Summary Report, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Beaver/Wet Beaver Creek Seepage Run, October 30, 2003

Water Rights Branch, Water Resources Division, National Park Service

The National Park Service has initiated a project to investigate and describe the hydrology and water rights in the Montezuma Castle National Monument area. Part of the project includes conducting seepage runs along Beaver Creek and its tributary, Wet Beaver Creek. The information will be used for developing water budgets and plans to preserve and protect the water and water-related resources of the Monument. A reconnaissance-level seepage run, consisting of stream-discharge measurements taken at 10 different locations along a stream reach, was conducted in the monument area on June 13, 2002. A second seepage run was conducted during October 30, 2003 on the same stream reach. The purpose of the second seepage run was to evaluate the quality and importance of the measurement site cross sections measured on June 13, 2002 and to collect additional discharge data at the same cross sections. The October 30, 2003 seepage run was to measure discharge at the same ten locations measured during June 13, 2002. Flow conditions and property ownership considerations dictated that five new measurement sites be established and measured (Sites 11 - 15) along with measurements at five of the June 13, 2002 sites (Sites I, 3, 4, 5, and 1 0). This report is a summary of the results of the October 30, 2003 seepage run. .... Samples were collected of mud, water, animals, core and rock. A table shows the source and the contents of the collection. No conclusions had been made of the samples at the time this report was turned in. Diving conditions are reported: visibility poor (due to thousands of shrimp-like crustaceans), low turbidity, unpredictable currents, attaining and maintaining neutral buoyancy was very difficult. Severe disorientation resulted from the water conditions which also include a 'false' bottom.