EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KARST OF THE MOJAVE DESERT AND THE SOUTHERN PAIUTES

Due to the diverse environments in which karst is found, karst landscapes hold cultural significance and serve as valuable natural resources for communities all over the world. It is calculated that 15% of the world’s population reside in karstic terrain. In the American southwest, karst landscape in the Mojave Desert is sparse and is primarily found in the Providence Mountains, within the Paleozoic Bird Spring Formation that hosts ephemeral springs (Crystal Spring) and cave systems (Mitchell Caverns, Cave of the Winding Stairs). Clipper Mountains are a cluster of volcanic mountains that host multiple non-karst springs (Bonanza, Hummingbird). The Southern Paiute People from the Mojave Desert, possess a history of reliance on karst and non-karst springs and cave systems for shelter from the desert sun, storage, and survival, as well as for cultural ceremonies. However, there is minimal data published that investigates the relationship between Indigenous communities and water in this desert landscape pre- and during European settlement.

By analyzing rainfall amount and moisture trajectory station from weather data stationed adjacent to a karst (Crystal Spring) and non-karst (Bonanza Spring) spring, we will focus on the frequency of flooding events that largely recharge the Mojave Desert aquifer. In addition, the application of Ethnogeologic research will help frame and assess the risk factors of severe and unpredictable floods and droughts on local communities. This project will result in identifying and creating pathways for indigenous researchers and activists to share the urgency of supporting their communities and environments as anthropogenic climate change disrupts the hydrological cycle.