watervulnerability

Coconino National Forest Watershed Vulnerability Assessment, Southwest Region (R3)
It should be noted that the ID team questioned the accuracy of the stream spring layer because it only
includes about 200 springs and there are at least 100-150 more known springs not digitized in the forest
GIS. Additional spring data were obtained from Northern Arizona University (NAU). NAU and other
studies have identified at least 100-150 more springs located in the fifth-field watersheds included in this
assessment.
Results of the riparian spring ratings are shown in Figure 8.
Perennial Stream Habitat
As mentioned earlier, perennial stream habitat on the CNF is relatively uncommon, and supports a wide
variety of environmental and human uses. Initially, streams were combined with riparian and spring
habitat, but further consideration by the ID team resulted in the decision to look at the perennial stream
resource by itself. The team felt that the data for perennial streams were slightly better than that for either
riparian habitat or springs, and that the existing and future demands on the perennial stream resource
justified the switch. Miles of stream were calculated for each subwatershed. The results, displayed in
Figure 9, reflect ratings based on ranking of the subwatersheds by miles of stream and then grouping
them into thirds. The break for these groupings is less than 16 miles for low, and greater than 27 miles for
a high rating.
Figure 9. Relative values of subwatershed for perennial stream habitat
140 Assessing the Vulnerability of Watersheds to Climate Change