Using Spring Inventories to Facilitate Management

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Using Spring Inventories to Facilitate
Management

• Donald W. Sada
• Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV
• June 27, 2007
• U. S. National Park Service
• Mojave Network Inventory and Monitoring Program

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Groundwater Research

• Chemistry
• Aquifer Provenance, Water Age, Dimensions, etc.

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Biological Research

• RECENT
• Macroinvertebrate
• Riparian Communities
• Community Ecology
• Crenobiontics
• Taxonomy
• Biogeography
• Ecology
• Demography
• Effects of Stressors

• HISTORICAL
• Fish
• Taxonomy
• Biogeography
• Physiology
• Conservation Biology
• Life History
• Ecology

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Importance of Springs

• Ecology is Closely Associated with Physiochemical
  Characteristics of Groundwater Systems and
  Environmental Stress
• Biodiversity Cultural Hot Spots in Arid Lands
  (Native Americans, Rural Economies, Birds,
  Mammals, Riparian Vegetation, Aquatics)
• Sole Habitat for Crenobiontic
  Species (Springsnails, Fishes, Aquatic
  Insects, etc.)

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Natural and Human DisturbanceN 1590
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The Conceptual Challenge

• So many (survey, manage)
• Broad diversity of types, sources, landscapes
• Most in degraded condition

• Historically not considered to be important
  biological resources
• Limited knowledge of physicochemical-biological
  relationships

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The Practical Challenge

• Locate resources
• Identify/prioritize problems and issues
• Design implement management
• Restoration
• Monitoring
• Rare species
• Design conduct appropriate research

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Spring I and M Program

• Develop inventory and monitoring protocols
• Characterize resources
• Size
• Access
• Stressors (Natural Human)
• Location
• Physicochemical attributes
• ID location of rare species
• ID potential management issues
• Prioritize management restoration programs
• Inventory water features (springs, wells, etc.)
• Compile information in reports and common database

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I M Protocol

• Level I
• Reconnaissance survey, infrequent
• Locate, characterize aquatic riparian
  environments, ID presence and absence of
  important species
• 15 data elements
• Level II
• Periodic visits (e.g., annual, biannual, every 5
  years)
• Quantitatively assess physiochemical environment
  and aquatic and riparian community structure
• Level III
• Long term and more frequent (e.g., Seasonal)
• Quantitatively document spatial temporal
  variation in community structure, demography, and
  environment (aquatic riparian)
• Quantify habitat preferences for important
  (indicator) species

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What is a Spring ?

• Aquatic system supported by water traveling
  through a confined geology and discharging onto
  the land surface through natural processes

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Springs vs. Streams

• Springs
• Relatively static
• Discharge
• Water Temperature
• Water Chemistry
• Turbidity
• Etc.
• Weak hydraulic processes

• Streams
• Relatively variable
• Discharge
• Water temperature
• Water chemistry
• Turbidity
• Etc.
• Strong hydraulic processes

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Arid Land Aquifer Generalities

• Mountain
• Small (Watershed)
• Springs Discharge on Mountain or Ridge Blocks
• Short Residence Time (seasonal or annual)
• Many Not Persistent, Frequently Dry
• Local
• Larger (Mountain Range)
• Springs Discharge at Lower Elevations (Bajada or
  Valley Floor)
• Elevated Residence Time (gt annual)
• Persistence gt 20 yr.
• Regional
• Large (Basin Range)
• Springs Discharge on Valley Floor
• Long Residence Time (millennial)
• Geologically Persistent

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Ecologically Important Stresses

• NATURAL
• Persistence
• Chemistry
• pH
• Conductance
• Temperature
• Solute Concentrations Ratios
• Disturbance
• Flood
• Fire
• Avalanche
• Etc.

• ANTHROPOGENIC
• Diversion
• Pipe
• Channelization
• Impoundment
• Groundwater use
• Non-native species
• Ungulates
• Cattle, Horses, Burros
• Aquatics
• Vertebrates
• Fishes, Amphibians
• Invertebrates
• Crayfish
• Mollusks

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Ecological Effect of Stressors

• Relative to
• Magnitude
• Frequency
• Duration

High
Richness
Tolerance
Low
Stress
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ResultsMojave Network Water Features

• Death Valley637
• Joshua Tree156
• Grand Canyon-Parashant228
• Lake Mead80
• Great Basin210
• Mojave Preserve183
• Manzanar0

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DEVA Water Features
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Location of DEVA Springs
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Basic Water Chemistry
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Basic Biological Characteristics
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Stressors
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DEVA Summary

• Large number of springs over wide area and fed by
  different aquifers
• Mostly small
• Many stressed and unstressed by natural and human
  factors
• Drought
• Flooding
• Diversion
• Ungulates
• Wide diversity of important riparian and aquatic
  species

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Identify Priority Monitoring Sites

• Highest biological richness
• Persistent aquatic systems
• Largest springs (highest discharge longer brooks)
• Presence of obligate spring dwelling inverts
• Minimally stressed by natural human factors
• Easy access

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Monitoring PrioritiesMatrix Analysis

• Presence of Important Aquatic Species
• Absent 1, Present 10, gt1 Present 15
• Ease of Access
• 1 or 2 0, 3 5, 4 10, 5 15
• Spring Brook Length
• gt 500 m 10, lt 500 gt 200 7, lt 200 gt 50 5, lt
  50 2
• Scouring
• None 10, Occasional 5, Frequent 0
• Aquatic Habitat Persistence
• Persistent 10, Ephemeral 0
• Stressor Level
• Unstressed/Slight 10, Moderate 2, High 0--

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Priority Monitoring Sites
Saratoga Spring DV
Grapevine Ranch Springs DV
Salt Creek DV
Badwater Springs Province DV
Annie Oakley Spring DV
McLean Spring DV
Travertine Springs Province DV
Upper Hall Canyon Spring PV
Unnamed Darwin Hills DV
Waucoba Spring SV
Flicker Spring DV
Bangbang Spring DV
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Summary

• Level 1 Inventories characterize environmental
  and biological features of individual springs
• Over an area, this information can be used to
• Identify management issues
• Prioritize management
• Prioritize restoration
• Qualitatively describe baseline conditions for
  future monitoring

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What Next?

• Understand spatial and temporal variation in
  biotic and abiotic systems
• Quantify reference conditions
• Implement holistic monitoring
• Quantify relationship between stress levels and
  environmental and biological integrity

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