Rivers & Streams Quick Reads

Meet Darren Fong, aquatic ecologist for Golden Gate National Recreation Area and lead scientist for the SFAN streamflow monitoring program. Discover how Darren's fascination with aquatic life and freshwater ecosystems began and learn how he got to be where he is today.

Healthy wetlands perform a variety of key functions wherever they are found. California has already lost more than 90% of certain types of wetlands, including stream-side wetlands, the most prevalent wetland type in Pinnacles National Park. The San Francisco Bay Area Network Inventory and Monitoring Program collected pilot monitoring data on a small number of stream sections at Pinnacles National Park in 2009 and completed its first full year of wetlands monitoring in 2012.

Although riparian areas do not represent a large proportion of Pinnacles National Park, they are extremely important to the species that live within and around them. An inventory of the species that occur in the riparian areas of Pinnacles was conducted in 2001- 2004. The completed inventory revealed a moderate change to the vertebrate species composition since the last inventory, and included some other interesting findings.

Water quality is an indicator of the condition of aquatic habitat and is also an important indicator of the overall health of watersheds. In partnership with the Presidio Trust, National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program staff conduct monthly water quality monitoring at 16 sites in the Presidio to determine long-term trends in water quality parameters. These include water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate (as nitrogen), phosphate, and coliform bacteria.

Freshwater quality affects people’s enjoyment of San Francisco Bay Area national park resources, and plays a direct role in the health of aquatic habitats. In 2006, the National Park Service began monitoring freshwater quality under a long-term monitoring plan developed for Golden Gate National Recreation Area, John Muir National Historic Site, Muir Woods National Monument, Pinnacles National Park, and Point Reyes National Seashore.

The amount of water flowing in a stream, or streamflow, is among the most useful factors available for understanding watershed and stream health. The San Francisco Bay Area Network Inventory and Monitoring Program and its partners monitor streamflow in selected streams at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Pinnacles National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, and the Presidio of San Francisco.