Prepared in cooperation with Northern Arizona University

Colorado River Campsite Monitoring, Grand Canyon National 

Park, Arizona, 1998–2012

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2014-1161

Colorado River Campsite Monitoring, Grand Canyon 

National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012

By Matt Kaplinski, Joe Hazel, Rod Parnell, Daniel R. Hadley, and Paul Grams 

Prepared in cooperation with Northern Arizona University

Open-File Report 2014–1161

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2014

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Suggested citation:

Kaplinski, Matt, Hazel, Joe, Parnell, Rod, Hadley, D.R., and Grams, Paul, 2014, Colorado River campsite monitoring, 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1161, 24 p. plus 

appendix, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141161. 

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)

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iii

Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................................................................... 2

Study Area, Place Names, and Units......................................................................................................................... 2

Glen Canyon Dam Flows Releases during Study Period........................................................................................... 4

Methods......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Study Design and Site Selection................................................................................................................................ 5

Data Collection and Processing................................................................................................................................. 7

Results and Conclusions ..............................................................................................................................................20

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................20

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................................21

Appendix A. Campsite Area Data for Each Study Site..................................................................................................24

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing campsite area study site locations along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon 

National Park, Arizona................................................................................................................................................... 3

Figure 2. Hydrograph showing the Colorado River at Lees Ferry (09380000), Arizona, 1998–2013 ............................ 4

Figure 3. Map showing repeat surveys of Nautiloid camp (RM 35.0) conducted on October 12, 1998 at 16:00 

and 17:00 by independent survey crews ....................................................................................................................... 9

Figure 4. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for all sites along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon 

National Park, Arizona................................................................................................................................................. 17

Figure 5. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for sites in Marble and Grand Canyons along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona............................................................................................... 18

Figure 6. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for sites in critical and non-critical recreational segments 

along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona ............................................................................... 19

Tables

Table 1. Campsite monitoring study sites, along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona .............. 6

Table 2. Campsite survey trip data collected along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, 

Arizona, 1998–2012....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Table 3. Mean campsite area for all sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones along the Colorado River,

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012..................................................................................................... 11

Table 4. Mean campsite area for sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones in Marble Canyon along the 

Colorado River, Arizona, 1998–2012........................................................................................................................... 12

Table 5. Mean campsite area for sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones in Grand Canyon along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012 ........................................................................... 13

Table 6. Mean campsite area for sites in critical reaches in low, high, and total stage elevation zones along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012 ........................................................................... 14

Table 7. Mean campsite area for sites in non-critical reaches in low, high, and total stage elevation zones 

along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012 ........................................................... 15

Table 8. Results of linear regression of mean campsite-area time series presented in tables 2 through 6, 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012..................................................................................................... 16
iv

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter (m2)

Volume

cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) 

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

SI to Inch/Pound 

Multiply By To obtain

Length

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

Volume

cubic meter (m3) 35.31 cubic foot (ft3)

Flow rate

cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s)

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). 

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. 
1 

Colorado River Campsite Monitoring, 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012

By Matt Kaplinski, Joe Hazel, Rod Parnell, Daniel R. Hadley, and Paul Grams 

Abstract 

River rafting trips and hikers use sandbars along the Colorado River in Marble and Grand 

Canyons as campsites. The U.S. Geological Survey evaluated the effects of Glen Canyon Dam

operations on campsite areas on sandbars along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. 

Campsite area was measured annually from 1998 to 2012 at 37 study sites between Lees Ferry and 

Diamond Creek, Arizona. The primary purpose of this report is to present the methods and results of the 

project. 

Campsite area surveys were conducted using total station survey methods to outline the 

perimeter of camping area at each study site. Campsite area is defined as any region of smooth substrate 

(most commonly sand) with no more than an 8 degree slope and little or no vegetation. We used this 

definition, but relaxed the slope criteria to include steeper areas near boat mooring locations where 

campers typically establish their kitchens. 

The results show that campsite area decreased over the course of the study period, but at a rate 

that varied by elevation zone and by survey period. Time-series plots show that from 1998 to 2012, high

stage-elevation (greater than the 25,000 ft3

/s stage-elevation) campsite area decreased significantly, 

although there was no significant trend in low stage-elevation (15,000–20,000 ft3

/s) campsite area. High

stage-elevation campsite area increased after the 2004 and 2008 high flows, but decreased in the 

intervals between high flows. Although no overall trend was detected for low stage-elevation campsite 

areas, they did increase after high-volume dam releases equal to or greater than about 20,000 ft3/s. We 

conclude that dam operations have not met the management objectives of the Glen Canyon Adaptive 

Management program to increase the size of camping beaches in critical and non-critical reaches of the 

Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead. 

Introduction 

Approximately 25,000 river runners and hikers visit and camp along the corridor of the Colorado 

River in Grand Canyon National Park every year (National Park Service, 2006). Because the banks are 

dominated by bedrock cliffs, rocky talus, and boulder-covered debris fans (Howard and Dolan, 1981), 

suitable locations for camping are limited in many places. Most campsites are located on sandbars

because these alluvial deposits are relatively flat and easily accessible from the river. Sandbars occur 

intermittently along the shorelines, and campsites are abundant wherever sandbars are abundant. As the 

number of visitors to the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) has increased 

since the mid-1960s, the distribution and quality of campsites have become an increasingly important 

concern to river managers (U.S. Department of Interior, 1995; National Research Council, 1999; 

Stewart and others, 2000; Bureau of Reclamation, 2001; National Park Service, 2006). 
2 

Because most campsites are located on sandbars, management of the two resources is intimately 

linked. Sandbars are dynamic landforms deposited in eddies at times of high streamflow and high 

suspended-sediment concentration. Sandbars may be eroded by streamflows that have low suspendedsediment concentration (Hazel and others, 1999), and sandbars also may be eroded by hillslope runoff 

(Melis and others, 2004), wind deflation (Draut and Rubin, 2007), and human activity (Phillips and 

others, 1986). 

The completion of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) in 1963 caused a 95 percent reduction in the 

delivery of fine sediment to the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons (Topping and others, 

2000). High suspended-sediment streamflows are now rare, and sandbar erosion has generally outpaced 

deposition (Rubin and others, 2002; Schmidt and others, 2004; Wright and others, 2005). Flow 

regulation also reduced the magnitude and frequency of floods that reorganized the configuration of 

sandbars and scoured riparian plants from the banks of the river. The number and size of plants 

increased after 1965, colonizing formerly open sandbars that had been used as campsites (Turner and 

Karpiscak, 1980; Kearsley and Ayers, 1996; Webb and others, 2002). The rate of increase in riparian 

vegetation along the river margins has increased greatly since the early 1990s (Sankey, written 

commun., 2013). Because of the combined impacts of sandbar erosion and invasion by riparian plants, 

the number and size of campsites has decreased dramatically in the post-dam river (Kearsley and others, 

1994; Kaplinski and others, 2005; Kaplinski and others, 2010). 

Purpose and Scope

Improving the condition of campsites along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park 

is a priority management objective of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program 

(GCDAMP). The GCDAMP Strategic Plan management objective 9.3 calls for an increase in the 

“...size, quality, and distribution of camping beaches in critical and non-critical reaches...” of the 

Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead (Bureau of Reclamation, 2001). To address 

this objective, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Northern Arizona University, conducted

an integrated program of sandbar and campsite monitoring that was aimed at understanding the effects 

of Glen Canyon Dam operations on sandbars and campsites. This report describes the methods used to 

monitor 37 sandbar campsites and the changes that occurred to those campsites between 1998 and 2012. 

A companion report describes the monitoring program for the sandbar component of the study. 

Study Area, Place Names, and Units

The study area is the 225-mi (362 km) segment of the Colorado River between Lees Ferry and 

Diamond Creek, Arizona (fig. 1). The study area is subdivided into Marble Canyon, which extends 

between Lees Ferry and the confluence with the Little Colorado River, and Grand Canyon, which 

extends from the Little Colorado River to Diamond Creek. Locations along the river corridor are 

referenced by convention as river mile (RM), which is distance, in miles, along the channel centerline 

downstream of Lees Ferry (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013). Lees Ferry (RM 0) is located 15.5 mi (25 

km) downstream from GCD, and 1 mi (1.6 km) upstream from the mouth of the Paria River and the 

northeastern boundary of Grand Canyon National Park (fig. 1). The Little Colorado River confluence is 

at RM 61.5, and Diamond Creek enters the Colorado River at RM 225. 
3 

Figure 1. Map showing campsite area study site locations along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, 

Arizona.

Study sites are identified by RM and place name after Stevens (1990) and Belknap (2001). The 

left and right sides of the Colorado River are determined as facing downstream. Different parts of the 

Colorado River corridor in Marble and Grand Canyons have been classified as critical and non-critical 

recreational segments, as defined by Kearsley and Warren (1993). Critical segments are stretches of the 

river in which the number of available campsites is limited because of geomorphic setting, high demand 

for nearby attraction sites, or other logistical factors. Non-critical segments are stretches in which 

campsites are plentiful, resulting in little competition for most sites. Each campsite described in this 

report is located in a critical or a noncritical recreational segment. The International System of Units is

used for all measures except for river mile, as noted above, and discharge, which is reported in cubic 

feet per second (ft3

/s).
4 

Glen Canyon Dam Flows Releases during Study Period

Flows during the study period (fig. 2) followed the Modified Low Fluctuation Flow (MLFF) 

preferred alternative of the 1996 Record of Decision on the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact 

statement (U.S. Department of Interior, 1996). The MLFF restricted minimum and maximum flows to 

5,000 and 25,000 ft3

/s, respectively, and included low-, medium-, and high-volume months, with low 

flows during the late spring and late autumn, moderate flows in May and September, and high flows 

during mid-summer and mid-winter. The daily fluctuation or range in flow was limited to 5,000 ft3

/s

during low-volume months, 5,000 ft3/s during medium-volume months, and 8,000 ft3/s during highvolume months. In this report, flow releases regulated by the MLFF protocols are referred to as “normal 

dam operations.” 

Figure 2. Hydrograph showing the Colorado River at Lees Ferry (09380000), Arizona, 1998–2013. Survey trip 

dates are shown as triangles. Note the daily and seasonal fluctuations in discharge volume, the May and 

September 30,000 ft3/s powerplant capacity flows during the 2000 Low Steady Summer Flow (LSSF) experiment, 

the November 2004 High Flow experiment, March 2008 High Flow experiment, and sustained high volume flows 

during the summer of 2011.
5 

During the study period, several flows were released that deviated from the MLFF operating 

guidelines. These flows were either experiments (such as controlled floods), or the result of equalization 

flows between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Five high-flow releases occurred during the study period 

and are of particular interest, as they resulted in elevated main stem discharge that inundated sandbars 

and affected campsite areas. We refer to these flow events as “controlled floods.” The first two 

controlled floods occurred in May and September 2000 as part of a flow experiment termed the Low 

Summer Steady Flow Experiment (LSSF). The LSSF consisted of a 4-day power-plant capacity 

controlled flood of 30,000 ft3/s that was released in May 2000, followed by 3 months of constant 8,000 

ft3/s discharge, and then another 4-day power plant capacity controlled flood in September 2000. Two 

controlled floods greater than powerplant capacity were released in November 2004 and March 2008. 

Both of these controlled floods consisted of a 60-hour release of 42,000 ft3/s. In 2003, 2004, and 2005, 

high-fluctuating flow experiments were conducted from January through March of each year. Flows 

during these months consisted of diurnal fluctuations from 5,000 to 20,000 ft3

/s. A non-experimental 

flow that affected campsite area occurred from June 1 to August 31, 2011. We refer to these flow 

releases as the “summer 2011 high-steady flows,” during which equalization flows governed by the 

interim operating criteria averaged approximately 25,000 ft3

/s, with no daily fluctuation (U.S. 

Department of Interior, 2007). 

Methods

Study Design and Site Selection 

The objective of this study was to monitor changes in campsite areas associated with changing 

sandbar condition and to relate these changes to operations of Glen Canyon Dam. The study was 

designed as a companion component of a sandbar monitoring project in which the area and volume of 

sandbars at selected monitoring sites is measured at least annually by topographic survey (Beus and 

others, 1992; Kaplinski and others, 1995; Hazel and others, 1999; Hazel and others, 2010). Sandbars 

monitored for change in campsite area are a subset of the sites measured for topographic change, 

because not all sandbars are used as campsites. The original criteria for selection of the sandbar 

monitoring sites were (1) distribution throughout the river corridor, (2) distribution of geomorphic 

settings, (3) availability of historical data, (4) variation in recreation use intensity, and (5) variation in 

vegetation cover (Beus and others, 1992). Some of the current sandbar and campsite area monitoring 

sites were established by other researchers in the 1970s or 1980s (Howard and Dolan, 1981; Beus and

others, 1985; Schmidt and Graf, 1990). A total of 37 study sites are monitored for changes in campsite 

area and provide the basis for this report (table 1). Thirty two sites were initially selected in 1998, and 

an additional five sites were added in 2002. These campsites comprise approximately 10 percent of all 

the sandbars identified as campsites by Grand Canyon National Park 

(http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/upload/2011CampsiteList.pdf).

The locations, informal camp names, and reach designation of the 37 sites are shown in table 1. 

Sixteen of the study sites are in Marble Canyon, and 21 are in Grand Canyon (fig. 1). Sixteen sites are 

located in critical reaches, and 21 are in non-critical reaches. No campsites upstream of Lees Ferry in 

Glen Canyon (RM -15 to 0) or downstream of Diamond Creek (RM 225) were evaluated. 
6 

Table 1. Campsite monitoring study sites, along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. 

Mile1 Side Name Reach2 

8.1 L Jackass NC

16.6 L Hot Na Na C

22.1 R 22 Mile C

23.5 L Lone Cedar C

29.5 L Silver Grotto C

30.7 R Sand Pile C

31.9 R South Canyon C

35.0 L Nautiloid C

41.2 R Buck Farm NC

43.4 L Anasazi Bridge NC

44.5 L Eminence NC

45.0 L Willy Taylor NC

47.6 R Lower Saddle NC

50.1 R Dino NC

51.5 L 51 Mile NC

55.9 R Kwagunt Marsh NC

62.9 R Crash NC

81.7 L Grapevine C

84.6 R Clear Creek C

87.7 L Cremation C

91.7 R 91 mile - above Trinity C

93.8 L Granite C

104.4 R 104 Mile C

119.4 R 119 Mile NC

122.8 R 122 Mile NC

123.2 L Forster NC

137.7 L Football Field C

139.6 R Fishtail C

145.9 L 145 Mile C

167.1 L Lower National NC

172.2 L 172 Mile NC

183.3 R 183Left NC

183.3 L 183 Right NC

194.6 L 194 Mile NC

202.3 R 202 Mile NC

213.3 L Pumpkin Springs NC

220.1 R Middle 220 Mile NC

1

Based on the river mile centerline (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013) 

downstream from Lees Ferry (river mile 0)

2

C=Critical Reach, NC = Non-Critical Reach, as defined by Kearsley and Warren (1993).
7 

Data Collection and Processing 

There are no administrative definitions of what constitutes a campsite, and the National Park 

Service (NPS) has few regulations that dictate campsite use. Aside from a few areas that are closed to 

camping, river runners camp anywhere they choose. Visitors are, however, discouraged from camping 

in previously undisturbed areas and clearing vegetation to establish new camping areas is not allowed. 

Most river runners camp at sites that are repeatedly used throughout the river running season; some sites 

are used nearly every night during the summer. 

Because the purpose of this project is to track changes in the areas available for camping at 

regularly used sites, we adopted a definition of “campsite area” similar to that used by the NPS in 

previous studies (Kearsley and Warren, 1993). Campsite area is defined as any area of smooth substrate 

(most commonly sand) with no more than an 8 degree slope and little or no vegetation. We used this 

definition, but relaxed the slope criteria to include steeper areas near boat mooring locations where 

campers typically establish their kitchens. Following this definition, a single campsite consists of any 

number of smaller areas that meet the above criteria. 

Campsite area was surveyed on 16 trips between 1998 and 2012 (fig. 2, table 2). Campsite 

surveys were conducted using standard total-station survey techniques. Hazel and others (2008) reported 

that individual points collected with total stations have horizontal accuracies that range from ±0.05 to 

0.25 m and vertical accuracies that range from ±0.05 to 0.09 m, depending on the number of rod 

extensions used. Approximately 90 percent of the points were collected at the standard rod height with 

no extensions, where the accuracy is closer to the minimum level of 0.05 m, both horizontally and 

vertically. Each campsite survey was completed by measuring topographic points that outlined the 

perimeter of areas that meet the campsite area criteria, as well as collecting points to exclude areas 

containing features within campsite areas such as trees, bushes, and rocks. The perimeter points were 

then used to define polygons of campsite area (fig. 3). Slope was visually estimated in the field. 

We did not include all campsite areas at every study site. Some campsites are large, and areas 

outside a fixed outer perimeter were not monitored. The areas excluded from monitoring were located 

far from mooring and kitchen locations and were typically at high elevations (greater than 45,000 ft3/s) 

where current NPS regulations discourage camping (National Park Service, 2006). At other sites, some 

of the campsite area was obstructed from view by the survey equipment and was not included. At every 

site, the area for repeat monitoring was consistently defined. Survey crews used orthophotographs of 

each site with previously surveyed areas plotted to ensure that previously excluded campsite areas were 

not included in the mapping. 

Because delineation of campsite area involves some unavoidable subjectivity, the question arises 

as to whether or not campsite area mapping, using the methods described above, can be accurately

repeated. The repeatability of campsite area mapping was investigated by conducting surveys of the 

same campsite (Nautiloid camp; RM 35.0; appendix A) on the same day by two separate crews during 

the 1998 survey trip (fig. 3). Each crew established their own point locations to define the campsite area. 

The total amount of campsite area measured by the two surveys was 751 and 723 m2

, a 3.7 percent 

difference in campsite area. Topographic and campsite area complexity varies between the study sites; 

therefore, we conservatively estimate that the methods described here can detect changes in campsite 

area greater than 10 percent for all sites. Additional repeat surveys will be conducted in the future to 

better define the range of uncertainty associated with the mapping.
8 

Table 2. Campsite survey trip data collected along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 

1998–2012. 

Trip date Start date End date Discharge during surveys1

October 1998 10/10/1998 10/22/1998 10,000–18,000 ft3/s

October 1999 10/3/1999 10/14/1999 13,000–20,000 ft3/s

October 2000 10/15/2000 10/27/2000 7,000–12,500 ft3/s

October 2001 10/5/2001 10/18/2001 7,000–12,500 ft3/s

October 2002 9/20/2002 10/6/2002 5,500–10,000 ft3/s

May 2003 4/25/2003 5/12/2003 7,000–13,000 ft3/s

October 2003 9/20/2003 10/6/2003 5,500–10,000 ft3/s

May 2005 5/7/2005 5/22/2005 7,000–13,000 ft3/s

October 2006 10/7/2006 10/22/2006 7,000–13,000 ft3/s

October 2007 10/13/2007 10/29/2007 7,000–13,000 ft3/s

February 2008 2/2/2008 2/17/2008 8,500–13,500 ft3/s

April 2008 3/28/2008 4/12/2008 7,500–13,000 ft3/s

October 2008 10/11/2008 10/26/2008 12,100–12,600 ft3/s

October 2009 10/10/2009 10/25/2009 10,000–10,700 ft3/s

October 2011 10/5/2011 10/20/2011 15,000–16,300 ft3/s

October 2012 10/3/2012 10/18/2012 7,800–8,300 ft3/s

1

Flow levels from USGS gage (09380000) Colorado River at Lees Ferry, AZ.

The elevation of campsite areas relative to the river elevation is also important when river 

runners decide where to camp because it is undesirable to carry equipment long distances or far upslope. 

A campsite is also undesirable if it can be temporarily flooded. To account for fluctuating flows on 

campsite areas, the campsite surveys were integrated with the topographic surveys so that changes to the 

campsite area could be analyzed within specific ranges of discharge. Surveys were integrated by 

constructing Digital Elevation Models (DEM) within the campsite area polygons. DEMs of the site 

topography were constructed from the survey points using triangular irregular networks (TINs) by 

Delaunay triangulation (McCullagh, 1998), and campsite area polygons were used to clip the DEM 

boundary to produce a DEM within the campsite area polygons. The campsite area DEMs were used to 

tabulate campsite area within six discrete discharge ranges, or zones. These zones were: (1) 10,000–

15,000 ft3/s, (2) 15,000–20,000 ft3/s, (3) 20,000–25,000 ft3/s, (4) 25,000–30,000 ft3/s, (5) 30,000–45,000 

ft3/s, and (6) greater than 45,000 ft3/s. For each site, these discharge ranges were converted into 

elevation ranges based on local stage-to-discharge relations computed by Hazel and others (2006). The 

lowermost stage range (10,000–15,000 ft3/s) could not always be surveyed for all sites because 

discharges often were greater than 10,000 ft3/s during the survey trips (table 2). Data for this zone is 

included only in the tabulation of individual site data (appendix A). 
9 

Figure 3. Map showing repeat surveys of Nautiloid camp (RM 35.0) conducted on October 12, 1998 at 16:00 and 

17:00 by independent survey crews. The total campsite area measured was 751 m2 (16:00) and 723 m2 (17:00),

which equates to a 3.7 percent difference in campsite area between surveys. Flow in main channel was from right 

to left. Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center aerial photographs taken in May 2002 when discharge was

approximately 8,000 ft3/s. 
10

Campsite area measurements were summarized by grouping the data into two zones that are of 

greatest management interest. Normal dam operations generally consist of discharges with peaks rarely 

exceeding 25,000 ft3

/s (fig. 2). Discharges greater than this occur only during experimental floods 

conducted to build sandbars (Schmidt and Grams, 2011). We reported “low stage-elevation” campsite 

area as the sum of all campsite area in the zones between 15,000 and 25,000 ft3/s. These areas are most 

affected by normal dam operations, are subjected to depositional and erosional processes, and are where 

riparian vegetation has established only to a minor degree. The “high stage-elevation” campsite area 

consists of all zones at elevations higher than 25,000 ft3/s. The high stage-elevation zone is situated 

above the range of normal dam operations and is partially inundated only during controlled floods with

magnitudes typically between 40,000 and 45,000 ft3/s (fig. 2). Normal MLFF dam operations typically 

involve release volumes that are higher in June, July, and August. During summer months, most 

available campsite area is in the high stage-elevation zone. We also reported “total” campsite area as the 

sum of the low and high stage-elevation zones. This sum includes all the campsite area consistently 

measured at all of the study sites.

Complete data sets for each study site are given in appendix A. The appendix contains, for each 

site, a site location map, a table of the campsite area data, time series plots for each stage elevation zone, 

maps of each survey, and photographs of the study site at the beginning and end of the study period, 

where available. 

Time-series plots of the campsite area surveys show the changes to campsite area over time. A 

summary of the campsite area data in all three stage elevation zones (total, high, and low) is presented 

for all sites (fig. 4, table 3), sites in Marble and Grand Canyons (fig. 5, tables 4 and 5) to show 

longitudinal changes with distance away from GCD, and within critical and non-critical recreational 

segments (fig. 6, tables 6 and 7). Data were summarized by computing the mean and standard error of 

the mean for the campsite area measured within each stage elevation zone for each survey. The 

significance of the time series trends were evaluated by linear regression modeling (table 8). 
11

Table 3. Mean campsite area for all sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones along the Colorado River,

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012. 

Low1 High2 Total3 

Survey date Mean s.e4 Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 n5 

October 1998 185 45 487 70 623 75 30

October 1999 105 31 458 61 537 65 31

October 2000 327 69 414 54 741 90 30

October 2001 222 69 353 54 574 86 30

October 2002 162 35 272 38 434 48 37

May 2003 254 47 229 31 483 57 37

October 2003 248 47 231 33 479 54 37

May 2005 301 63 302 40 593 79 37

October 2006 120 28 218 30 337 44 37

October 2007 119 23 164 25 282 33 37

February 2008 121 26 180 27 301 42 37

April 2008 212 61 398 52 610 100 37

October 2008 123 30 265 35 388 45 37

October 2009 82 20 225 29 307 36 37

October 2011 215 44 168 24 383 50 37

October 2012 211 42 160 23 371 49 37

1

Low = campsite area measured between the 15,000 to 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

2

High = campsite area measured above the 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

3

Total = all campsite area measured above 15,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

4

s.e. = standard error of the mean. 

5

n = number of sites. 
12

Table 4. Mean campsite area for sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones in Marble Canyon along the 

Colorado River, Arizona, 1998–2012. 

Low1 High2 Total3

Survey date Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 n5

October 1998 221 83 549 105 637 114 11

October 1999 96 45 621 81 651 81 12

October 2000 365 143 502 78 867 165 10

October 2001 335 160 390 66 725 161 11

October 2002 144 48 304 55 448 56 16

May 2003 230 60 258 48 488 78 16

October 2003 203 61 284 59 487 71 16

May 2005 305 61 363 55 646 80 16

October 2006 118 40 263 37 381 58 16

October 2007 119 36 215 42 335 54 16

February 2008 133 47 236 45 369 75 16

April 2008 357 126 472 91 830 198 16

October 2008 171 52 315 52 485 64 16

October 2009 100 31 241 39 341 44 16

October 2011 214 75 203 39 418 71 16

October 2012 248 60 196 43 444 73 16

1

Low = campsite area measured between the 15,000 to 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

2

High = campsite area measured above the 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

3

Total = all campsite area measured above 15,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

4

s.e. = standard error of the mean. 

5

n = number of sites. 
13

Table 5. Mean campsite area for sites in low, high, and total stage elevation zones in Grand Canyon along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012. 

Low1 High2 Total3

Survey date Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 n5

October 1998 164 53 451 94 615 100 19

October 1999 111 43 354 78 466 91 19

October 2000 308 77 370 70 677 107 20

October 2001 156 55 331 77 487 96 19

October 2002 176 50 247 53 424 75 21

May 2003 272 70 207 41 479 82 21

October 2003 283 69 190 36 473 80 21

May 2005 298 102 255 56 553 126 21

October 2006 121 41 183 43 304 65 21

October 2007 118 31 125 28 243 41 21

February 2008 112 30 138 31 250 46 21

April 2008 101 36 342 59 443 77 21

October 2008 87 34 227 47 314 58 21

October 2009 69 26 212 43 281 53 21

October 2011 216 55 141 30 357 70 21

October 2012 182 59 133 25 315 66 21

1

Low = campsite area measured between the 15,000 to 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

2

High = campsite area measured above the 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

3

Total = all campsite area measured above 15,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

4

s.e. = standard error of the mean. 

5

n = number of sites. 
14

Table 6. Mean campsite area for sites in critical reaches in low, high, and total stage elevation zones along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012.

Low1 High2 Total3

Survey date Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 n5

October 1998 185 77 388 83 573 89 13

October 1999 127 50 360 82 487 80 13

October 2000 234 60 364 75 598 96 14

October 2001 128 41 304 79 432 76 13

October 2002 173 49 228 56 401 63 16

May 2003 244 77 197 44 442 86 16

October 2003 222 78 193 42 415 79 16

May 2005 292 112 283 60 574 129 16

October 2006 100 45 232 53 332 70 16

October 2007 93 29 179 39 272 41 16

February 2008 107 29 171 36 278 45 16

April 2008 187 61 353 68 541 91 16

October 2008 164 61 265 50 429 68 16

October 2009 102 38 223 42 325 52 16

October 2011 225 83 176 41 401 84 16

October 2012 242 82 169 34 411 84 16

1

Low = campsite area measured between the 15,000 to 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

2

High = campsite area measured above the 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

3

Total = all campsite area measured above 15,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

4

s.e. = standard error of the mean. 

5

n = number of sites. 
15

Table 7. Mean campsite area for sites in non-critical reaches in low, high, and total stage elevation zones along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012. 

Low1 High2 Total3

Survey date Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 Mean s.e.4 n5

October 1998 185 55 563 105 661 115 17

October 1999 90 40 528 85 573 97 18

October 2000 408 117 457 77 865 142 16

October 2001 293 115 390 75 683 136 17

October 2002 154 50 305 52 459 71 21

May 2003 262 60 253 43 515 77 21

October 2003 268 60 260 48 528 74 21

May 2005 308 74 317 56 608 102 21

October 2006 135 37 206 34 341 59 21

October 2007 138 35 152 33 290 51 21

February 2008 132 41 187 40 319 67 21

April 2008 231 98 432 76 663 163 21

October 2008 92 24 265 50 357 60 21

October 2009 67 19 226 41 293 49 21

October 2011 208 47 162 30 369 61 21

October 2012 187 42 153 33 340 60 21

1

Low = campsite area measured between the 15,000 to 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

2

High = campsite area measured above the 25,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

3

Total = all campsite area measured above 15,000 ft3/s stage elevation zone. 

4

s.e. = standard error of the mean. 

5

n = number of sites. 
16

Table 8. Results of linear regression of mean campsite-area time series presented in tables 2 through 6, Grand 

Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012. 

Sites Stage zone F1 P2 (R2)3 

all sites low 0.93 0.351 0.06

all sites high 19.16 0.001 0.58

all sites total 11.86 0.004 0.46

Marble Canyon low 0.33 0.574 0.02

Marble Canyon high 17.50 0.001 0.56

Marble Canyon total 5.78 0.031 0.29

Grand Canyon low 1.40 0.256 0.09

Grand Canyon high 19.11 0.001 0.58

Grand Canyon total 19.00 0.001 0.58

critical low 0.01 0.920 0.00

critical high 10.92 0.005 0.44

critical total 5.15 0.040 0.27

noncritical low 1.82 0.198 0.12

noncritical high 24.06 0.000 0.63

noncritical total 14.99 0.002 0.52

1

F-ratio from single factor ANOVA with degrees of freedom = 1,14.

2

P is the significance of the F-ratio. Significance at the 95 percent level = 0.05.

3

R2 represents the percentage of variation explained by the fitted line, or “goodness of fit” of the line. 
17

Figure 4. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for all sites along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon 

National Park, Arizona. Standard error of the mean shown by error bars (A) Mean campsite area in total (greater 

than 15,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone; (B) mean campsite area in high (greater than 25,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation 

zone; (C) mean campsite area of low (15,000–25,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone. Refer to table 2 for data.
18

Figure 5. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for sites in Marble and Grand Canyons along the 

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Standard error of the mean shown by error bars. (A) Mean 

campsite area in total (greater than 15,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone; (B) mean campsite area in high (greater 

than 25,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone; (C) mean campsite area of low (15,000–25,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone. 

Refer to tables 3 and 4 for data.
19

Figure 6. Time series plots showing mean campsite area for sites in critical and non-critical recreational segments 

along the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Standard error of the mean shown by error bars.

(A) Mean campsite area in total (greater than 15,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone; (B) mean campsite area in high 

(greater than 25,000 ft3/s) stage-elevation zone; (C) mean campsite area of low (15,000–25,000 ft3/s) stageelevation zone. Refer to tables 5 and 6 for data.
20

Results and Conclusions

Campsite area decreased over the course of the study period, but varied strongly by elevation 

zone and between surveys (figs. 4, 5, and 6). From 1998 to 2012, the mean total campsite area decreased 

by an average of 36 percent and decreased at 29 of the 37 study sites. Regression modeling shows that 

the decreasing trend in the total amount of campsite area (figs. 4A, 5A, and 6A) is significant (p<0.05; 

table 8). Campsite area within the high stage-elevation zone shows a significant decreasing trend 

(p<0.05; table 8) for all categories of sites (figs. 4B, 5B, and 6B), whereas there was no significant longterm trend in low stage-elevation campsite area (figs. 4C, 5C, and 6C). Campsite area decreased at all 

37 study sites in the high stage-elevation zone by an average of 61 percent. In the low stage-elevation 

zone, 21 sites increased in campsite area, 12 sites decreased in area, and 4 sites showed no change.

The effects of dam operations on campsite area are highlighted by examining changes between 

surveys. In the high stage-elevation zone, campsite area increased for all categories (all sites, Marble 

Canyon, Grand Canyon, critical and non-critical) after the controlled floods in November 2004 and 

March 2008 (fig. 2). Increases in high stage-elevation campsite area result from sandbar deposition 

during controlled floods (Grams and others, 2010; Hazel and others, 2010), where deposition builds 

larger bars, fills gullies, and buries or removes vegetation. In contrast, high stage-elevation campsite 

area decreased in the intervals between high flows when normal Record of Decision (ROD) flows did

not inundate the high-elevation zone. The two powerplant capacity (about 31,000 ft3

/s) controlled floods 

released during the 2000 LSSF experiment only partially inundated the high stage-elevation zone but 

did not increase campsite area in this zone. The loss of campsite area during these intervals is likely due 

to a combination of changes in sandbar slope and vegetation growth.

In the low stage-elevation zone, campsite area increases occurred after higher volume flows 

within powerplant capacity as well as the two controlled floods greater than powerplant capacity. Low

stage-elevation campsite area increased after the two powerplant capacity controlled floods during the 

2000 LSSF experiment, the high-fluctuating flows from January to March 2003, the 2004 and 2008 

controlled floods, and the summer 2011 high-steady flows. Campsite area increased during these 

intervals because flows partially or completely inundated the low stage-elevation zone, deposited

sediment (if sediment concentrations were high enough), and inhibited vegetation growth.

The campsite area surveys show a long term loss in campsite area. We conclude that dam 

operations have not met the management objectives of the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management program 

to increase the size of camping beaches in critical and non-critical reaches of the Colorado River 

between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead. However, a more thorough investigation is needed to better 

quantify the mechanisms that cause campsite area change. We are currently conducting an analysis that 

aims to correlate changes in campsite area with changes in topography and vegetation to provide a more 

complete analysis of changes to campsite area along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the many people who helped with data collection. Helen Fairley, 

Carol Fritzinger, Tom Gushue, Keith Kohl, Rob Ross, Aaron Borling, Jeff Behan, Greg Sponenburgh, 

Erik Kellerup, Laura Kennedy, Karen Koestner, Ryan Seumptewa, and Meagan Polino were 

instrumental in collecting field data. Funding for this work was provided through the Glen Canyon Dam 

Adaptive Management program of the Bureau of Reclamation. 
21

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24

Appendix A. Campsite Area Data for Each Study Site

The appendix contains, for each site, a site location map, a table of the campsite area data, time 

series plots for each stage elevation zone, maps of each survey, and photographs of the study site at the 

beginning and end of the study period, where available.Appendix A in .PDF format can be downloaded 

from http://pubs.usgs.gov/ofr/2014/1161.
Publishing support provided by the U.S. Geological Survey

Publishing Network, Tacoma Publishing Service Center

For more information concerning the research in this report, contact the

 SBSC staff, Southwest Biological Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

2255 N. Gemini Drive

Flagstaff, AZ 86001 

http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/
Kaplinski and others—Colorado River Campsite Monitoring, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998–2012—Open-File Report 2014–1161

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141161