Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Projects Active
River Geomorphology and Geomorphic Change
Sandbar and sediment storage monitoring and research
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management process since the inception of the GCDAMP. For more information on the adaptive management process, please see the GCDAMP Page.
Physical Resources
GCMRC has on-going monitoring and research focused on river sediment dynamics, long-term monitoring of sediment resources in the Colorado River corridor, and understanding the connectivity of sand resources throughout the system.
Biological Resources
Several GCMRC projects focus on understanding the biological processes of the Colorado River, the effect of dam operations on both native and nonnative species, population dynamics of important species, and the terrestrial-biological interactions.
Socio-Economic and Cultural
GCMRC is also concerned with understanding the socio-economic values of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, the unique recreational opportunites this environment offers and the cultural significance observed by the Tribal people of this the region.
Administrative History and Guidance That Informs GCMRC Projects
GCMRC'S work plan and science projects align with the needs of the GCDAMP stakeholders. Each project described is organized around monitoring and research themes that are associated with the eleven resource goals identified in the LTEMP ROD: archaeological and cultural resources, natural processes, humpback chub, hydropower and energy, other native fish, recreational experience, sediment, tribal resources, rainbow trout fishery, nonnative invasive species, and riparian vegetation (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016a; Attachment A).
The monitoring and research projects are responsive to guidance provided in the LTEMP ROD, which, in addition to identifying the priority resources, also identifies flow and non-flow experimental actions and compliance obligations for Glen Canyon Dam operations for the 20 years of the LTEMP. Additional guidance comes from the Science Plan developed by GCMRC (VanderKooi and others, 2017) in support of the LTEMP ROD which describes a general strategy for monitoring and research needed in support of implementation of operations and experimental actions.
Projects in the current TWP have been informed by and build upon previous research and monitoring projects that were responsive to guidance vetted through the GCDAMP and the Secretary of Interior’s office. While the LTEMP ROD defines broad resource goals and identifies new experimental actions and compliance requirements, some of the older guidance continues to have relevance for certain aspects of the current science program and continues to influence current research and monitoring directions in a general sense. Among this older guidance, the following documents describe the history of GCDAMP decisions and direction and help maintain continuity with GCDAMP goals as LTEMP is implemented:
- 2001 Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program draft strategic plan (Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, 2001),
- 2007 Strategic Science Plan and Strategic Science Questions (SSQs) (U. S. Geological Survey, 2007),
- 2011 draft Core Monitoring Plan (U. S. Geological Survey, 2011), and
- 2012 AMWG Desired Future Conditions.
Monitoring and research themes described in these and other GCDAMP administrative documents have persisted throughout the life of the GCDAMP and are carried forward into the LTEMP. They include:
(1) recovery of the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) and maintenance of populations of other native fish;
(2) maintenance or improvement of the physical template, especially regarding fine sediment;
(3) maintenance of culturally important sites, especially those that are of archaeological and historical significance under the National Historic Preservation Act
(4) maintenance of the food base on which the native fish community depends;
(5) maintenance of a high-quality sport fishery in the Lees Ferry reach; and
(6) maintenance of the native riparian vegetation community.
The various goals, questions, information needs, and desired future conditions developed by GCDAMP committees also recognize the importance of maintaining high quality opportunities and conditions for recreational boaters and campers, and the role played by nonnative riparian vegetation in providing habitat for some desired fauna such as the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher.
Below are science projects associated with GCMRC work plans.
Below are data associated with GCMRC-specific projects.
These data will be updated soon - in progress.
Below are publications associated with research and projects by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC). Note that not all of the publications listed here are funded under the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP).
To access all of SBSC's publications, click the link below.
Trout piscivory in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon: Effects of turbidity, temperature, and fish prey availability
Colorado River fish monitoring in Grand Canyon, Arizona; 2000 to 2009 summary
Effects of the 2008 high-flow experiment on water quality in Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam releases, Utah-Arizona
Effects of Glen Canyon Dam discharges on water velocity and temperatures at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers and implications for habitat for young-of-year humpback chub (Gila cypha)
Proceedings of the Colorado River Basin Science and Resource Management Symposium, November 18-20, 2008, Scottsdale, Arizona
Sediment-transport during three controlled-flood experiments on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, with implications for eddy-sandbar deposition in Grand Canyon National Park
Field evaluation of sediment-concentration errors arising from Non-Isokinetic intake efficiency in depth-integrating suspended-sediment bag samplers
Basal Resources in Backwaters of the Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam-Effects of Discharge Regimes and Comparison with Mainstem Depositional Environments
Comparison of turbidity to multi-frequency sideways-looking acoustic-Doppler data and suspended-sediment data in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
2008 High-flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam: Morphologic response of eddy-deposited sandbars and associated aquatic backwater habitats along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park
Short-Term Effects of the 2008 High-Flow Experiment on Macroinvertebrates in Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona
Effects of High-Flow Experiments from Glen Canyon Dam on Abundance, Growth, and Survival Rates of Early Life Stages of Rainbow Trout in the Lees Ferry Reach of the Colorado River
Below are news items about GCMRC's science.
- Overview
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management process since the inception of the GCDAMP. For more information on the adaptive management process, please see the GCDAMP Page.
Physical ResourcesGCMRC has on-going monitoring and research focused on river sediment dynamics, long-term monitoring of sediment resources in the Colorado River corridor, and understanding the connectivity of sand resources throughout the system.
Biological ResourcesSeveral GCMRC projects focus on understanding the biological processes of the Colorado River, the effect of dam operations on both native and nonnative species, population dynamics of important species, and the terrestrial-biological interactions.
Socio-Economic and CulturalGCMRC is also concerned with understanding the socio-economic values of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, the unique recreational opportunites this environment offers and the cultural significance observed by the Tribal people of this the region.
Administrative History and Guidance That Informs GCMRC Projects
GCMRC'S work plan and science projects align with the needs of the GCDAMP stakeholders. Each project described is organized around monitoring and research themes that are associated with the eleven resource goals identified in the LTEMP ROD: archaeological and cultural resources, natural processes, humpback chub, hydropower and energy, other native fish, recreational experience, sediment, tribal resources, rainbow trout fishery, nonnative invasive species, and riparian vegetation (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016a; Attachment A).
The monitoring and research projects are responsive to guidance provided in the LTEMP ROD, which, in addition to identifying the priority resources, also identifies flow and non-flow experimental actions and compliance obligations for Glen Canyon Dam operations for the 20 years of the LTEMP. Additional guidance comes from the Science Plan developed by GCMRC (VanderKooi and others, 2017) in support of the LTEMP ROD which describes a general strategy for monitoring and research needed in support of implementation of operations and experimental actions.
Projects in the current TWP have been informed by and build upon previous research and monitoring projects that were responsive to guidance vetted through the GCDAMP and the Secretary of Interior’s office. While the LTEMP ROD defines broad resource goals and identifies new experimental actions and compliance requirements, some of the older guidance continues to have relevance for certain aspects of the current science program and continues to influence current research and monitoring directions in a general sense. Among this older guidance, the following documents describe the history of GCDAMP decisions and direction and help maintain continuity with GCDAMP goals as LTEMP is implemented:
- 2001 Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program draft strategic plan (Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, 2001),
- 2007 Strategic Science Plan and Strategic Science Questions (SSQs) (U. S. Geological Survey, 2007),
- 2011 draft Core Monitoring Plan (U. S. Geological Survey, 2011), and
- 2012 AMWG Desired Future Conditions.
Monitoring and research themes described in these and other GCDAMP administrative documents have persisted throughout the life of the GCDAMP and are carried forward into the LTEMP. They include:
(1) recovery of the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) and maintenance of populations of other native fish;
(2) maintenance or improvement of the physical template, especially regarding fine sediment;
(3) maintenance of culturally important sites, especially those that are of archaeological and historical significance under the National Historic Preservation Act
(4) maintenance of the food base on which the native fish community depends;
(5) maintenance of a high-quality sport fishery in the Lees Ferry reach; and
(6) maintenance of the native riparian vegetation community.
The various goals, questions, information needs, and desired future conditions developed by GCDAMP committees also recognize the importance of maintaining high quality opportunities and conditions for recreational boaters and campers, and the role played by nonnative riparian vegetation in providing habitat for some desired fauna such as the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher.
- Science
Below are science projects associated with GCMRC work plans.
Filter Total Items: 24 - Data
Below are data associated with GCMRC-specific projects.
These data will be updated soon - in progress.
- Multimedia
- Publications
Below are publications associated with research and projects by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC). Note that not all of the publications listed here are funded under the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP).
To access all of SBSC's publications, click the link below.
Filter Total Items: 313Trout piscivory in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon: Effects of turbidity, temperature, and fish prey availability
Introductions of nonnative salmonids, such as rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta, have affected native fishes worldwide in unforeseen and undesirable ways. Predation and other interactions with nonnative rainbow trout and brown trout have been hypothesized as contributing to the decline of native fishes (including the endangered humpback chub Gila cypha) in the ColoradoAuthorsMichael D. Yard, Lewis G. Coggins,, Colden V. Baxter, Glenn E. Bennett, Josh KormanColorado River fish monitoring in Grand Canyon, Arizona; 2000 to 2009 summary
Long-term fish monitoring in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam is an essential component of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). The GCDAMP is a federally authorized initiative to ensure that the primary mandate of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 to protect resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam is met. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring andAuthorsAndrew S. Makinster, William R. Persons, Luke A. Avery, Aaron J. BunchEffects of the 2008 high-flow experiment on water quality in Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam releases, Utah-Arizona
Under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, the U.S. Geological Survey‘s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) conducted a high-flow experiment (HFE) at Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) from March 4 through March 9, 2008. This experiment was conducted under enriched sediment conditions in the Colorado River within Grand Canyon and was designed to rebuild sandbars, aid endangered humpbAuthorsWilliam S. VernieuEffects of Glen Canyon Dam discharges on water velocity and temperatures at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers and implications for habitat for young-of-year humpback chub (Gila cypha)
Water velocity and temperature are physical variables that affect the growth and survivorship of young-of-year (YOY) fishes. The Little Colorado River, a tributary to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, is an important spawning ground and warmwater refuge for the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) from the colder mainstem Colorado River that is regulated by Glen Canyon Dam. The confluence areaAuthorsFrank R. Protiva, Barbara E. Ralston, Dennis M. Stone, Keith A. Kohl, Michael D. Yard, G. Allen HadenProceedings of the Colorado River Basin Science and Resource Management Symposium, November 18-20, 2008, Scottsdale, Arizona
Since the 1980s, four major science and restoration programs have been developed for the Colorado River Basin to address primarily the conservation of native fish and other wildlife pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA): (1) Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin (commonly called the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery ProgramAuthorsTheodore S. Melis, John F. Hamill, Glenn E. Bennett, Lewis G. Coggins,, Paul E. Grams, Theodore A. Kennedy, Dennis M. Kubly, Barbara E. RalstonSediment-transport during three controlled-flood experiments on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, with implications for eddy-sandbar deposition in Grand Canyon National Park
Three large-scale field experiments were conducted on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam in 1996, 2004, and 2008 to evaluate whether artificial (that is, controlled) floods released from the dam could be used in conjunction with the sand supplied by downstream tributaries to rebuild and sustainably maintain eddy sandbars in the river in Grand Canyon National Park. Higher suspended-AuthorsDavid J. Topping, David M. Rubin, Paul E. Grams, Ronald E. Griffiths, Thomas A. Sabol, Nicholas Voichick, Robert B. Tusso, Karen M. Vanaman, Richard R. McDonaldField evaluation of sediment-concentration errors arising from Non-Isokinetic intake efficiency in depth-integrating suspended-sediment bag samplers
No abstract available.AuthorsThomas A. Sabol, David J. Topping, Ronald E. GriffithsBasal Resources in Backwaters of the Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam-Effects of Discharge Regimes and Comparison with Mainstem Depositional Environments
Eight species of fish were native to the Colorado River before the closure of Glen Canyon Dam, but only four of these native species are currently present. A variety of factors are responsible for the loss of native fish species and the limited distribution and abundance of those that remain. These factors include cold and constant water temperatures, predation and competition with nonnative fishAuthorsKatherine E. Behn, Theodore A. Kennedy, Robert O. HallComparison of turbidity to multi-frequency sideways-looking acoustic-Doppler data and suspended-sediment data in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Water clarity is important to biologists when studying fish and other fluvial fauna and flora. Turbidity is an indicator of the cloudiness of water, or reduced water clarity, and is commonly measured using nephelometric sensors that record the scattering and absorption of light by particles in the water. Unfortunately, nephelometric sensors only operate over a narrow range of the conditions typicaAuthorsNicholas Voichick, David J. Topping2008 High-flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam: Morphologic response of eddy-deposited sandbars and associated aquatic backwater habitats along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park
The March 2008 high-flow experiment (HFE) at Glen Canyon Dam resulted in sandbar deposition and sandbar reshaping such that the area and volume of associated backwater aquatic habitat in Grand Canyon National Park was greater following the HFE. Analysis of backwater habitat area and volume for 116 locations at 86 study sites, comparing one month before and one month after the HFE, shows that totalAuthorsPaul E. Grams, John C. Schmidt, Matthew E. AndersenShort-Term Effects of the 2008 High-Flow Experiment on Macroinvertebrates in Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona
Glen Canyon Dam has dramatically altered the physical environment (especially discharge regime, water temperatures, and sediment inputs) of the Colorado River. High-flow experiments (HFE) that mimic one aspect of the natural hydrograph (floods) were implemented in 1996, 2004, and 2008. The primary goal of these experiments was to increase the size and total area of sandbar habitats that provide boAuthorsEmma J. Rosi-Marshall, Theodore A. Kennedy, Dustin W. Kincaid, Wyatt F. Cross, Holly A.W. Kelly, Kathrine A. Behn, Tyler White, Robert O. Hall, Colden V. BaxterEffects of High-Flow Experiments from Glen Canyon Dam on Abundance, Growth, and Survival Rates of Early Life Stages of Rainbow Trout in the Lees Ferry Reach of the Colorado River
High-flow experiments (HFEs) from Glen Canyon Dam are primarily intended to conserve fine sediment and improve habitat conditions for native fish in the Colorado River as it flows through Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. These experimental flows also have the potential to affect the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) population in the Lees Ferry tailwater reach immediately below the dam, whicAuthorsJosh Korman, Matthew Kaplinski, Theodore S. Melis - Web Tools
- News
Below are news items about GCMRC's science.
Filter Total Items: 14