The record of water chemistry data in Yellowstone predates the development of the pH (acidity) scale! These data are a testament to hundreds of researchers who have contributed their expertise over nearly 150 years.
John Wesley Powell, the second Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1881 to 1894 and explorer of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon, recognized that water availability was a significant challenge in the western United States. During Powell’s USGS tenure, systematic inventorying of streams and their flows in the USA began in earnest.
The historic flooding event that hit the northern areas of Yellowstone in June forever changed the flow-path of the Gardner River and the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and the