Navajo Nation Uses Marsh-McBirney Flo-Mate in Their Quest to Protect Mother Earth

The Navajo Indian Tribe is the largest federally recognized tribe in the U.S. Itâs members reside on tribal ground known as the 'Navajo Nationä located in the semi-arid, southwestern region of the U.S. Population estimates taken in 2001 recorded over 255,000 enrolled members of Navajo ethnicity in the Navajo Nation. Their territory extends into the states of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Interestingly, the Navajo Nation is larger than 10 of the 50 U.S. states.

Since the Treaty of 1868, the Navajo Nation has had the right to self-govern. An 88 member Council, with 12 Standing Committees, serves as the governing body of the Navajo Nation Government. In 1995, legislators created the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA), headquartered in Window Rock, AZ, for the purpose of protecting human health, welfare and the environment of the Navajo Nation. In 1993, the NNEPAâs Water Quality Program (WQP) was established with funding from the U.S. EPA Clean Water Act. The mission of the WQP is to ensure the 'waters of the Navajo Nationä attain, support, and maintain designated uses of these waters. The designated uses include domestic water supplies, recreation, fish and wildlife, livestock watering, and agricultural irrigation.

One of many key issues being addressed by the WQP is soil erosion - a condition of land deterioration that allows unwanted sediments to enter bodies of water located within the Navajo Nation. Increased sediments contribute to a reduction in water quality and also reduce the holding capacity of the Navajo Nation lakes. Livestock grazing also introduces bacterial and other nutrients to surface water, further jeopardizing water quality.

In an on-going effort to evaluate current watershed conditions, WQP personnel routinely perform water characterization studies that include water sampling and flow monitoring. An integral part of the water sampling process includes the recording of instantaneous flow measurements in the vicinity of the sampling area.

In the Spring of 2001, the NNEPA-WQP purchased a Marsh-McBirney (MMI) Flo-Mate Portable Flowmeter for use in their watershed studies. An employee of the NNEPA recommended the Flo-Mate as the 'meter of choiceä from his first-hand experience with the instrument while under the previous employ of the U.S. Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The purchasing decision was based on his recommendation coupled with the fact that WQP personnel were aware that Flo-Mate is considered an industry standard for flow monitoring that is consistent with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) flow modeling.

The Flo-Mate Flowmeter is a lightweight, portable flowmeter with no moving parts.  The Flo-Mateâs rugged construction and storage/recall capability automates the flow profiling process making it ideal for field flow studies.  Other features include water resistant electronics, storage/recall capability, battery operation and fixed period averaging.

Flow profiles of cross-sectional areas of the watershed are performed by WQP personnel according to USGS protocol.  A velocity (speed) measurement of the water is carefully taken with Flo-Mateâs submerged sensor, so as not to disturb the sampling area.  An instantaneous readout is displayed on the meter's front panel.  The water is sampled to identify differing types of sediment content including minerals, solids, bacteria, etc...  The velocity reading taken by the Flo-Mate allows the WQP personnel to determine the rate of transport and estimated quantity of minerals, sediment and other nutrients in the watershed.  Hydrographs of the collected data are generated and compared against USGS hydrographs.  Trends in the quality of watershed resources are analyzed in an effort to better understand the factors that affect water quality.

WQP personnel enjoy the Flo-Mateâs ease of use and sturdy construction.  The fact that the electromagnetic sensor performs well in high sediment and hardness schemes is also a major plus in their particular flow monitoring applications.

In March 2002, the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management declared a state of drought emergency, the worst in 50 years. In July 2002, $2.9 million in drought relief funds were appropriated by the Navajo Nationâs Council for emergency drought relief. Neighboring communities have also come to their aid by hauling water in to the area. The Navajo Nation is hopeful that their on-going negotiations for water settlements will result in water development projects that will bring additional water resources to their communities.

In the meantime, the WQP personnel will continue their efforts to monitor the quality of the 'preciousä waters of the Navajo Nation in an effort to protect Mother Earth for present and future generations.