Seep & Spring Monitoring at Bighorn Canyon

The Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network and Montana State University are working together to develop a protocol to monitor the ecological condition of seeps and springs in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Long-term monitoring of water quantity and quality and spring flora and fauna aims to detect the ecological response of seeps and springs to natural and human impacts. With early detection, park staff can take management actions to address the cause(s) of impacts to springs. This monitoring project takes a water quality approach and focuses on spring discharge and water chemistry. Because these are the driving parameters of the ecological function of springs, spring discharge and water chemistry are the first parameters to respond to major impacts (climate change, trampling, and diversion).