Water quality monitoring for high-priority water bodies in the Sonoran Desert network
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This paper describes a network monitoring program for “high priority” water bodies in the Sonoran Desert Network of the National Park Service. Protocols were developed for monitoring selected waters for ten of the eleven parks in the Network. Park and network staff assisted in identifying potential locations of testing sites, local priorities, and how water quality sampling might be integrated into overall vital signs monitoring and park operations. Several criteria were used to determine the priority of these water bodies. These include ecological and perceptual threats to public and wildlife health, as well as adequacy of monitoring efforts. In conjunction with selecting water bodies and sample sites, water quality monitoring parameters are also identified. These include five “core” parameters that will be sampled as part of the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program: temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity, pH, and flow or water levels. Additional parameters were selected based on park-specific stressors or threats gathered from discussions with park and network staff, literature research, and ADEQ 303 (d) mandated reports on water quality.