Mojave Desert Network inventory and monitoring streams and lakes protocol: 2009 and 2010 pilot data
Moret GJ, Caudill CC, Baker GM. 2013. Mojave Desert Network inventory and monitoring streams and lakes protocol: 2009 and 2010 pilot data. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/MOJN/NRDS—2013/448. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Mojave Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network (MOJN I&M) began pilot testing its Streams and Lakes protocol in the summer of 2009. The protocol was revised based on the results of the 2009 tests, and a full field season of monitoring was carried out in the summer of 2010. The field work was conducted primarily by the staff of Great Basin National Park (GRBA) and MOJN I&M cooperators. Discharge data on Lehman Creek was collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The MOJN I&M Streams and Lakes monitoring protocol has three components: monitoring the regulatory status of water bodies in and adjacent to GRBA and Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAKE); monitoring water quality, discharge, and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in GRBA streams; and monitoring water quality, water level, lake clarity, and ice-free period in GRBA lakes. The regulatory status review revealed that four streams in GRBA are considered to be Class A waters by the state of Nevada. There are four water bodies near LAKE considered to be impaired by the state of Nevada (the Muddy River, the Virgin River, Las Vegas Wash, and the Colorado River), and the Colorado River from Hoover Dam to Lake Mohave is considered to be impaired by the state of Arizona. The water quality in GRBA streams is generally excellent, with the measured concentrations of most constituents present at concentrations far below regulatory limits. The available discharge data exhibit a pattern typical of snowmelt-fed headwater streams. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages observed in the streams are consistent with healthy ecosystems. The water quality in GRBA lakes is generally excellent, with low measured concentrations of all constituents. The acid neutralizing capacity of the lakes is relatively low, indicating that they could potentially be sensitive to acid deposition. The lakes were frozen-over from early November 2009 until late May to early June 2010. The first two years of monitoring have provided valuable baseline data on the health of aquatic ecosystems and enabled the testing and development of robust field methods. The 2009 and 2010 data in this report will be analyzed extensively in a quadrennial trend analysis report following the 2013 field season.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Moret, Geoff; Caudill, Christopher; Baker, Gretchen
- Date of Issue
- 2013-02
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GRBA , LAKE , MOJN , NRSS
- Keywords
- acid neutralization capacity, Baker Creek, Baker Lake, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, Class A, Colorado River, Discharge, Dissolved Oxygen, Great Basin National Park, Groundwater, ice-free period, Impaired, Johnson Lake, lake clarity, Lake Mead, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Mojave, Lakes, Las Vegas Wash, Lehman Creek, Lower Snake Creek, major ions, Mojave Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network, Monitoring, Muddy River, Nutrients, perennial stream, pH, pilot, Regulatory, Reservoirs, specific conductance, Status, Stella Lake, Strawberry Creek, Stream and Lake Report, Streams, subalpine lake, Temperature, Teresa Lake, Upper Snake Creek, Virgin River, Water Chemistry, Water Level, Water Quality, withdrawal
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Hydrology | Surface Water Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Water Chemistry , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Nutrient Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Algae