Article

Climate and Water Monitoring at White Sands National Park: Water Year 2022

White Sands National Park

Two people in the distance hike on top of rolling pristine white sand dunes with blue mountains looming on the horizon.
White Sands National Park

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Overview

Together, climate and hydrology shape ecosystems and the services they provide, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Understanding changes in climate, groundwater, and surface water is key to assessing the condition of park natural resources—and often, cultural resources.

At White Sands National Park (Figure 1), Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network scientists study how ecosystems may be changing by taking measurements of key resources, or “vital signs,” year after year—much as a doctor keeps track of a patient’s vital signs. This long-term ecological monitoring provides early warning of potential problems, allowing managers to mitigate them before they become worse. At White Sands National Park, we monitor climate, groundwater, and springs, among other vital signs.

Reporting is by water year (WY), which begins in October of the previous calendar year and goes through September of the water year (e.g., WY2022 runs from October 2021 through September 2022). Surface-water and groundwater conditions are closely related to climate conditions. Because they are better understood together, we will report on climate in conjunction with water resources. However, climate and groundwater data were not available in WY2022. Therefore, this article only reports the results of springs monitoring at White Sands National Park in WY2022.

Springs

Background

Springs, seeps, and tinajas (small pools in a rock basin or impoundments in bedrock) are small, relatively rare biodiversity hotspots in arid lands. They are the primary connection between groundwater and surface water and are important water sources for plants and animals. For springs, the most important questions we ask are about persistence (How long was there water in the spring?) and water quantity (How much water was in the spring?). Springs reporting is by water year (WY), which begins in October of the previous calendar year and goes through September of the current calendar year (e.g., WY2022 runs from October 2021 through September 2022). Springs sampling for WY2022 at White Sands National Park occurred on 11 May 2022, except for water persistence, which is monitored continuously throughout the water year.

List of Springs

Scroll down or click on a spring below to view monitoring results.

EC-30 Spring ǀ Garton Pond

Person pointing at the spring orifice in a small depression in the ground in a flat landscape covered in white sand and many scattered, dried grasses.
Figure 1. EC-30 Spring at White Sands National Park, May 2022.

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WY2022 Findings at EC-30

EC-30 Spring (Figure 1 above) cannot be characterized by a single spring type so we categorize it as “other,” although it is closest to a helocrene spring (low-gradient wetland) or limnocrene spring (spring that emerges as a pool). The spring is in a flat, open area near the northeast corner of White Sands National Park and emerges from multiple orifices across the landscape. These orifices form distinct potholes less than 30 cm in diameter and of varying depths (0.0–0.5 m). When the water table is high, the surrounding area is submerged under shallow, standing water, and when it is low, the potholes are the only wetted areas. The WY2022 visit occurred on 11 May 2022, and the spring was wetted (contained water).

Site Condition

In WY2022, the site condition module (rating disturbance, taking landscape photographs, and looking for invasive wildlife, invasive plants, and obligate/facultative wetland plants) was not completed for this site due to time constraints.

Water Quantity

Temperature sensors indicated that EC-30 Spring was wetted (contained water) for 223 of 223 days (100%) measured up to the WY2022 visit (Figure 2). In prior water years, the spring was wetted 52.6–100% of the days measured.

Area chart of water persistence showing the spring was wet from April 2018 to April 2022. It was predominantly dry from April 2017 to April 2018, with short, intermittent wet periods. It was wet October 2017 through March 2017.
Figure 2. Water persistence in EC-30 Spring, White Sands National Park.

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As in past years, there was no measurable discharge at EC-30 Spring because there was no surface flow. Wetted extent was also not measured, as our standard methods for standing water are not realistic for the site. We are exploring alternate methods to measure wetted extent at the site in the future.

Water Quality

Core water quality and core water chemistry were collected at the primary sampling location at Orifice B (the deepest of the potholes). Dissolved oxygen was within the range of its prior measurements, while pH, specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, and water temperature were higher than previousl values (Table 1). A syringe and calibration cup were used to collect water samples. Sampled water was murky, values took longer than normal to stabilize, and the probe was hot from sun which may have affected the water temperature value.

The water chemistry sample was sent to a laboratory for analysis. Water chemistry values for alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and potassium were within the ranges of previous values, while chloride and sulphate were higher (Table 2). The results are presented in the following tables along with ranges of prior values.

EC-30 Spring Data Tables

Person standing next to two wooden posts on the edge of a pond that is barely visible beneath a dense stand of grasses in a flat landscape of shrubs and grasses.
Figure 3. Garton Pond at White Sands National Park, May 2022.

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WY2022 Findings at Garton Pond

Garton Pond (Figure 3 above) is a helocrene spring (a spring that emerges in a diffuse fashion; marshy, wet meadow settings) that is about 20 m long, between 5 and 10 m wide, and 0.2–0.8 m deep. A dense stand of bulrush (Schoenoplectus sp.) populates the pool. The WY2022 visit occurred on 11 May 2022 and the spring was wetted (contained water).

Site Condition

In WY2022, the site condition module (rating disturbance, taking landscape photographs, and looking for invasive wildlife, invasive plants, and obligate/facultative wetland plants) was not completed for this site due to time constraints.

Water Quantity

Temperature sensors indicated that Garton Pond was wetted (contained water) for 223 of 223 days (100%) measured up to the WY2022 visit (Figure 4). In prior water years, the spring was wetted 42.5–100% of the days measured.

Area chart of water persistence showing the pond contained water consistently, except for an extended period from mid-summer 2018 to April 2019 and a few short periods in late WY2019 and WY2020.
Figure 4. Water persistence in Garton Pond, White Sands National Park.

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As in past years, there was no measurable discharge because there was no surface flow. The standing water method for wetted extent is normally used at Garton Pond but was not completed in WY2022 due to time constraints. Prior year measurements are included in Table 3.

Water Quality

Core water quality and water chemistry data were collected at the primary sampling location in the deepest part of the pool. Compared to prior years, dissolved oxygen was within the range of prior values, water temperature, specific conductivity, and total dissolved solids were somewhat higher, and pH was slightly lower (Table 4). The water chemistry sample was sent to a laboratory for analysis. Values for alkalinity and chloride were within range of previous values, while calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sulphate were higher (Table 5). The results are presented in the following tables along with ranges of prior values.

Garton Pond Data Tables

Authors: Andy Hubbard, Susan Singley

Please cite this report as
Hubbard, A., and S. Singley. 2024. Climate and Water Monitoring at White Sands National Park: Water Year 2022. Chihuahuan Desert Network, National Park Service, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

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Last updated: November 12, 2024