Andrea Croskrey Human Waste Management in the Caves of the US National Park Service Exit Strategies Conference 2010 Sustainable Summits Initiative

1. A Presentation for the 2010 Exit Strategies – Managing
Human Waste in the Wild Conference in Golden, CO

2.  High Energy
 Active stream input
 Lots of sources of
“food” and nutrients
being brought in
 Short transit time

3.  Low Energy
 Little to no flowing water
 Little to no “food” or nutrients being brought in
 Long to zero transit times

4.  Introduces lots of energy/carbon (food) to a “starved”
environment
 Disrupts the microbial ecosystem
 Liquid waste elevates nitrogen
 Solid waste introduces carbon

5.  Introduces foreign bacteria and viruses
 Could contaminate drinking water supplies
 Red Lake/Huapache Camp – tracking
 Pink Dot – natural hydrologic processes

6.  Aesthetics (smell, visual)
 Solid waste biodegrades slowly
 Staining
 Fouling routes

7.  Mammoth Cave
 Cat holes
 Streams
 Low Visitation

8.  Underground wilderness can be downstream of urban
centers and agriculture
 Karst aquifers are contaminated
 Elevated estrogen in Ozark Aquifer
 Some caves have elevated E. coli from surface impacts

9.  Wind Cave and Jewel Cave:
 pack it all out

10.  Lechuguilla Cave:
 <48 hour trip – pack it all out
 >48 hour trip – Urine is dumped at 4 sites adjacent to
camps; all other waste is packed out
 Dumping urine is not ideal. Some technological
solutions proposed, but none proven.

11.  Why the difference?
 Logistics of gear and weight requirements
 Horizontal v. vertical
 Stocked camps
 Fear of dehydration in the warmer cave
 Longer trips = more urine to haul
 Precedence

12.  High NRG Caves
 Into active streams

13.  Low NRG Cave
 Concentrated impact
 Time required between uses
 Lower passages?
 Wear booties

14.  In the sediments of active streams or on trail
 Toilet paper didn’t breakdown
 None in low energy caves

15.  Hard v. flexible
 Disposable v. Reusable
 Funnels/wide mouth

16.  Lg. Plastic Bags
 Wine Bags

18.  “Burrito” Bags
 Inexpensive
 Gallon bags and aluminum foil
 Drop cloth
 Manufactured Options

19.  Provide Disposal Receptacles
 Dumpsters
 Bear proof
 Recycling bottles
 Flush contents
 rinse

20.  Thanks to photographers: Jean Krejca, Hazel
Barton, Ron Kerbo, Art Palmer
 For more information about NPS Caves visit:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geolo
gy/caves/