BOARD00117 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program - Long-Term Experimental Plan for Future Operation of Glen Canyon Dam EIS
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

January 23-24, 2007 Board Meeting
Agenda Item 19
Page 4 of4

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sound experimental and monitoring plan for the conduct of a BHBF is required along
with sufficient funding set aside for such when one is possible. Sufficient time to prepare
a credible scientific experiment is required, which to date has been done on the fly.

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GCMRC staff need time to work with the Technical Work Group to develop the sound
scientific plan. In 2007, AMWG will consider a BHBF, but they want a sound science
plan and funding to do the job right.

Lack of a stable population of humpback chub in the Canyon has been impeding
the progress of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. Recovery of the
Canyon's humpback chub population while very important to the overall recovery effort
ofthe Colorado River endangered fish is really outside the scope ofthe GCAMP.
AMWG recommended to the Secretary of the Interior at its December meeting that a
Lower Colorado River fish recovery implementation program for the humpback chub in
Marble and Grand Canyons be developed by the end of 2008. This effort should be led
by the Fish and Wildlife Service and involve participation by state game and fish
agencies, other Department ofthe Interior agencies, Indian Tribes along the river and
others as deemed appropriate. This is an effort this Board should be supportive of as it
will move this issue for the most part out ofthe GCAMP.

Part and parcel of this effort was an AMWG recommendation to the Secretary of
the Interior to aggressively pursue the development of refugia to assist in the
conservation of humpback chub in the Grand and Marble canyons. This should be a stop
gap measure and should eventually become part of the Grand and Marble Canyons
recovery implementation program. There was considerable discussion on how this would
be funded since this effort is really outside the charge ofthe GCAMP. It was suggested
that the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program's (LCR MSCP)
contribution of $1 0,000 per year to the Glen Canyon Dam Monitoring and Research
effort might be an appropriate source of funding. The GCMRC staff will contact LCR
MSCP staff and determine if a mutually acceptable arrangement is possible.

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Recommendation

Staffis faced with the choice of being fully supportive of the AMWG
recommendations or providing comment during the scoping process some of which
(BHBF and TCD) we would hold a minority view on. Staff believes that it should
generally be supportive of the AMWG recommendation, but would like any input the
Board would like to offer on this matter in light of the other EIS process that Reclamation
has ongoing on Colorado River operations.

Attachment

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