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<br />001536 <br /> <br />2002-2003 PROGRESS REVIEW <br />IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLEN CANYON DAM OPERATIONS <br />BIOLOGICAL OPINION <br /> <br />This is Reclamation's fifth progress report for implementation of the Reasonable and <br />Prudent Alternative (RP A) for the 1994 Glen Canyon Dam Operations Biological <br />Opinion. It addresses activities completed during calendar years 2002-2003. Each <br />review has included at least one preliminary communication between the staffs of the <br />Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The first <br />progress report was prepared on November 27, 1996, and the Service formally <br />responded on April 3, 1997. The second report was issued on December 12, 1997. No <br />formal response was received from the Service. The third report was sent on February <br />25, 1999, and the Service responded on May 27, 1999. The fourth report was delivered <br />on May 8, 2002 and the Service responded on June 13, 2002. <br /> <br />At the close of calendar year 2003, five of the seven elements of the biological opinion <br />are in progress, with one item completed and another awaiting follow-up action by the <br />Service. <br /> <br />Following is a discussion of each element. <br /> <br />ELEMENT 1 <br /> <br />Reclamation shall develop an adaptive management program. <br /> <br />PROGRESS ON ELEMENT 1 <br /> <br />The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) retains the same <br />organizational structure as presented in the fourth sufficient progress communication. <br />The GCDAMP Charter was renewed in 2003. New and continuing representatives to the <br />Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) were confirmed by the Secretary of the <br />Interior during 2002-2003; the Federation of Fly Fishers replaced Trout Unlimited and <br />Grand Canyon Wildlands Council replaced Southwest Rivers. One new Protocol <br />Evaluation Panel, on topographic survey protocols (Saleh and others 2003), was <br />convened in 2002-2003. <br /> <br />In response to a discovery that the endangered humpback chub (HBC) population in <br />Grand Canyon was in decline, the AMWG directed in January 2003 that an ad hoc <br />committee be formed with the responsibility of developing a comprehensive plan for <br />future research, monitoring, and management of the endangered fish. In August 2003, <br />the HBC Ad Hoc Committee delivered the plan to the AMWG (Humpback Chub Ad Hoc <br />Committee 2003), and projects identified in the plan are to be funded in both the 2004 <br />and 2005 fiscal years. The Science Advisory Board subsequently provided a review of <br />the comprehensive management plan (Glen Canyon Dam AMP Science Advisors 2003). <br />The Science Advisory Board also reviewed the feasibility of a temperature control device <br />(TCD) on Glen Canyon Dam for the purpose of improving habitat conditions for HBC in <br />the mainstem Colorado River (Baron and others 2003). Results of science <br />investigations conducted under the auspices of the GCDAMP were presented at a <br />science symposium on October 28-30,2003, and are available at [online] http://www. <br />Qcmrc.Qov/symposium/2003/sym after/symposium .html. <br /> <br />2 <br />