Air Quality and Smoke Monitoring

A hazy view of the gorge from Canyon Rim.

NPS photo

 

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers outstanding scenic views and opportunities for outdoor recreation, but during spring and fall, smoke from wildfires can degrade air quality, reducing visibility and posing a health concern, especially for sensitive people. See below for live air quality data showing the amount of particulate matter (PM) from smoke. This graph uses the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is the standard tool of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to communicate air quality and provide health advisories.

 

This graph shows how smoke is affecting air quality in the New River Gorge as measured by a low-cost sensor, which is not a regulatory sensor but is useful for educational and health advisory purposes.

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