Capped springs are piped to cisterns, which in turn are pumped to and distributed at bathhouses and fountains. The water collection and distribution system is fundamental to the park’s purpose of providing usage and enjoyment of the thermal waters.

· Public Interaction with Geothermal Water and the Natural Environment for the Promotion of Holistic Human Health. The public has an opportunity to interact with the thermal water through bathing or drinking or enjoying uncapped springs and fountains. This value of public access and interaction extends to the landscape where therapies in restoring and preserving public health have been available for generations.

· Cultural Landscape, including Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark.

Cultural landscapes in the park are Bathhouse Row, Grand Promenade, the formal entrance, Whittington Park, West Mountain, Hot Springs Mountain (East Mountain), the Fordyce–Ricks estate grounds, Gulpha Gorge Campground, the Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center (formerly the government bathhouse), the medical director’s residence, and the Spring Street duplexes. “Reservation Front” is the portion of the park that lies between Reserve Street, Central Avenue, Fountain Street, and the initial portion of Hot Springs Mountain Drive, as well as the retaining wall at the southern property edge of the Rehabilitation Center. Within that area are six landscape character areas: Bathhouse Row, South Park, Foreground Park, Tufa Park, Arlington Lawn, and Wooded Park. This fundamental resource includes the Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark.

· Museum Collections. The museum collections preserve artifacts and archives related to the development and research of Hot Springs National Park. The collection contains approximately 750,000 items, including prehistoric and historical artifacts.

Other Important Resources and Values Hot Springs National Park contains other important resources and values (OIRV) that are not fundamental to the purpose of the park and may be unrelated to its significance but are important to consider in planning processes. These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the park and warrant special consideration in park planning.

The following other important resources and values have been identified for Hot Springs National Park:

· Other Natural Resources. Other natural resources important to planning processes in the park are rare plant species, cold water springs, and scenic views. Rare plant species include the Ozark chinquapin, an imperiled chestnut species; Graves’ speenwort;

and Missouri bladderpod. Cold water springs, which are also present within the park and contribute to the park’s purpose, provide thermal and cold waters for public consumption. Scenic views offered along the mountain drives and overlooks provide visitors with expansive views of Garland County.

· Other Cultural Resources. Other cultural resources within park boundaries that are important to planning processes in the park are the Hot Springs Creek Arch, archeological sites, Hot Springs Mountain Tower, and other historic structures within park boundaries. The Hot Springs Creek Arch is a historic enclosure over Hot Springs Creek that runs underground and is not visible to visitors but is critical to the movement of water through the park. The area is owned by the City of Hot Springs.

Archeological sites (e.g., Novaculite quarries, cemeteries) are found throughout the park, both historic and precontact, several of which are significant for the region.

Hot Springs Mountain Tower was completed in 1983 and allows visitors to view the larger landscape of the park and beyond. Over 50 other historic structures are located within park boundaries. Notable historic resources within park boundaries that are not owned by the National Park Service are the former Army and Navy General Hospital and the Fordyce–Ricks estate.

· Trails. The park’s 26 miles of hiking/equestrian trails allow visitors to immerse themselves in nature and find quiet places in the forested hills surrounding the city’s downtown area. This urban/forest interface is a key experience. New wayside exhibits along the routes allow visitors to learn about different aspects of the park’s natural and cultural history. Local visitors routinely exercise along the trails or use them to find a bit of solitude, while visitors from around the country and world find opportunities for exploration, whether in an easy walk along the promenade or a more strenuous hike on the Sunset Trail. The new Pullman Trail is the only one that allows bicycles and serves as a connection from downtown to the city’s world-class Northwoods mountain bike trails on lands adjacent to the park.

Related Resources Related resources are not owned by the park and are outside of park boundaries. They may be part of the broader context or setting in which park resources exist, represent a thematic connection that would enhance the experience of visitors, or have close associations with park fundamental resources and the purpose of the park. The related resource represents a connection with the park that often reflects an area of mutual benefit or interest and collaboration between the park and owner/ stakeholder. Resources related to Hot Springs National Park include:

· Structures in the community associated with the American Spa Movement

· Arlington Hotel

· Thermal water recharge zone

· Hot Springs Creek Arch

· Former Army and Navy General Hospital (within the NPS boundary but not a park resource)

· Fordyce–Ricks estate

· Camp Garraday

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park and define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of the connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Hot Springs National Park:

· The Hot Springs. The geothermal spring water that Hot Springs National Park protects and shares flows from Hot Springs Mountain and carries thousands of years of history. The water is transformed by the power of the earth and dependent upon present actions by all to preserve its future.

· The American Spa. The impressive cultural landscape of Bathhouse Row reflects the growth of the “American Spa” movement and the changing medical, architectural, social justice, and public health standards of the past; the landscape continues to evolve to meet the needs of modern times.

· Ouachita Range Ecosystem. The ancient Ouachita Mountains’ geology creates a geothermal system with mineral-rich waters that support a diverse ecosystem and has inspired scientific discoveries throughout its history.

· Park and People. The geothermal water and geologic features attracted many communities to the area over the centuries and gave rise to a city that catered to visitors from all walks of life seeking health and wellness, even as equal access was denied to some because of race, ethnicity, religion, and gender.

· Resource Protection Pioneer. Because of the perceived healing power of the thermal water, the federal government protected the springs for public use in perpetuity—an action that helped shape the national park purpose of preserving natural resources for the benefit of future generations.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established, and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process. They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement.

Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Hot Springs National Park.

Special Mandates Since 1832, 67 public laws specific to Hot Springs National Park have been enacted. Many are in reference to boundary changes, land use, and jurisdiction.

Administrative Commitments

· Fire Support

- Hot Springs Fire Department

- Morning Star Volunteer Fire Department

- Piney Volunteer Fire Department

- Fountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department

- Arkansas Department of Emergency Management

- Arkansas Forestry Commission

- Arkansas National Parks/FMO

· Law Enforcement Support

- Hot Springs Police Department

- Garland County Sheriff’s Office

- Arkansas State Police

- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

- National Park Service Investigative Services Branch

- Federal Bureau of Investigations

· US Geological Survey

- Flood warning system

- Thermal water monitoring

- Multiple thermal water research projects

· Fundraising/Philanthropic Partner

- Friends of Hot Springs National Park

· Cooperating Association

- Eastern National – Lamar Bathhouse

· General Agreement

- Friends of Hot Springs National Park – Ozark Bathhouse

· Concessions Contracts

- Ortega National Parks – Mountain Tower

- The Buckstaff Bath House Company – Buckstaff Bathhouse

· Lease Agreements

- US Forest Service – Medical Directors Residence

- Quapaw Baths and Spa – Quapaw Bathhouse

- US Congressman Bruce Westerman Office – park headquarters

- Zest Enterprises LLC, Hotel Hale – Hale Bathhouse

- Vapor Valley Spirits, Inc. – Superior Bathhouse

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental resources and values and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Thermal Water and All Components

Related Significance Statements

1, 3, 5

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The recharge zone for thermal waters is intact and functioning properly

• Current research now supports the theory that the bulk of the thermal water recharge is outside the Hot Springs National Park boundary

• Currently, the springs are uniform in regard to discharge, water quality, and temperature

• The approximate discharge is 700,000 gallons in a 24-hour period This amount can fluctuate by 100,000 gallons +/- per day

• Current use is sustainable at this time

• The park is adjusting thermal water-use patterns seasonally for heat Usage is increasing markedly

• The US Geological Survey and Hot Springs National Park continue to research the recharge zone and advocate for protection measures, including providing supporting data for Garland County in its efforts to develop protective ordinance

Trends

• The National Park Service and partners continue to gain valuable information as more research is conducted on the recharge zone

• The park has concerns about the sustainability of the thermal water distribution system and an aging infrastructure that could fail

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Non-NPS-controlled development could lead to some degree of diminished water quantity

• Drought conditions will impact the discharge

• Climate change models project an increase in air temperature (+2 6°C to +4 4°C) and a decrease in precipitation (2% to 8%) between 1990 and 2100

• Encroachment could occur due to the lack of a parkwide boundary survey

• The system is at various stages of deterioration

• The increased use of thermal water for heating structures increases the demand on the system

• The system is vulnerable to criminal activities

• The construction of a highway bypass (Highway 70 East - Highway 7 North) could lead to an increase in impervious surfaces in the recharge zone and less water entering the hydrogeological system

• Climate change may alter fundamental composition of forest tree species in the spring recharge zone Warming may exacerbate invasive vegetation issues by further promoting their growth and establishment, which could impact water absorption

• Scientists have identified two potential climate futures for the park and surrounding area: hot-dry or wet-warm Under a hot-dry future climate scenario, there is an increased risk of wildfire in the spring recharge zone, particularly under increased water deficits (i e , deficit and drought can stress vegetation and increase vulnerability to insect pests) Increasing hot-dry conditions can lengthen the fire season Wildfire could alter recharge the dynamics of hot springs (e g , more precipitation runs off rather than infiltrates groundwater) Large hot fires could also influence water quality In a wet-warm climate scenario, increased frequency of extreme rainfall events could result in changes to groundwater spring flow, groundwater spring temperature (by influencing the short flow path, shallow cold-water pool), and springs water quality Extreme rainfall events could also increase the propensity for flooding in the park

Fundamental Resource or Value

Thermal Water and All Components

Threats and Opportunities (continued)

Opportunities

• Better understand thermal water quality through regular monitoring and testing

• Partner with The US Geological Survey, The Nature Conservancy, and local/state government to protect the recharge zone The US Geological Survey is working on a model to better understand the recharge zone

• Coordinate with Garland County for long-term protection of the recharge zone through local ordinances

• Collaborate with community leaders and partners to develop communication outreach

Existing Data and Plans Related to the

FRV

• US Geological Survey technical reports on the functioning and location of the recharge zone

• Resource stewardship strategy (2020)

• Resource management plan (1998)

• General management plan/development concept plan (1986)

• Water resource management plan (1982)

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Comprehensive condition assessment of water collection and distribution system (in process)

• Geophysical surveys

• Thermophile studies

Planning Needs

• Coordinate with Garland County on the development of protection measures for the recharge zone

• Develop a thermal water management plan and rulemaking

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Clean Water Act; 33 USC §1251–1387; 33 USC §1151

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources ”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 1) “Protection of Surface Waters and Groundwaters ”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 2) “Water Rights ”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 4) “Floodplains ”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Water Collection and Distribution System

Related Significance Statements

2, 5

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The system capacity is over 800,000 gallons

• The age of system components ranges from 35–70 years

• Thermal water collection and distribution boxes are aging; some piping has excessive sediment build up and no longer functions properly

• Several valves on the holding tanks are nearing 50 years old and do not function, which forces the park to drain the reservoir before making repairs to broken lines A condition assessment of the thermal water collection and distribution system is underway, including the collecting line in the Creek Arch

• Concerns exist for the sustainability of the thermal water distribution system (the aging infrastructure could fail; a complex, dynamic system)

• Some thermal water collection boxes (inlets and outlets) are full of sediment and no longer functioning This trend is likely to increase over time

• Some distribution lines are no longer functioning

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• The system is at various stages of deterioration

• The increased use of thermal water for heating results in increased demand on the system

• The control systems are obsolete

• Unknown ownership of Creek Arch (which contains the thermal distribution lines) results in confusion regarding management responsibilities between Hot Springs National Park and the City of Hot Springs

• The system is vulnerable to criminal activities

• Corrective, emergency repairs may result in loss of historic character and flooding;

improper engineering may affect the quality and quantity of the thermal water supply for visitor enjoyment

• Limited understanding of groundwater dynamics and the unknown timing and effects of unintended water contamination may affect water quality beyond the life of management plans (water may take thousands of years to travel from the point of origin to the recharge zone and emergence at the springs)

• A lack of ability to examine the holding tank and distribution lines exists

• Impacts on the aging water collection and distribution infrastructure (destabilization, environmental conditions) and impacts on water quality, temperature, and the flow of hot springs may occur

• Significant effects to businesses that depend on the thermal water if the supply is interrupted may occur

Opportunities

• Use available technology to analyze equipment within extreme thermal temperatures

• Identify which springs are collected vs which are freely flowing into Creek Arch

• Determine and mitigate hazardous materials in collection system, as appropriate

• Assess park’s needs of access and spring monitoring at the thermal water collection boxes

• Determine inflow pipes to the thermal water collection boxes and understand the underground flow routes through the use of geophysical analysis

Fundamental Resource or Value

Water Collection and Distribution System

Existing Data and Plans Related to the

FRV

• Natural resources condition assessment (draft)

• Land protection plan (1985)

• General management plan/development concept plan (1986)

• Long-range interpretive plan (2008)

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Identify the number of visitors who collect thermal water from the water fountains

• Perform a comprehensive condition assessment of water collection and distribution system (in process)

• Determine and mitigate hazardous material in the collection system, as appropriate

• Perform water quality monitoring

Planning Needs

• Develop a thermal water management plan and rulemaking

• Update the business management plan

• Develop a joint urban plan for downtown

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Clean Water Act; 33 USC §1251–1387; 33 USC §1151

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources ”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 1) “Protection of Surface Waters and Groundwaters”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 2) “Water Rights”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 4) “Floodplains”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Public Interaction with Geothermal Water and the Natural Environment for the Promotion of Holistic Human Health

Related Significance Statements

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The park’s 26 miles of trails are in good condition

• The park’s 8 5 miles of roads are in good condition

• Gulpha Gorge Campground and two park picnic areas are in good condition

• Multiple display features (fountains, cascade, springs) are in good condition

• Bathhouse Row is in good condition

• The Buckstaff and Quapaw Bathhouses are the only public bathing facilities remaining in the park

• Remnants of the Oertel trail system exist in the form of newer trail and road systems Some trail markers exist, and maps are available in park archive collection showing where the four trails were located

• Other recreational opportunities are explored as options to promote holistic health in a natural environment

Trends

• The Buckstaff Bathhouse offers the traditional bathing opportunity and remains fully booked The Quapaw Bathhouse offers a range of bathing options and has expanded to accommodate increased use

• Trails are used frequently for walking, and hiking is a daily activity in Whittington Park Dog walking and horseback riding is also common Arkansas Master Naturalists schedules many walks in the park A number of organized trail runs occur The Spa 10k goes through the park

• Conditions of trails are improving as park staff has been addressing issues such as drainage issues and tread

• Mountain bikes on the new Pullman Trail is a popular activity

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• The park does not own approximately 900 feet of the Oertel trail system

• The Libbey Memorial Physical Medical Center and Maurice bathhouses are currently vacant All are available for lease to the private sector

• Interactions are negatively impacted by criminal activity, most notably disorderly behavior;

assaults; drug and alcohol violations, including public intoxication and driving while intoxicated; thefts; vandalism; and littering

• The condition of Bathhouse Row is threatened by the cumulative impacts of visitor use, erosion, and weathering, which have been difficult to mitigate, given both continued use and funding challenges

• Aggressive nonnative species threaten the integrity of old-growth stands and other upland forest communities

• Sections of some trails are on park roads

• Concerns are emerging about forest pests and pathogens and epizootic disease, which can be transferred to both wildlife and humans (e g , ticks, mosquitoes)

• Legionella bacteria exists and proper water management plans are needed for all end users of the water

Fundamental Resource or Value

Public Interaction with Geothermal Water and the Natural Environment for the Promotion of Holistic Human Health

Threats and Opportunities (continued)

Opportunities

• Improve trails, including a new bicycle trail connection to bisect the park

• Through lease, concession, agreement, or the National Park Service, rehabilitate the Libbey and/or Maurice Bathhouses for public use

• Seek funding for the fabrication of new museum exhibits to replace outdated exhibits at the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center

• Leverage resources through the Servicewide Combined Call, private donors, the National Park Foundation, and others to highlight the park’s 100-year anniversary as a national park unit and its 200-year anniversary as a reservation

Existing Data and Plans Related to the

FRV

• Bathhouse Row Adaptive Use Report (1985)

• General management plan/development concept plan (1986)

• Fordyce Historic Structure and Furnishings Report (1987)

• Landscape management plan (1994)

• Hale, Maurice, Ozark, Superior, and Quapaw Bathhouse Historic Structures Reports (2004)

• Long-range interpretive plan (2008)

• Libbey Bathhouse Historic Structure Report (2009)

• Cultural landscape report – parkwide (2011)

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Monitor water quality

• Identify the number of visitors who collect thermal water from water fountains (in process)

Planning Needs

• Develop historic structure reports for the Buckstaff Bathhouse

• Develop historic structure reports for the Lamar Bathhouse

• Undertake strategic planning for the Army–Navy hospital property

• Develop a joint urban plan for downtown

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; 42 USC §12101 et seq

• Architectural Barriers Act of 1968; 42 USC §4151 et seq

• Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards 2006; 36 CFR §1191 1

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973; 29 USC §701 et seq

• NPS Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998; 54 USC §101912

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 7) “Interpretation and Education ”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 8) “Use of the Parks ”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 9) “Park Facilities ”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 10) “Commercial Visitor Services ”

• Director’s Order 6: Interpretation and Education.

• Director’s Order 42: Accessibility for Visitors with Disabilities in National Park Service Programs and Services.

• NPS Transportation Planning Guidebook

Fundamental Resource or Value

Cultural Landscapes, including the Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark

Related Significance Statements

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Cultural landscapes are generally in good condition

• The average natural visual range is approximately 120 miles However, scenic views are obscured by pollution-caused haze, reducing visibility to about 50 miles on average

• Bathhouse Row is generally in good condition Several components of the landscape have treatment actions identified in the cultural landscape report Bathhouse Row has a completed cultural landscape record Bathhouse Row is around 6 acres, but the record includes all of the park property located in downtown Hot Springs and is quantified at 18 acres

• Gulpha Gorge Campground is in good condition and is heavily used by visitors and locals The Mission 66-era amphitheater is a popular site for ranger programs, and the campground’s day-use picnic area is used heavily Gulpha Gorge Campground has a completed cultural landscape record

• Whittington Park is in good condition and is the focal point of the Whittington Avenue neighborhood The park’s walking trails and concrete bridges are used daily by many runners and walkers The park is also the location of summertime band concerts

• Hot Springs Mountain Drive is in good condition The road provides access to Hot Springs Mountain Tower, the Hot Springs Mountain day-use picnic area, the Pagoda observation platform, and North Mountain Loop

• West Mountain Drive is in good condition The road provides access to overlooks and West Mountain Summit Drive The road is also used daily by local drivers to bypass downtown traffic when traveling from western parts of the city to the north side of town

• The mountain drives are in the cultural resource inventory system as an incomplete record

• The Fordyce/Ricks estate grounds are in fair condition This area immediately surrounds the Fordyce/Ricks house, which is not owned by the park The grounds include Ricks Pond, the stone bridge, the old boathouse foundation, the stone dam, the stone footbridge, and the powerhouse The wooden upper portion of the boathouse deteriorated several years ago, while the machinery in the interior of the powerhouse is unrestored

• The medical director’s residence is in good condition and is currently leased by the US Forest Service’s Forestry Sciences Laboratory Southern Research Station

• The two former Army and Navy General Hospital duplexes on Spring Street are in good condition One duplex houses the park law enforcement office, and the other is currently used by law enforcement rangers as an exercise facility

• The former government bathhouse on Spring Street, known today as the Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center, is in good condition on the exterior but is unrestored on the interior The building has no intrusion detection or fire alarm systems and no HVAC system

Trends

• Most of these cultural landscapes do not have completed cultural landscape inventories, except Gulpha Gorge Campground (completed in 2012)

• One of the Spring Street duplexes is included in the park housing plan for future use as housing for Federal Law Enforcement Training Center trainees

Fundamental Resource or Value

Cultural Landscapes, including the Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Notable exceptions to the condition of the cultural landscapes are due to the cumulative impacts of visitor use, erosion, and weathering, which have been difficult to mitigate given both continued use and funding challenges

• The landscape is negatively impacted by criminal activity, most notably theft, vandalism, littering, and graffiti

• Pressure for certain types of public recreational activities and access (trail run races, lessees of historic buildings who desire to expand contemporary use of buildings) may affect historic building resources

• Climate change may alter the fundamental composition of forest tree species in cultural landscapes Warming may exacerbate invasive vegetation issues by further promoting their growth and establishment

• Drainage and erosion issues north along the Grand Promenade have the potential to impact landscape features

Opportunities

• Improve visitor amenities at Gulpha Gorge to enhance visitor experiences of the landscape while protecting character-defining features

• Update the 1994 landscape management plan to include cultural landscape report recommendations

• Develop day-to-day objectives for routine maintenance actions to enhance and maintain the landscape features

• Include cultural landscape features in the Facility Management Software System (FMSS) and seek appropriate funding Cultural landscape report recommendations should be developed as FMSS work orders

• Address and stabilize erosion on the Gulpha Gorge lawn and creek

• Complete determinations of eligibility for all components of the landscapes

Existing Data and Plans Related to the

FRV

• Bathhouse Row Adaptive Use Report (1985)

• General management plan/development concept plan (1986)

• Fordyce Historic Structure and Furnishings Report (1987)

• Landscape management plan (1994)

• Hale, Maurice, Ozark, Superior, Lamar, and Quapaw Bathhouse Historic Structure Reports (2004)

• Long-range interpretive plan (2008)

• Libbey Bathhouse Historic Structure Report (2009)

• Cultural landscape report – parkwide (2011)

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Update the national historic landmark nomination

• Locate and identify all off-site collections and ensure they are being stored at NPS museum standards (in process)

• Conserve certain collection items

Planning Needs

• Develop historic structure reports for the Lamar Bathhouse

• Develop historic structure reports for the Buckstaff and Lamar Bathhouses

• Create a landscape preservation maintenance plan

Fundamental Resource or Value

Cultural Landscapes, including the Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Antiquities Act of 1906; 54 USC §320301–320303; 34 Stat 225

• Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act of 1935; 54 USC §320101 et seq

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; 54 USC §300101 et seq

• Archeological…