Importance/Issues
Sonoran Desert Network parks contain many of the important surface waters of the American Southwest. Among these water bodies are three that are of special note: Quitobaquito Spring and Pond (at Organ Pipe Cactus NM; ORPI) and Tavasci Marsh (at Tuzigoot NM; TUZI). The unique character and unusual hydrology and ecology of these water bodies make them important focal resources and presents complex management issues for the parks where they occur.Parks Monitored
To be determinedMonitoring Objectives
1) Determine the quarterly status of and detect interannual trends in discharge from Quitobaquito Spring (ORPI), Shay Spring (TUZI), Tavasci Marsh (TUZI), Peck's Lake (TUZI).2) Determine the annual status of and detect interannual trends in water volume of Quitobaquito Pond (ORPI) and Tavasci Marsh (TUZI).
3) Determine the quarterly status of and detect interannual trends in core water quality parameters, primary nutrients, alkalinity, and biological condition.
4) Determine the annual status and interannual trends in benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
Potential Measures
1) Discharge: flow in cubic feet per second (cfs) and acre feet per year (afy)2) Volume: acre feet
3) Core water quality parameters: water temperature (degrees C), dissolved oxygen (mg/L water), instantaneous flow (cfs), specific conductance (microSiemens per cm degrees C), pH (su), turbidity (NTU)
4) Alkalinity: CaCO3 (mg/L water)
5) Primary nutrients: concentrations of N and P (mg/L water)
6) Biological condition: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in mg/L water; e. coli in colony-forming units (CFU)
7) Benthic macroinvertebrates: relative abundance by functional group; develop site-specific biointegrity indices