Board Metting 01/23/2007

• Board Meeting Date: 1/23/2007
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Written comments on the proposed development ofthe Long-Term Experimental Plan may be sent by
close of business on Wednesday, February 28,2007, to: Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation,
Upper Colorado Region, Attention: UC-402, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84318-1147,
faxogram at [phone], or e-mail at [e-mail].

Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program: The GCAMP-AMWG met in Phoenix, Arizona on
December 5-6, 2006. The AMWG made recommendations to the Secretary of Interior on: 1) GCMRC
Long-term Experimental Plan, 2) a Beach Habitat Building Flow (BHBF) for water year 2007,3) the
development of a Lower Basin Recovery Program for the humpback chub, and 4) development of a
refugia for the humback chub.

Pursuant to the settlement in lawsuit with the Center for Biodiversity on the adequacy of the GCAMP,
Interior has initiated the NEP A \EIS process associated with the Long-term experimental plan. Two
public scoping meetings where held in early January in Phoenix, Arizona and Salt Lake City, Utah. The
scoping process and comment period will last through the end of February 2007. Interior plans to issue
its Scoping report May 2007, a draft EIS in April 2008, a final EIS in October 2008 and a Record of
Decision in December 2008. AMWG recommended to the Secretary that the plan maintain a balance of
all resources with a focus on the humpback chub and sediment which have not responded as anticipated in
under the Modified Low Fluctuating Flow regime. AMWG also forwarded four experimental flow
options it had developed for consideration during the NEP A process. .

There has been a large influx of sediment into Colorado River from the Paria River, the Little Colorado
and all the lesser tributaries in between. No BHBF was provided for in the 2007 budget and no science
plan was prepared if the opportunity for a BHBF prepared. The AMWG wanted the GCMRC to focus on
completing the analysis of the 2004 BHBF. However, given the large influx of sediment into the system,
researchers at the GCMRC want to conduct a BHBF in 2007. GCMRC is to work with the Technical
Workgroup (TWG) to develop a science plan for further consideration by AMWG.

AMWG, in recognition of the small population of humpback chub in the Grand Canyon and the fact that
many of the activities for humpback chub are outside the original scope of the GCAMP, recommended
that the Secretary of Interior develop a Recovery Program for the humback chub in the Lower Basin and
specifically for the Grand Canyon by the end of 2008. In the interim, the AMWG recommended that the
GCAMP develop a refugia to assist in the conservation of the humpback chub until a recovery program
can be developed.

The GCAMP will be discussed in more detail at the January Board meeting.

Mussel Infestation Hits Lake Mead: On Jan 10, biologists and water officials received confirmation
that invasive zebra mussels have infested part of Lake Mead. The discovery raises concerns that the non-
native nuisance mollusks will clog water pipes, affect hydroelectric power operations, ruin boat engines
and spread to waterways throughout the West.

Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesman J.C. Davis said the authority is working with the National
Park Service to get divers and cameras down to the two drinking water supply intakes at Saddle Island to .

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