Baseline water quality analyses of Madera Creek, Madera Canyon

Abstract

Madera Canyon Recreation Area, located forty-five miles south of Tucson, Arizona, lies within the Santa Rita Mountains of the Coronado National Forest. The Canyon has second home development and various recreational activities occurring in close proximity to Madera Creek, the only water resource in the Canyon. A water quality sampling program was designed to establish a baseline water quality profile of Madera Creek. A sampling program was conducted from January 1978 through December 1978 which measured various climatic, physical, biological, and chemical parameters. Fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus organisms were monitored bi-weekly and observed as indicator organisms of human and animal sources of contamination. Data analysis showed that the water quality status of Madera Creek met recreational standards for partial and full body contact; however, the stream did not exhibit characteristics of a natural mountain stream. While second homes may have had some impact on the water resource, recreational use patterns were identified as a possible major contributor of contamination in Madera Creek.