Vital Signs Monitoring

"Vital Signs" are are elements and processes in park ecosystems that help indicated the overall health or condition of park resources.Vital signs data allow us to better understand natural processes and the results of management actions, and help guide parks in the successful protection and use of park resources.

Water resources are one of the vital signs monitored in parks. Measurements like the temperature of the water, toxins, and aquatic species can all help determine the condition of a park's resource. As with any scientific research and data collection, this information provides resource managers the tools necessary to plan and take action to fulfill the mandates of the NPS mission.

The following applications can be used by data managers to report the state of their water resource:

Last updated: August 13, 2024