Wetland Training for Tribal Watershed Staff

Kevin Stark and Eric Lindquist traveled to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, home of the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona.

 

Kevin and Eric provided training to Tribal watershed personnel including hydrologists, water quality specialists, and field technicians on updated wetland and riparian area data created by GSS. This training included an introduction to the wetland and riparian area classification systems (i.e. Cowardin et al. [1979] and Dick et al. [2009]), discussions and suggestions on using the data in conjunction with the Tribe's on-going spring inventory and water quality monitoring efforts, and how to use a GIS to gather needed information about the wetland landscape. They also discussed how the data could predict wetland functions and how this information could provide insight on where the Tribe might engage in wetland protection, enhancement, and restoration.

The group also went around the Reservation visiting many spring-fed wetlands, streams, floodplains, cienagas, and restoration sites where knowledge gained in the training was put to use!