Monitoring Chaco Wash Using Monumented and Surveyed Cross-Sections, Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Inglis, Richard

Although Chaco Wash in Chaco Culture National Historical Park has extensive erosion-control projects for the protection of its cultural resources, no long-term monitoring of channel erosion had been undertaken. This summary (and related papers in the folder) concerns a long-term project to document conditions and changes. "The specific monitoring objective is to identify trends of aggradation and degradaton (erosion and deposition) and lateral migration of key locations in Chaco Wash within the boundaries of the park." The paper includes narrative descriptions of the 13 sites. An associated page gives site locations, and marked maps identify 13 cross-sections established in 1999 by Paul Whitefield and Rick Inglis. A large collection of field data sheets in the folder contains data from a May 1999 survey. "This includes sketch maps of the cross-sections, listing of the distance-elevation data, magnetic compass bearing of each cross-section, and a plot of each cross-section." The 4-page report also includes recommendations for additional measurements and data collection to increase the value of the information.