ARID-LAND SPRINGS

Don Sada, aquatic ecologist with the Desert Research Institute (DRI), has traveled the back roads of the Great Basin-Mojave Desert regions for more than 20 years in search of springs. Through numerous research projects, Sada has compiled extensive data illuminating the importance of these arid-land springs scattered throughout the western United States. Springs and the wetlands that rise up around them are vital resources in dry regions as they provide habitat, feed, and a critical source of water for plants, animals, and humans. In addition, arid-land springs and wetlands are focal points of prehistoric human occupation, service ranging livestock, and provide recreational resources for contemporary human activity.

Through research sponsored by the National Park Service, Sada has developed protocols for surveying and monitoring desert springs in national parks and historic sites within the Mojave Desert, specifically referred to as the Mojave Network. These protocols, detailed in the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Network for the Mojave Parks, are a series of investigative procedures used to assess thousands of springs that previously have not been surveyed. The gathered data will be used in prioritizing management actions, monitoring responses to human activity, and identifying or cataloging plants and animals inhabiting the springs.

Sada’s work and a growing body of science demonstrate that arid-land springs—many being small and difficult to find—are vital to wildlife. Birds use them as rest stops on their long migration journeys, while other animals find food and water and raise their young in the dense thickets. Because the numbers and locations of these springs have not been well defined, there is a movement afoot to inventory the thousands of “desert jewels” that exist in arid regions of the west. The goal is to devise ways to protect the springs and the wildlife that depend on the life-giving resources.

The challenge is preserving these delicate resources and keeping them healthy, while ensuring that landowners and others can continue to use them, too. According to Sada, there are those who believe that dedicating water for human use takes precedence over the flora and fauna that also depend on the water. However, Sada and others believe strategies can be devised to allow human uses while preserving and protecting plant and animal life at springs. As an applied ecologist, Sada often assists government agencies, public utilities, and private organizations in developing ways to minimize environmental influences of land-use practices.