KARTCHNER CAVERNS STATE PARK, Ariz. — Thirty years ago, two students from the University of Arizona stumbled onto a maze of caves that has since become the gem of the state’s parks system.

But by the time the upper portion of Kartchner Caverns formally opened to the public in 1999, the men who’d discovered them, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were worried about the caverns’ survival. Sections were drying out, and moisture is essential to the growth of stalactites and stalagmites — the conelike formations that emanate from cave ceilings and floors.

"We saw things in the cave that really disturbed us," recalled Tenen, now 52. "Things drying out … drier than we had ever seen it." Tenen and Tufts lobbied for the state to appoint a cave expert to monitor and analyze cave conditions. In April 2001, a cave resources manager, Rik Toomey, was appointed.

On Nov. 11, the lower portion of Kartcher was formally opened to the public. Tufts did not live to see it; he died of a rare blood disorder in 2002. But Tenen still watches the caves, and he says he’s pleased with Toomey’s work and the stewardship that the state now provides. Both Tenen and Toomey are now optimistic about the caves’ future.

"We know there’s changes (inside the caves), and we’re trying to understand why," said Tenen. "It’s much better than (where) we were in 1999 and 2000."

"Overall, the environmental health of the cave is very good for a show cave," Toomey wrote in a memo to state parks officials earlier this fall.

"Rik is our cave worrier," said parks director Ken Travous.

A world-class geologic wonder, Kartchner Caverns were carved a half-million years ago by water cutting through Escabrosa limestone beneath the Whetstone Mountains. Today, the 2 1/2-mile maze is a $35 million tourist showcase with lights, airlocks to help preserve the internal atmosphere, and concrete paths. More than 700,000 people have visited since it opened in 1999. Experts say Kartchner’s appeal rivals the beauty of New Mexico’s much larger Carlsbad Caverns.

Toomey notes that other, undeveloped caves in southern Arizona are experiencing some of the same drying problems found in Kartchner, while shallow local groundwater wells are showing falling levels. Toomey believes that this suggests ongoing drought conditions and regional climate changes might be responsible for the drier caves, rather than the effect of humans.

Studies are under way to determine how much of the change might also be attributable to Kartchner’s development for tours, including its trails, lighting and misting systems.

Meanwhile, the cave has experienced temperature increases ranging from 1 degree to 3.5 degrees, while humidity has dropped in some areas. A misting system sprays pumped water into portions of both the upper and lower cave complexes, but Toomey would like to phase that practice out. In his memo, he said he hopes to "work to guarantee the changes we have made minimally interfere with the natural functioning of the cave."

Toomey thinks the effect of tourist amenities is lower than in some other caves. This is one subject where the cave czar and the cave discoverer disagree; Tenen believes the data show that the effect of building trails and installing lights is actually greater than from the drought.

But overall, Tenen is satisfied with Toomey’s work. He says he used to worry that the cave might not survive. "Now I don’t," he said. "It will."

Copyright ©2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.