A researcher with Northern Arizona University will be studying how the Dragon Bravo Fire and efforts to contain it might be affecting the Grand Canyon’s water supply.
The National Science Foundation provided NAU professor Abe Springer and his colleagues rapid-response funding to investigate water contamination in Roaring Springs.
The springs provide the only drinking water for Grand Canyon visitors, workers and nearby ecosystems. Springer is concerned the charred soil left behind won’t be as absorbent.
That means floods from rain and snowmelt could carry fire-suppressant treated soil to the springs, contaminating the water.
Springer says the research will inform response teams and future studies looking into how fires affect water quality in forested areas.
