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<br />Chapter II Description of Alternatives 13 <br /> <br />Management Program includes a Federal advisory committee (Glen Canyon Adaptive <br />Management Work Group), a subcommittee (the Technical Work Group), the Interior's <br />Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), and independent review panels. <br /> <br />kJ~I~ <br />1'(e,Jl <br />_~r;? <br />Y;/ <br /> <br />The Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Work Group evaluates management objectives <br />related to the effects of dam operations on resources within the Glen Canyon National <br />Recreational Area and Grand Canyon National Park. They make recommendations to the <br />Secretary of the Interior related to these issues. <br /> <br />The Department of the Interior's GCMRC was established by the Secretary to develop and <br />administer plans for long-term monitoring and research of the Colorado River and its riverine <br />environment that responds to the short and long-term operations of Glen Canyon Dam. The <br />GCMRC is guided by research needs identified by the Adaptive Management Work Group, <br />the Technical Work Group, and other associated interest groups. <br /> <br />The Glen Canyon EIS established an Adaptive Management Program to study and refine the <br />operation of the dam. Temperature controls would be a new and potent variable available to <br />manage the ecosystem of the river below the dam. The Adaptive Management Work Group, <br />Technical Work Group, and the GCMRC would recommend (to the Secretary) testing and <br />monitoring programs, review monitoring results, and recommend adaptive solutions to <br />manage the system. <br /> <br />Currently, the GCMRC is charged with implementing the monitoring priorities for all the <br />resources impacted by the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. In accordance with the Grand <br />Canyon Protection Act, these studies are funded by power revenues. The proposed addition <br />of temperature controls does not change GCMRC's responsibility to monitor the resources <br />nor does it change the list of resources in the canyon, but it should effect the priority of <br />monitoring needs. For several years now, GCMRC's emphasis has been focused on <br />monitoring sediment transport and beach habitat maintenance as the Adaptive Management <br />Program explores the impacts of floods in the canyon. As this beach habitat work progresses <br />over the next several years, the Adaptive Management Program may place emphasis on <br />monitoring those resources that may be impacted by the use of this powerful new tool <br />(temperature controls). <br /> <br />In summary, the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program was developed to provide an <br />organization and process for cooperative integration of dam operations, downstream resource <br />protection and management, and monitoring and research information, as well as to improve <br />the values for which the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National <br />Park were established. <br /> <br />Proposed Operation - Two methods of operation (to achieve different goals) may be tested. <br />The first (somewhat less ambitious goal and test) would be to prevent thermal shock to the <br />young-of-the-year humpback chub as they leave the warm water of the Little Colorado River <br />(mid to late summer) and enter the mainstream of the Colorado River which is presently very <br />cold. Valdez and Carothers (1998) concluded, "We believe that most larval flannelmouth <br />suckers, bluehead suckers, and humpback chub descending from warm natal tributaries into <br />