Analysis of springs assessment data for stewardship in the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests, Northern Arizona

In the arid Southwestern U.S., thriving and diverse ecosystems exist in regions that are known for being hostile environments. There are many factors and reasons why there is such great biodiversity in the Southwest, but the occurrence of groundwater exiting the earth to form surface water contributes greatly to this biodiversity. Springs provide unique and essential habitat for plant and animal communities to thrive. Unfortunately, the practice of developing springs for human uses has degraded the natural conditions of many of the springs in the Southwest. To properly manage the springs, assessments of the spring's ecosystems needs to be conducted. Once spring ecosystem conditions are known, land and resource managers can make better decisions on which spring restoration projects can occur. The goal of this project was to assess 200 springs in the Coconino National Forest (CNF) and the Kaibab National Forest (KNF). My hypothesis was that spring ecosystem condition depends on ease of access for humans (i.e. proximity to roads) and level of spring development for water collection. Using a prioritization scheme for spring restoration that was developed in coordination with the land and resource managers, the results of the assessments were analyzed to determine the top quartile of springs that are most in need of increased stewardship. Stewardship plans were developed for these high priority springs. Analysis of data collected during springs assessment indicated that springs ecosystem condition had a negative correlation with ease of access and level of development of the springs area. The results and information gained from this project were disseminated to the land and resource managers at the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.