Special Projects » Budding Botanists: Spring Stewards [Project Info] : Local Projects
Spring stewards Project Information
The goal of this partnership is to 1) document baseline conditions at a large number of springs using inventory methods that are consistent across multiple land management jurisdictions, 2) increase knowledge of springs in the Grand Canyon region to support implementation of effective resource management practices and to guide restoration efforts, 3) build a large constituency of trained volunteers to assist in springs inventories (a.k.a. Springs Steward volunteers), 4) provide a forum for sharing knowledge and resources among volunteers, regional experts, and representatives of multiple government entities in an effort to update and broaden knowledge of these important ecosystems. In 2009 we coordinated inventories of springs in three main project areas:
South Rim Springs: This work provided training opportunities for Spring Steward volunteers and included initial botanical inventories to complement long-term water quality data sets at several springs along the Tonto Trail from Cottonwood to Monument Creek in Grand Canyon National Park.
Kanab Creek Springs: The purpose of this work was to characterize baseline conditions in springs that may be influenced by existing uranium deposits and are of high value culturally and for recreation purposes. Inventories were conducted at 14 springs in Grand Canyon National Park and the North Kaibab Ranger District.
House Rock Valley: This work was geared toward assessing impacts to springs associated with Grand Canyon Trust's livestock operation in House Rock Valley and included springs in the Kaibab National Forest and along the base of the Vermilion Cliffs. Click here to learn more about springs assessments on the Kane and Two Mile ranches.
In 2009 more than 30 springs were inventoried using a comprehensive set of methods developed by the Southern Colorado Plateau Network and collaborators that include physical characterizations of each spring and collection of biological (botanical inventories and limited macroinvertebrate community assessments) and hydrologic data. Data collected through these efforts are being entered into a shared database that will be accessible to the agencies, organizations, and the public.
Upcoming Projects and Opportunities
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