Last updated: December 1, 2025
Article
Climate and Groundwater Monitoring at Chiricahua National Monument: Water Year 2024
NPS
Overview
Together, climate and hydrology shape ecosystems and the services they provide, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Understanding changes in climate, groundwater, and surface water is key to assessing the condition of park natural resources—and often, cultural resources.
At Chiricahua National Monument (Figure 1), Sonoran Desert 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 resource problems, allowing managers to mitigate them before they become worse. At Chiricahua National Monument, 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 groundwater. 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., WY2024 runs from October 2023 through September 2024). This web report presents the results of climate and groundwater monitoring at Chiricahua National Monument in WY2024.
NPS
Climate and Weather
There is often confusion over the terms “weather” and “climate.” Weather describes short-term meteorological conditions (e.g., it’s currently raining or snowing, it’s a hot or frigid day), and 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 Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS; Chiricahua Natl Mon HQ #021409) has been operational at Chiricahua National Monument since 1995 (Figure 1). The long-term averages used for comparison in this report are based on the period of record, 1995–2020. This station provides a reliable, long-term climate dataset used for analyses in this climate and water report. Data from this station are accessible through Climate Analyzer.
NPS
Results
Precipitation
Highlight: There was a wet late winter and early spring and drier than normal monsoon.
Annual precipitation at Chiricahua National Monument in WY2024 was 16.51″ (41.9 cm), 0.20″ (0.5 cm) more than the long-term annual average. October and November started the water year drier than the long-term monthly averages (Figure 2). December–April monthly totals were wetter than their long-term averages. February received over twice its average precipitation and April received nearly five times its average. May was completely dry. The monsoon started out strong in June, which received over three times its average. However, the overall the monsoon season (June–September) received 8.17″ (20.8 cm), 2.26″ (5.7 cm) less than the long-term average. Extreme daily rainfall events (≥ 1.00″; 2.54 cm) occurred on 3 days, similar to the average annual frequency of 2.9 days. Extreme rainfall events occurred on 01 April 2024 (1.29″; 3.3 cm), 30 June 2024 (2.26″; 5.7 cm), and 07 August 2024 (1.17″; 3.0 cm).
Air Temperature
Highlight: Late winter and early spring were wet and there was a drier than normal monsoon.
The mean annual maximum temperature at Chiricahua National Monument in WY2024 was 75.1°F (23.9°C), 0.7°F (0.4°C) above the long-term average. The mean annual minimum temperature in WY2024 was 49.0°F (9.4°C), 1.3°F (0.7°C) above the long-term average. Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in WY2024 differed by as much as 4.1°F (2.3°C; see March as an example) relative to the long-term monthly averages (Figure 2). Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures were warmer than average most of the year. January, March, and April were the only months with colder than average mean maximum and minimum temperatures. Extremely hot temperatures (≥ 94.0°F; 34.4°C) occurred on 38 days in WY2024, 65% more than the average frequency of 22.8 days. Extremely cold temperatures (≤ 28.0°F; −2.2°C) occurred on 14 days, nearly nine less than the average frequency of 22.6 days.
NPS
Drought
Highlight: Mild drought conditions continued.
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 Chiricahua National Monument indicates WY2024 was drier than the 1991–2024 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.
NPS
NPS
Groundwater
Groundwater is one of the most critical natural resources of the American Southwest. It provides drinking water, irrigates crops, and sustains rivers, streams, and springs throughout the region.
Methods
Groundwater at Chiricahua National Monument is monitored using three wells (Figure 1). The Campground-1 and Headquarters wells are monitored monthly by park staff. Monitoring at Campground-1 well was suspended in December 2020 and restarted in June 2022 when the new well house was completed. The Faraway Ranch well was monitored by park staff until 2016 when the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) began continuous monitoring. ADWR data are available at the Arizona Department of Water Resources Well Registry.
Results
Highlight: There were slight increases in depth to groundwater at all three wells.
Average water levels in all three wells were lower than in the previous year (Table 1). In WY2024, water level peaked in May; peaks typically occur in winter and the monsoon season. This early peak is likely because of higher precipitation in the spring and a weaker than average monsoon season. Overall, water levels in the three wells have been stable, with seasonal variability caused by runoff events in Bonita Creek. Water levels at the three wells have only varied 5.53–10.09 ft (1.69–3.08 m) over the monitoring period (Figure 4). Many measurements made at Campground-1 may not represent static conditions because of pumping at a nearby well.
Table 1. Groundwater monitoring results in water year (WY) 2024, Chiricahua National Monument (amsl = above mean sea level; bgs = below ground surface).
| Well Name | State Well Number | Wellhead Elevation (ft amsl) |
Mean Depth to Water (ft bgs) |
Mean Water Level Elevation (ft amsl) |
Elevation Change from WY2023 (± ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campground-1 | 629082 | 5,340.00 | 22.09 | 5,317.91 | −1.02 |
| Headquarters | 629081 | 5,256.00 | 10.27 | 5,245.73 | −1.33 |
| Faraway Ranch | 629083 | 5,216.03 | 16.07 | 5,199.96 | −2.91 |
NPS
Report Citation
Author: Kara Raymond
Raymond, K. 2025. Climate and Groundwater Monitoring at Chiricahua National Monument: Water Year 2024. Sonoran Desert Network, National Park Service, Tucson, Arizona.