Article

Climate and Water Monitoring at Chickasaw National Recreation Area: Water Year 2023

Water cascading over a rocks in a stream lined by trees and shrubs.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma

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Overview

Together, climate and hydrology shape ecosystems and the services they provide, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems and across the Southern Plains (Woodhouse and Overpeck 1998). Understanding changes in climate, groundwater, and surface water is key to assessing the condition of park natural resources—and often, cultural resources.

At Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Figure 1), Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network scientists study how ecosystems may be changing by taking measurements of key resources, or “vital signs,” year after year—much as a doctor keeps track of a patient’s vital signs. This long-term ecological monitoring provides early warning of potential problems, allowing managers to mitigate them before they become worse. At Chickasaw National Recreation Area, we monitor climate and groundwater, among other vital signs.

Groundwater conditions are closely related to climate conditions. Because they are better understood together, we report on climate in conjunction with water resources. Reporting is by water year (WY), which begins in October of the previous calendar year and goes through September of the water year (e.g., WY2023 runs from October 2022 through September 2023).

This article reports the results of climate and water monitoring at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in WY2023.

Reference: Woodhouse, C. A., and J. T. Overpeck. 1998. 2000 years of drought variability in the central United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 79(12): 2693–2714. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1998)079%3C2693:YODVIT%3E2.0.CO;2.

Map of Chickasaw National Recreation Area showing a weather station and two groundwater wells in the northeastern part of the park.
Figure 1. Monitored weather station and groundwater wells at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

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Climate and Weather

There is often confusion over the terms “weather” and “climate.” In short, weather describes instantaneous meteorological conditions (e.g., it’s currently raining or snowing, it’s a hot or frigid day). Climate reflects patterns of weather at a given place over longer periods of time (seasons to years). Climate is the primary driver of ecological processes on earth. Climate and weather information provide context for understanding the status or condition of other park resources.

Methods

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Observer Program (NOAA COOP) weather station (Chickasaw Natl Rec Area # 341745) has been operational at Chickasaw National Recreation Area since 1978. This station provides reliable, long-term climate data that was used for analyses in this climate and water report. Data from this station are accessible through Climate Analyzer.

The sun setting low on the horizon, shining through long, wispy clouds and reflected on a lake lined by trees and shrubs.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma

NPS/VICTORIA STAUFFENBERG

Results for Water Year 2023

Precipitation

Annual precipitation at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in WY2023 was 40.27″ (102.3 cm), 1.53″ (3.9 cm) less than the 1991–2020 annual average. February and July were exceptionally wet, receiving nearly three times and two times the 1991–2020 average monthly precipitation, respectively (Figure 2). May, August, and September were drier than average, receiving less than half of the average precipitation. Precipitation totals during the other months were closer to average. Extreme daily rainfall events (≥ 1″; 2.54 cm) occurred on 12 days (Table 1), close to the average annual frequency of 13 days. The largest rain event of 4.81″ (12.2 cm) occurred on 11 July 2023. This amount of rain in a 24-hour period occurs once every five years on average.

Air Temperature

The mean annual maximum temperature at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in WY2023 was 74.0°F (23.3°C), 0.9°F (0.5°C) above the 1991–2020 average. The mean annual minimum temperature in WY2023 was 51.0°F (10.6°C), 1.1°F (0.6°C) above the 1991–2020 average. Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in WY2023 differed by as much as 7.2°F (4.0°C; see August as an example) relative to the 1991–2020 monthly averages (Figure 2). Monthly maximum and minimum temperatures were near the 1991–2020 averages for most of the year. Air temperatures in January, August, and September were substantially warmer than average, and mean maximum temperatures were cooler than average in November. Extremely hot temperatures (≥ 98°F; 36.7°C) occurred on 36 days in WY2023, nearly twice the average frequency of 19.4 days. Extremely cold temperatures (≤ 20°F; −6.7°C) occurred on 8 days, less than half the average frequency of 18.2 days.

Bar and line graph showing overall max and min temperatures similar to the average and much greater precipitation than normal in February and July.
Figure 2. Climogram showing monthly precipitation and mean maximum and minimum air temperatures in water year 2023 (WY2023) and the 1991–2020 averages, at the NOAA COOP weather station at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

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Drought

Reconnaissance drought index (Tsakiris and Vangelis 2005) provides a measure of drought severity and extent relative to the long-term climate. It is based on the ratio of average precipitation to average potential evapotranspiration (the amount of water loss that would occur from evaporation and plant transpiration if the water supply was unlimited) over short periods of time (seasons to years). The reconnaissance drought index for Chickasaw National Recreation Area indicates that WY2023 was drier than the 1991–2020 average from the perspective of both precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (Figure 3).

Reference: Tsakiris G., and H. Vangelis. 2005. Establishing a drought index incorporating evapotranspiration. European Water 9: 3–11.

Figure 3. Bar graph showing that conditions have been drier than average since water year 2021. There are 7 years where there were insufficient data to generate estimates.
Figure 3. Reconnaissance drought index at the NOAA COOP weather station at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in water years 1991–2023. Drought index calculations are relative to the time period selected (1990–2023). Choosing a different set of start/end points may produce different results. “N/A” = insufficient data to generate reliable estimates. Data source: climateanalyzer.org.

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A stream flowing through a forest and by an old rock wall.
Rock Creek, Chickasaw National Recreation Area

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Groundwater

One of the most critical natural resources of the Southern Plains and American Southwest is groundwater; it interacts directly or indirectly with all key ecosystem features in these regions. Groundwater provides drinking water, irrigates crops, and sustains rivers, streams, and springs throughout the region. It is closely linked to long-term precipitation and surface waters; ephemeral flows sink below ground to reappear months, years, or even centuries later as perennial and intermittent streams and springs. Vegetation depends on groundwater, and it is the primary water source for almost all humans in the Southern Plains and American Southwest.

Methods

The US Geological Survey (USGS) monitors groundwater in two wells at Chickasaw National Recreation Area using automated methods: CRNA GW Well 1 and CRNA GW Well 2 (Figure 1). USGS data for both wells are available at the USGS National Water Information System.

Results for Water Year 2023

Groundwater monitoring results for WY2023 are summarized in Table 2. Mean depths to water at both wells in WY2023 were similar to WY2022 (Table 2; Figure 4). CRNA GW Well 1 has varied 12.3 ft (3.75 m) over the monitoring record. This well is 560 ft (171 m) from Travertine Creek, likely buffering it from large water level fluctuations. CRNA GW Well 2 has varied 63.6 ft (19.4 m) over the monitoring record. This well is 1,090 ft (332 m) from Travertine Creek and experiences much larger groundwater level fluctuations.

Figure 4. Line graph showing water level in one well is shallow and has mild fluctuations. Water level in the other well is slightly deeper and has much larger fluctuations.
Figure 4. Depth to water in feet below ground surface (ft bgs) at two wells (1972–2023) and discharge in cubic feet per second (cfs) at Travertine Creek, Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Discharge data are only available for 2013–2023.

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Past Reports

Water Year 2022 Climate and Weather Monitoring at Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Authors: Kara Raymond, Andy Ray

Please cite this report as
Raymond, K., and A. Ray. 2024. Climate and Water Monitoring at Chickasaw National Recreation Area: Water Year 2023. Southern Plains Network, National Park Service, Pecos, New Mexico.

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Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Last updated: September 19, 2024