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<br />1 <br /> <br />Selective Withdrawal Structure <br />(Continued from Page 7) <br /> <br />structure may reduce potential impacts by allowing time <br />between operations for the system to rebound. <br /> <br />A major concern is that warmer mainstem temperatures <br />may be conducive to non-native fish species, allowing <br />non-native species to outcompete native fishes for habitat <br />and food, and even prey upon them. The situatiop may <br />be exacerbated by a low, steady flow regime which would <br />replicate environmental conditions under which many <br />non-native fish species evolved. The eggs and young of <br />humpback chub and other native flSh will need to be <br />protected following successful spawning to enable native <br />flSh to survive and grow to a size where they can <br />compete with the non-native fish. The Adaptive <br />Management Program will serve as the vehicle for <br /> <br />refining selective withdrawal operations, as well as <br />identifying, testing, and refining other resource <br />management options and techniques for the native flSh <br />and other resources. <br /> <br />The development and utilization of a selective withdrawal <br />structure at Glen Canyon Dam will not, on its own, solve <br />all the problems facing native flSh in the Grand Canyon. <br />However, it could provide a valuable tool for resource <br />managers and an opportunity to further link the <br />management and operations of the dam with the protec- <br />tion, maintenance, and recovery of an important element <br />of the ecosystem for native flSh in the Colorado River. <br />A successful application of a selective withdrawal device <br />requires knowledge of the ecosystem, the species, and the <br />boundaries of the system. <br /> <br />Glen Canyon Environmental Studies, Phase II Completion <br />By: Dave Wegner <br />Manager, Glen Canyon Environmental Studies <br /> <br />Fiscal year 1995 will be the final year of the Glen Canyon <br />Environmental Studies (GCES) as we presently know it. <br />The plans are to implement a new program--the <br />Adaptive Management Program (see article on page 10) <br />and long-term monitoring. <br /> <br />The GCES began in 1982 as an interagency effort to <br />(stated simply) study conditions downstream from Glen <br />Canyon Dam to determine if operations of the dam <br />adversely affected the river-related environmental and <br />recreational resources of Glen and Grand Canyons and <br />if there were different ways to operate the dam. Phase <br />I was completed in 1966, with 39 technical reports <br />evaluating terrestrial biology, aquatic biology, sediment <br />and hydrology, recreation, and dam operations. These <br />studies were conducted during the three wettest years on <br />record (1983-85); consequently, while they provided <br />substantial information on floods, they provided limited <br />information on the effects of powerplant operation. <br /> <br />In 1966, the Secretary of the Interior determined that the <br />GCES should be continued to gather additional data on <br />specific operation elements related to the operation of <br />Glen Canyon Dam powerplant. <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br />The Phase II research is based on an ecological system <br />approach structured around specific hypotheses and <br />research flows. These studies assess the impacts of low <br />and fluctuating flows and potential impacts to resources <br />and power revenues as well as provide scientific <br />information for input to the EIS. <br /> <br />The over 90 technical reports, documents, and data bases <br />included in Phase II studies are scheduled for completion <br />by October 1995. This includes development and <br />integration of computer data bases into the GCES <br />Scientific Information Management System and the <br />Geographic Information System. <br /> <br />GCES has served as a template for cooperative, inter- <br />and intra-agency coordination for research and <br />monitoring. At times, GCES has been surrounded by <br />controversy since ecosystems and politics do not mix very <br />well. GCES exemplifies Reclamation's new mission and <br />approach to solving complex ecosystem issues, using a <br />scientific approach in attempting to find the linkages and <br />understanding necessary to provide scientifically based <br />information for the decisionmaking process. <br />