Springs and seeps monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network, version 1.00

Weissinger, Rebecca; Moran, Mary; Monroe, Steve; Thomas, Helen

The core mission of the National Park Service (NPS) is to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of future generations. The NPS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Division was created to provide managers with credible scientific information about park natural resources to inform management decisions. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) serves 16 national park units throughout Utah, western Colorado, southern Wyoming, and northern Arizona. In 2003, NCPN staff solicited input on natural resources of concern and ecosystem indicators known as “vital signs” from several hundred NPS staff and regional and national experts (O’Dell et al. 2005). Because of the scarcity of water on the Colorado Plateau and the disproportionately high use by flora and fauna, springs and seeps were quickly identified as an ecosystem of concern for the NCPN. Four parks have implemented springs and seeps monitoring: Arches National Park (ARCH), Canyonlands National Park (CANY), Hovenweep National Monument (HOVE), and Natural Bridges National Monument (NABR). These four parks are managed jointly as the Southeast Utah Group (SEUG). Potential vital signs were evaluated for management significance and utility, ecological significance, scientific validity, feasibility and cost of implementation, and signal-to-noise ratio. Three vital signs are targeted for springs and seeps monitoring: 1) water quantity, 2) water quality, and 3) vegetation species composition, with an emphasis on endemic plant populations at hanging gardens. Water quantity (discharge or stage) and water quality (pH, specific conductance, water temperature) are sampled at selected sites on monthly (March—November) visits at ARCH, CANY, and HOVE. Vegetation species cover and endemic plant counts are sampled at a random selection of hanging gardens at ARCH and NABR. For all indicators, some sites are sampled annually while others are sampled on a two-year rotation. Related NCPN monitoring efforts, such as water quality (Thoma et al. 2009) and wadeable streams monitoring (Weissinger et al. 2016), are conducted at additional sites and parks. This monitoring protocol consists of this protocol narrative and the following standard operating procedures (SOPs), available at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2240107: SOP 1: Safety, Field Personnel, and Training SOP 2: Sampling Overview and Equipment Needed SOP 3: Site Establishment and Characterization SOP 4: Site Map and Vegetation Characterization SOP 5: Hydrologic Monitoring SOP 6: Site Condition and Repeat Photopoints SOP 7: Associated Measures at Hanging Gardens: Endemic Plant Census SOP 8: Decontamination Procedures SOP 9: Data Management SOP 10: Data Summary, Analysis and Reporting SOP 11: Revising the Protocol Narrative and SOPs

Springs and seeps monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network, version 1.00

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