DUNE STABILIZATION AND WIND-BLOWN DUSTCristina González-MadduxInstitute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

REGIONAL DUST STORMS

Dust storms in Northern AZ

(NASA Earth Observatory, April 11, 2009)

CONSEQUENCES FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND LANDSCAPES

Increased dust may aggravate respiratory ailments (indoor and outdoor air quality concerns)

Decreased visibility Damage to infrastructure Deposition of dust on

snowpack – decreases snow albedo, speeds snowpack melt positive feedback loop

SLIDE COURTESY OF MARGARET HIZA, USGS

SLIDE COURTESY OF MARGARET HIZA, USGS

PARTLY-FULLY ACTIVE DUNE REGION

DUNE STABILIZATION EEOP is cosponsoring dune stabilization projects along

with the US Geological Survey Techniques

Mud balls Native plant seeds

“Sand sausages” Wind erosion buffer

USGS RESEARCH, LEAD: MARGARET HIZA

USGS Assessment of sand dunes and the affects of climatic variation on dune mobility in Navajo landhttp://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/navajo/pubs/Dunehandout.pdf

Factors affecting sand dune mobility on the Navajo Nation, Arizona, U.S.A.http://www.csrl.ars.usda.gov/wewc/icarv/106.pdf

NATIVE SEEDS FOR REVEGETATION

• Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand dropseed) • Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian ricegrass)• Hilaria jamesii (galleta viva)

PASSIVE DUST MONITORING – DINÉ COLLEGE• Adapted from USGS methodology • Teflon coated pan• Hardware cloth• Marbles (reduces deflation)• 7 ft. tall T-posts-----------------• Dust flux measurement

EEOP’S SAND DUNE WEBSITE

http://www4.nau.edu/eeop/dunes/index.asp