Quitobaquito Spring in danger: Border wall construction depleting sacred Tohono O'odham spring, home
Dear friends and family, Quitobaquito Spring is in danger. "According to data from the US Geological Survey the discharge rate from the Quiitobaquito Springs in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has fallen to a record low.
The timing of the decline tracks a seasonal change that has been seen in previous years as the summer heat and lack of rains deplete moisture in superficial ground layers, but this year’s drop comes at a time when the average flow rate is already at only a third of the average output compared to the previous 11-year average. The pumping of water from Rio Sonoyta for agricultural purposes has raised public concerns about the possible depletion of the groundwater that feeds the spring. So too has the recent pumping of groundwater for use in the construction of the sections of the US border wall.
There is also an unknown degree of the potential damage that could be done by the vibrations of heavy construction equipment to the earthen dam that holds water in the wetland pond that is fed by the spring. Damage to the lining of the dam could cause water to leak out of the pond. The pond is the only surface water for miles and home to the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish" Ajo Copper News July 7, 2020
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2020/07/quitobaquito-spring-in-danger-border.html
