When thinking of ingredients essential to life, water and air certainly come to mind. But the quality of the water and air may not be as obvious. This is where scientific monitoring efforts come into play.
The Sedona area, beloved for its recreation opportunities, presents an experience many locals and visitors take advantage of in summer: the ability to cool-off in Oak Creek and Fossil Creek. Oak Creek is one of the few perennial streams in Northern Arizona’s high desert and is vital to people and wildlife. Its water source is a combination of underground aquifers, snowmelt, and precipitation. Fossil Creek, one of only two “wild and scenic” rivers in Arizona, is spring-fed. It is accessible year-round, but requires a U.S. Forest Service permit between April 1st and October 1st.
These vital waterways are part of the Verde River watershed and play an important role in providing water and supporting a diverse ecosystem, including endangered species. The quality of the water impacts the overall health of the creeks and those that rely on it for survival.
In partnership with the Forest Service and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Water Sampling volunteers with the non-profit organization Friends of the Forest monitor water quality at Fossil Creek year-round and Oak Creek during the summer months. Each month, trained volunteers use a specialized probe called the Aqua Troll to collect key data including pH levels, oxygen saturation, total dissolved solids, specific conductivity, barometric pressure, and temperature. Additional testing is conducted for E. coli and turbidity (the cloudiness of water caused by suspended particles like silt, algae, or other materials).
To ensure accuracy, volunteers meet rigorous data quality standards, undergo annual training, and participate in regular audits. The data they collect is submitted to ADEQ, added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s national database, and made publicly accessible.
“Friends of the Forest volunteers are a prime example of the power of community scientists,” says ADEQ Community Science Coordinator, Meghan Smart. “They work tirelessly to protect the environment through credible data collection and educating the public and youth at STEM events. Their dedication and data help to protect Arizona’s unique environment, and make up an essential part of ADEQ’s Community Science Alliance Program. They consistently go above and beyond in their efforts, and we are grateful.”
When visiting any water sources, practice the principles of Leave No Trace:
- Have a poop plan, for humans and pets, so water isn’t polluted and other visitors aren’t grossed-out
- Stick to the trails so there is no additional environmental degradation
- Pack out all your trash, including all fruit peels and other food waste
- Protect the watershed because anything done and/or left in the area can directly impact the quality of the water, negatively affecting plants and animals
Friends of the Forest volunteers also monitor air quality. Ike’s Backbone Air Sampling Station is near Fossil Creek and is one of 156 nation-wide that is part of the IMPROVE program (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments).
IMPROVE addresses visibility degradation in national parks and wilderness areas that have been designated by Congress as places to be afforded the highest level of air quality protection under the law. Weekly, volunteers travel in a Forest Service-provided vehicle over extremely bumpy terrain to change filters and collect data at Ike’s Backbone. The data collected is subsequently shared with partners of the Environmental Protection Agency, which is the primary source of funding. Partners, like the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis, provide field maintenance and volunteer support, sample handling, elemental analysis, and data processing.
Often times, these vital volunteers are called “community scientists” and they enjoy sharing their knowledge with the local schools. Recently, Water and Air Sampling volunteers assisted ADEQ with hands-on STEM projects with students. The students enjoyed the demonstrations and learned the importance of keeping the waterways clean and practicing Leave No Trace principles while recreating.
Author, Jerry Checchia
Water and air quality monitoring are just a couple of the many activities within Friends of the Forest. For more information, please visit our website at friendsoftheforestsedona.
Serving Sedona, written this week by Jerry Checchia, Friends of the Forest, appears Wednesday in the Sedona Red Rock News.