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MONTEZUMA WELL:
THE LIVING DESERT OASIS
Prepared for
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
By
Vincent T. Wagner and Dean W. Blinn,
Department of Biological Sciences,
Northern Arizona University,
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
Montezuma Well contains several forms of plants and animals not
found in any other waters in the world. In part, this may be due
to the constant input of large quantities of warm water that
enter the Well through underground springs which keeps the
environment within the Well very stable. Also, there are NO FISH
in the Well, due to concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide
that are nearly 600 times higher than other natural aquatic
environments. These unusual conditions have allowed the aquatic
organisms in the Well to look and act differently than they do in
other ponds and lakes. Therefore, Montezuma Well provides an
opportunity for scientists to carefully study the interactions
between these unique plants and animals.
[page 2 - Birth of the Well]
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