Wet-Dry Mapping the Rio de Flag; John Leary

 

 

 

John Leary¹*, Chelsea Silva², and Meghan Smart³

 

¹Northern Arizona University School of Earth & Sustainability, Flagstaff, AZ, USA; jl2473@nau.edu

²Friends of the Rio de Flag, Flagstaff, AZ, USA; deflagrio@gmail.com

³Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Phoenix, AZ; smart.meghan@azdeq.gov

 

 

The Rio de Flag in northern Arizona stretches over 30 miles from the headwaters in the San Francisco Peaks to the confluence with San Francisco Wash (a tributary of the Little Colorado River). It is an intermittent perennial stream and the effects of warmer weather on flow conditions are not documented. Wet-dry mapping is a cost-effective method for involving volunteers in monitoring surface water presence and absence. In May 2018 Friends of the Rio de Flag, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and volunteers wet-dry mapped 19 miles of the Rio de Flag to obtain baseline data. Results show 6.84 miles of wet portions, (36% of total length surveyed), 12.27 miles of dry (64% of total length surveyed), and 12.27 miles not surveyed (inaccessible or not walked). Results of this study can be used to document changes in surface flow and inform future restoration projects along the Rio de Flag.