BLM CA Mojave Desert Area Hydrologic Reconnaissance

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The project would consist of the field reconnaissance of springs and selected wells within each of the subregions. All work would be conducted under the oversight of a California Professional Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist. A nongovernmental organization (NGO) and the hydrogeologist will work with BLM to identify the final list of springs and wells for each subarea. Spring monitoring would be conducted along the general guidelines presented in Dr. Donald Sada¿s spring reconnaissance methodology prepared for the Desert Managers Group (DMG) but focusing on the hydrologic aspects of his spring method. While biological data will be critical future data to be collected, in the end, biological resources at the springs are tied to the viability of the water source. Further, hydrologic data are easier to accurately quantify and measure with repeatability as opposed to changes in biological resources. The information gathered during this task will inform future biological surveys, eliminating the time spent on far-ranging locations that may otherwise have little value. Additionally, the field reconnaissance will inform any plans for follow-up geochemical sampling of spring water.

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