SPRING WATER QUALITY AND SURFICIAL GEOLOGY RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT GRAND JUNCTION FIELD OFFICE, COLORADO

The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office area spans over more than 1 million acres of high desert land, composed primarily of sedimentary deposits, and subject to arid and semi-arid climates. Water rights are usually established on BLM land to appropriate land use for programs such as grazing, oil and gas development and wildlife. Springs are a vital source of water and are utilized to help improve management.

In 2016, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) soil, water, and air program of the BLM Grand Junction field office partnered with the Geological Society of America through their GeoCorps™ America internship program to inventory and monitor springs within the field office and within the Dominguez-Escalante and McKinnis Canyon National Conservation areas. Water quality and discharge data are utilized in assessing spring health and identifying the potential use for natural resource management needs. A one-way ANOVA was performed to help determine if water chemistry of the springs and the underlying geology, recorded from a 250K surficial geologic formation GIS layer mapped by USGS had any relationships. This information will drive future questions and investigations and help resource managers make resource management decisions.