12/17/2025
During the last two weeks, the MOJN hydrology crew has been monitoring desert springs within Black Canyon, just below Hoover Dam, at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Accessing these sites requires the crew to take a boat up the Colorado River from Willow Beach. Then they get off the boat and hike up each drainage until they reach what is considered the spring “source” or location where the water is first visible above the ground. Data collected includes measurements and observations of surface water quantity, water quality parameters, dominant vegetation types, any invasive plants found, as well as evidence of wildlife use and disturbance (natural or anthropogenic).
While collecting these data is important as it provides park management with the best available science to make decisions, what is even more important is ensuring our crews are safe while they are out in the field, often in very remote areas of the parks. One of the ways we do that is by using a small communication device that allows the crews to check in with short messages and send an emergency beacon if needed. Plus, we can track our crews throughout the day via a website. See the example of a map with one day’s worth of tracks for the hydro crew from last week. Having consistent communication techniques and other safety protocols helps reduce the chance for a safety issue, and if there is a problem, the crew can quickly be found by emergency responders. It also just gives those of us that are working in the office a sense of security for our teams, and it’s always fun to check out how they are doing throughout the day.
Scroll through the photos to see some of the sites our crew visits during their monitoring. All photos by A. Lynch, M. Driscoll and NPS.
