Support for BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring in Arizona

The Bureau of Land Management manages 368 miles of perennial streams and rivers within the state of Arizona. BLM is mandated to conduct land and aquatic resource health monitoring to document the effectiveness of decisions established in BLM Resource Management Plans. BLM contracted with PG Environmental (a division of ERG) to provide support for its aquatic Assessment Inventory and Monitoring program in Arizona.

PG Environmental has supported BLM’s aquatic AIM program in Arizona since 2021, providing critical data to assess the health and condition of the state’s rivers and streams. Using AIM’s standardized field survey protocols, PG has completed 91 aquatic assessments across multiple BLM field offices, including Safford, Lake Havasu, Hassayampa, and Tucson. These assessments provide BLM with essential information for evaluating BLM Resource Management Plans, determining treatment effectiveness, and conducting habitat evaluations.

PG’s work included collecting water quality and macroinvertebrate data, conducting geomorphology assessments, identifying riparian vegetation, and evaluating streambank stability and structure. PG staff have also conducted microbial water quality monitoring in the San Pedro River watershed, using rapid in-field analysis methods to detect total coliform and Escherichia coli contamination. For this work, PG utilizes GIS-based data collection tools, such as Survey123 and ESRI FieldMaps, to ensure accurate and efficient data collection to support BLM’s decision-making needs. PG’s support enables BLM managers to analyze collected data through statistical, geospatial, and trend analysis to help answer key management questions, including:

• Are Arizona’s perennial streams and rivers meeting BLM land health standards?
• How are stream conditions changing over time?
• What is the effectiveness of riparian restoration treatments?
• Are habitat conditions for species of management concern improving?
• What is the condition of aquatic resources that may be affected by proposed land use actions?