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<br />A Message From tile Director
<br />
<br />It is .with great tlJlt!tusiasm tlrat {rake 011 the
<br />challe"geofmlll.aglllg/he deve/ollllU!1It afthe
<br />Glen Cmiyoll Dam Em'iromnemal Impat1,
<br />Statement. Some have said this is the most' .
<br />imp<1l1altl EIStl.. SarearwfRedanurrloll will
<br />IJrodu(Oe. Cerralnly, the rtSOllnoes involved
<br />{lfe internlltional In s;grrijlcallce. and the
<br />(/eci,'iions to "t "Mdt in the next Cf1lIIJle of
<br />year."; will have 10118 term impacts. 1 want to
<br />assure those im'Olved in tllis IJrocess that
<br />Secretar)' La}all's charge 10 Rec/am",/OI' will
<br />be cm.,.ied out in an open and equltable-
<br />"Ullmer.
<br />
<br />/ '/0 'IOt mlllimite the task bifore I<S, Iwr the
<br />C(""em/ous natltre Qftlre Issues. However, 1
<br />am optimistic that tile pl'(JCess can culm/tUlle
<br />(II a ,(lllal decisioll that res/leers legal
<br />CfJlllmirment .fo,. water and recognlz.es
<br />enylronmetltal requiremellts.
<br />
<br />24-Month Schedule
<br />
<br />Recent direction from the
<br />Department of the Interior has
<br />identified that a Final EIS
<br />document will be prepared by
<br />December 1991. This means that
<br />the GdES research will need to be
<br />conformed to on an equally tight
<br />time schedule. Researchers, the
<br />GCES office, and Dr. Duncan
<br />,eatten are working to establish
<br />feasible schedules and study plans.
<br />Upon completion, the work plan will
<br />be distributed to all affected groups,
<br />bureaus, agencies, and public.
<br />
<br />Summary of the Recent
<br />GeES River Research
<br />Trips
<br />
<br />Colorado River
<br />Congressional Briefing Trip:
<br />August 10-15, 1989
<br />
<br />The briefing trip provided an
<br />opportunity for personnel
<br />representing Congressional; State,
<br />Federal, water. power,recreational,
<br />environmental, and scientific
<br />groups to view, learn, discuss. and
<br />present perspectives on the
<br />resource issues involved with Phase
<br />II of the Glen Callyon
<br />Environmental Studies (GCES) and
<br />to discuss the Glen Canyon Dam
<br />
<br />4
<br />
<br />Environmental Impact Statement
<br />process.
<br />
<br />On August 10, the 28 group
<br />members met in Page, Arizona, for
<br />a tour of Glen Canyon Dam and
<br />powerplant, and the Navajo
<br />Generating Station. The following
<br />day, the group was bused to the
<br />South Rim, Grand CWlyon Village,
<br />and from there, hiked the Bright
<br />Angel Trail (9 miles) to the Colorado
<br />River where they met two motor
<br />boats. The itinerary allowed for
<br />travel of approximately 100 river
<br />miles, arid many opportunities for
<br />topical discussion. Summary notes
<br />of the river trip discussion have
<br />been prepared by the GeES
<br />Flagstaff office.
<br />
<br />Group discussions included the
<br />history of the GCES program,
<br />scientific work Wider the direction
<br />of Dr. Duncan Patten, the
<br />EIS/NEPA process, the National
<br />Park Service goals and
<br />perspectives, endangered species
<br />and Fish & Wildlife Service
<br />procedures, the WHrrEK report on
<br />Navajo Generating Station,
<br />recreation and hydroelectric
<br />economics, recreation perspectives,
<br />the role of the Arizona Game and
<br />Fish Department, rainbow trout
<br />fishery, and a summary ofissues by
<br />trip participants who represent the
<br />agencies, organizations, and groups
<br />involved with Glen and Grand
<br />CWiyon issues.
<br />
<br />The group members were
<br />helicoptered out at River Mile 186
<br />to Bar X Ranch, then flown to Las
<br />Vegas, Nevada.
<br />
<br />Beach Survey River
<br />Research Trip: September
<br />1-18,1989
<br />
<br />The Beach Survey research trip was
<br />conducted by four researchers from
<br />the U.S. Geological Survey (Water
<br />Resources Division Office, Arizona
<br />District), and a volunteer.
<br />
<br />Fourteen beaches along the
<br />Colorado River in Grand Canyon
<br />National Park were studied: 11
<br />beaches previously surveyed in
<br />1974, 1980, and 1985 were
<br />resurveyed and three beaches were
<br />surveyed for the first time.
<br />Botanical information was collected
<br />
<br />to monitor the growth and ability of
<br />vegetation to stabilize sandy areas.
<br />
<br />'Topographic surveys were
<br />completed with a total
<br />station/electronic distance meter
<br />which records data in x. y, and z
<br />coordinates. Bench marks were
<br />established at each beach site to
<br />allow for resurveying at a later date.
<br />
<br />Fine sediment (red-brown silt) was
<br />observed at low elevations within
<br />the zone of daily fluctuations at
<br />most beaches. It appeared that
<br />recreation use, especially boat
<br />mooring and traffic in the area of
<br />boats, may significantly affect the
<br />beach face. Cutbanks w'e formed in
<br />sand very quickly alter a boat ties
<br />up along shore. The sand appears to
<br />be redistributed into a Ahelf in the
<br />vicinity of the boat. Short-term,
<br />small scale studies of tlle process of
<br />cutbank formation and sand
<br />redistribution may help to
<br />determine if this process is an
<br />important factor in beach erosion.
<br />
<br />Radio Telemetry Pilot
<br />Investigation: September
<br />6-18, 1989
<br />
<br />In early September, five
<br />researchers representing the
<br />Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish
<br />and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game
<br />and Fish Department, evaluated
<br />the potential of using radio
<br />telemetry in the Grwid Canyon.
<br />
<br />The research effort was focused at
<br />the confluence area of the Little
<br />Colorado River 'and the mainstem
<br />Colorado River, 'fhe primary
<br />objective of the study was to identify
<br />the feasibility of employing radio
<br />telemetry with Grand Canyon fish
<br />to address some of the data
<br />objectives identified in the
<br />Conservation Measures for the
<br />biological opinion on the operation
<br />of the Glen Canyon Dam.
<br />
<br />Radio tags were surgically
<br />implanted in flannel mouth SUCkel'8
<br />and rainbow trout. Researchers
<br />tested the relationAhip between the
<br />point of extinction for a known
<br />transmitted. signal ap;ainAt the
<br />variables of depth. lineal' distance.
<br />and conductivity. Comparative
<br />tests were conducted to evaluate
<br />different types of transmitters,
<br />
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