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Physical Resources Foundation Report White Sands National Monument

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Physical Resources Foundation Report White Sands National Monument National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Physical Resources Foundation Report White Sands National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/NRR—2009/166 ON THE COVER Barchan dunes of White Sands National Monument as seen from the air. Photograph courtesy of White Sands National Monument Physical Resources Foundation Report White Sands National Monument Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/NRR —2009/166 Jeffery Bennett Big Bend National Park P.O. Box 129 Big Bend National Park, TX, 79830 (prepared water resources sections in report) Douglas Wilder NPS Midwest Region Geospatial Support Center 120 Russell Labs 1630 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706 (prepared geologic resources sections in report) November 2009 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. This report is available from the Natural Resource Publications Management website http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM Please cite this publication as: Bennett, J., and D. Wilder. 2009. Physical resources foundation report, White Sands National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/NRR—2009/166. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 142/100371, November 2009 Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... v Tables ........................................................................................................................................... vi Executive Summary................................................................................................................. vii Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Physical Resources Planning ..................................................................................................... 1 Location and Demography......................................................................................................... 3 Description of Natural Resources .......................................................................................... 7 Climate....................................................................................................................................... 7 Physiography.............................................................................................................................. 9 Alkali Flat and Lake Lucero ............................................................................................... 9 Dune Field........................................................................................................................... 9 Geology...................................................................................................................................... 9 Structural Geology............................................................................................................ 12 Stratigraphy/Lithology...................................................................................................... 12 Geologic Processes ........................................................................................................... 14 Soils.......................................................................................................................................... 22 Soil Crusts......................................................................................................................... 21 Hydrogeology .......................................................................................................................... 22 Watersheds........................................................................................................................ 22 Surface Water.................................................................................................................... 23 Groundwater ..................................................................................................................... 24 Water Quality........................................................................................................................... 27 Flora and Fauna........................................................................................................................ 28 iii Flora .................................................................................................................................. 28 Fauna................................................................................................................................. 29 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................... 30 Fundamental Geologic and Water Resources and Values ............................................. 31 What is the importance of geologic and water resources?....................................................... 31 Geologic Resources .......................................................................................................... 31 Water Resources ............................................................................................................... 40 What is the adequacy of existing geologic and water resource information?.......................... 42 Geologic Resources .......................................................................................................... 42 Water Resources ............................................................................................................... 45 What are the current conditions and related trends of the geologic and water resources? ...... 47 Geologic Resources .......................................................................................................... 47 Water Resources ............................................................................................................... 48 What are the current or potential threats to the geologic and water resources? ...................... 49 Geologic Resources .......................................................................................................... 49 Water Resources ............................................................................................................... 51 Climate Change................................................................................................................. 53 Stakeholders, Legislation, and Management Policies.............................................................. 55 National Stakeholders ....................................................................................................... 55 State Stakeholders............................................................................................................. 56 Regional Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 56 Park Specific Legislation .................................................................................................. 56 Federal Legislation............................................................................................................ 57 State of New Mexico ........................................................................................................ 61 Literature Cited......................................................................................................................... 63 iv Appendices Appendix A: CHDN Paleontological Resources Inventory Report – WHSA section............. 69 Figures Figure 1. National Park Service Planning Framework .................................................................. 2 Figure 2. White Sand National Monument index map ................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Topographic map and true color satellite imagery of White Sands National Monument ........................................................................................................................................................
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