Walnut Canyon National Monument: Natural resource condition assessment
Baril L, Valentine-Darby P, Struthers K, Whitefield P. 2018. Walnut Canyon National Monument: Natural resource condition assessment. Natural Resource Report. NPS/SCPN/NRR—2018/1637. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program, administered by the National Park Service’s (NPS) Water Resources Division, aims to provide documentation about current conditions of important park natural resources through a spatially explicit, multidisciplinary synthesis of existing scientific data and knowledge. The workshop for the Flagstaff Area National Monuments (NM) NRCAs, which includes Walnut Canyon, Wupatki, and Sunset Crater Volcano, was held from May 17 - 19, 2016. This NRCA report is for Walnut Canyon NM. Walnut Canyon was established as a national monument in 1915 to preserve the hundreds of archaeological sites along 16.1 km (10 mi) of Walnut Creek (NPS 2015a). The rare water source was a valuable resource for the Northern Sinagua people and rich biological communities (NPS 2015a). For Walnut Canyon NM’s NRCA, park staff selected 10 natural resource topics for condition assessments and an evaluation of habitat connectivity between the three Flagstaff Area NMs. Walnut Canyon NM’s resources were grouped into five broad categories: landscapes, air and climate, geology and soils, water, and biological integrity, which included wildlife and vegetation resources. Most of the assessments resulted in a good or moderate concern condition rating. The most significantly impacted resource included the Walnut Creek Riparian Area Creek -one of the park’s most biologically rich areas. The resources at Walnut Canyon NM face many threats due to an ever-increasing human population within and surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona and increasing temperatures and erratic precipitation events due to climate change. The Flagstaff Area NM’s proactive science program will become even more important in influencing resource conditions and identifying necessary adaptations in a rapidly changing environment.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Baril, Lisa; Valentine-Darby, Patricia; Struthers, Kimberly; Whitefield, Paul
- Date of Issue
- 2018-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NRSS , WACA , WRD