PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Decline in Spring Flow and Area Water Studies

Beginning in the late 1970s, a decline in the combined spring flow was observed at Pipe Spring. In 1980 alone there was a decrease of 2.1 gallons per minute (gpm). The decrease since 1977 was 7.2 gpm. [2294] Again in 1981, a decrease of 1.4 gpm was reported. The total flow was 27.6 gpm that year. In 1982 the flow decreased for the fifth year in a row to 25.67 gpm. [2295] Average flow for 1983 was 22.69 gpm; for 1984, 21.27 gpm. The latter figure represents a 59 percent decrease in flow over an eight-year period, since 1977.

During the week of September 10, 1984, officials from the Water Resources Division (WRD) in Fort Collins, Colorado, made a tour of Zion, Cedar Breaks, and Pipe Spring. Accompanying Chief Stanley L. Ponce and Hydrologist William B. Reed (both, Water Rights Branch), were Superintendent Harry Grafe, Assistant Superintendent Jim Brady, and others. The men met with Herr and reviewed the monument's springs and water system. At that time, they offered region and monument personnel assistance in developing a study to determine the reason for the decreasing flow. [2296] In December 1984, the monument initiated paperwork to request the study. [2297] At the request of Chief Ponce, Reed initiated research on the status of water rights at Pipe Spring in late 1984 and prepared the scope of work for the Pipe Spring study in 1985. [2298] No spring flow measurement was reported in Herr's annual report for 1985. In 1986 the monthly average measurement was 18.33 gpm, again indicating a reduction in flow.

In February 1986, local Moccasin rancher Grant Heaton reported to monument staff that there was no water in his cattle ponds, which were supplied by tunnel spring. He asked the monument to check tunnel spring for problems. The following month, local ranchers Landell and Fred Heaton also stopped by to express their concern over lack of water flowing to their cattle ponds from tunnel spring. Fred believed that the greatest drop in water level was observed after the Park Service's well was installed on the reservation in 1973. [2299] During March, Doug Dewitz pumped out the tunnel spring manhole, which was nearly filled to the top. The intakes were cleared of roots and outflow improved.

In March 1986, two men from the Water Resources Division visited the monument to informally assess the spring flow problem. [2300] A WRD team installed gauges and recording instruments in August 1986. That October the team installed measuring devices on the spring in Moccasin and on one of the Tribe's wells, in attempt to measure the outflow of those water sources. A two-year study was then begun by the division to try to determine the reasons for the decreasing spring flow. [2301] A slight increase in the flow was recorded for 1987, to 18.86 gpm. In 1988 the spring flow measurements showed a slight decrease, to 18.50 gpm.

Owen R. Williams and Donald C. Barrett prepared the report on the Water Resources Division's two-year study and submitted it to Chief Ponce on September 2, 1986. Referred to as a "scoping report," it is entitled, "An Evaluation of the Decline in Spring Flow at Pipe Spring National Monument." The report provided an analysis of water rights, described the management situation, and provided physical data gathered during the study period. Water monitoring continued beyond the study. The study indicated that the observed decline in spring flow,

...is real and likely to be the result of man-caused changes in the delivery of ground water to the collective springs at the monument, as opposed to natural variations in precipitation. Further, at the present rate of decline it is anticipated that spring flow will cease by the mid-1990s...

A suitable course of action for management is unclear at this time due to the lack of certain data. Therefore a set of alternatives for the correction of this deficiency was developed and is presented with a recommended alternative identified. [2302]

The report recommended that two courses of action be taken: 1) that additional long-term data be collected on ground water from a) the NPS-tribal well, b) an observation well in the Navajo aquifer near the Sevier fault, c) Moccasin Spring, and d) Pipe Spring; and 2) that alternate water sources be sought to substitute for the tribal and village wells in the Navajo Sandstone aquifer adjacent to the Sevier fault. In August 1986, Hydrologists Donald Barrett and Richard ("Rick") Inglis returned to the Pipe Spring area to install hydrologic data loggers at two locations to monitor ground water level, spring discharge, and precipitation. One logger was installed in an unused Kaibab Paiute tribal well (culinary well no. 1) located about two miles north of Pipe Spring; another logger was installed at Moccasin Spring, just west of Moccasin. Equipment was installed and operating on August 21. Barrett and Inglis planned to analyze the collected data semiannually the first year and prepare a summary report on an annual basis until the monitoring project was terminated. [2303] Hydrologist Alice E. Johns made the first visit to service monitoring equipment and to collect data in January 1987. At that time she also obtained information about the springs at Pipe Spring so that the Water Services Branch could prepare plans for the installation of flow measuring devices on those springs. [2304]

Tunnel Spring Rehabilitation

Preliminary investigations of tunnel spring by monument staff took place in early October 1987. [2305] A rockslide 10 feet from the entrance of the tunnel posed difficulties for workers, and safety hazards within the saturated tunnel were also very real. There was additional tunnel blockage at a depth of 30-40 feet. Funds in the amount of $15,000 were allotted to rehabilitate tunnel spring in December 1987. [2306] One of the purposes of the work was to facilitate better monitoring of the combined spring flow at the monument. The contract was awarded to Grace Company in September 1988. Rehabilitation work began about September 26 and consisted of replacing the distribution pipeline to the monument's south boundary and installing a new collection system. The job was completed by November 1, 1988. In addition to monument staff, Bill Rust, Water Resources Division, and Superintendent Grafe oversaw the work. The WRD provided instructions for installation of a monitoring device as rehabilitation of tunnel spring progressed. [2307]