Springs monitoring protocol implementation plan for park units in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network

Perkins, Dustin; Weissinger, Rebecca; Moran, Mary; Monroe, Steve; Thomas, Helen; McCoy, Lee; Soles, Ellen

In semi-arid regions, such as the Colorado Plateau, springs and seeps occupy a tiny fraction of the overall landscape, yet they support disproportionately high levels of productivity (Oberlin et al. 1999; Perla and Stevens 2008), biodiversity, and endemism (Welsh and Toft 1981; Erman 2002; Hershler and Sada 2002; Sada et al. 2005; Spence 2008). At broader spatial scales, springs play key roles in arid ecosystems by providing refugia for migratory birds (Skagen et al. 1998) and critical habitat for reptiles and amphibians, and also by serving as the primary source of water for more extensive aquatic and riparian habitats. A metaanalysis estimated that over 60% of species found in arid region riparian areas are not found in adjacent upland habitats (Sabo et al. 2005). Springs in arid and semi-arid regions are also often focal points of human activity with widespread human impacts (Shepard 1993; Hubbs 1995). Surface and groundwater diversions, livestock grazing, and recreation are disproportionately high in these areas, and represent primary threats to spring ecosystems. An inventory of 103 springs on the Arizona Strip found that over 90% had some type of development for human, livestock, or game use (Grand Canyon Wildlands Coun-cil 2002). Another study of 505 springs in northern Nevada found that 85% were disturbed by livestock and diversions, and only 5% of the springs were unaffected by human disturbances (Sada et al. 1992). Because of their importance for wildlife and ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau, and be-cause of the effects that human use has had, and continues to have on these rare resources, spring ecosystems were identified as ecosystems of concern by the Southern Colorado Plateau Network (SCPN), and scientists of network parks. This protocol implementation plan (PIP) describes the procedures for implementing the Springs Monitoring Protocol for Park Units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) (Weissinger et al. 2017) as it relates to springs selected for monitoring in SCPN park units. It also incorporates sections of the Riparian Monitoring of Wadeable Streams Protocol for Park Units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (Weissinger et al. 2018) and Big Rivers Monitoring Protocol for Park Units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (Perkins et al. 2018). Weissinger et al. (2017) defines springs as groundwater-dependent ecosystems with measurable flow or stage, and defines seeps as groundwater dependent ecosystems with-out measurable flow or stage. The essential driver of spring ecosystems is the source of the water and the geologic structure that brings it to the surface (Bryan 1919). Springs and seeps vary tremendously in their surface expression, with the topographic setting of the spring emergence affecting avail-able habitat and environmental conditions, resulting in a rich array of possible spring types. Figure 1 presents a site-specific conceptual model of spring ecosystems typical of the Colorado Plateau. Springer and Stevens (2009) developed a classification system for spring types based in part on work on the Colorado Plateau (Table 1). A wide variety of spring types are found within SCPN park units, including hanging gardens (seep lines along contact and bedding planes in sandstone), pools (limnocrene), channelized flow (rheocrene), flow gushes from a cliff wall (gushette), and low-gradient (helocrene) and high-gradient (hillslope) springs with diffuse, unfocused flow. This PIP is designed for sampling hanging gardens, as well as conducting initial site visits to other spring types while additional procedures are being developed for sampling these types.

Springs monitoring protocol implementation plan for park units in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network

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