GCMRC Budget Update

Jack Schmidt

US Geological Survey

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center
FY 13: $10,447,000 [$10,441,000]

FY 2013
FY13: general budget 

categories

GCMRC salaries

logistics 

trip 

costs

cooperators 

(non-USGS)

cooperators

(USGS)

USGS 

burden

GIS/RS/electronics

support

FY 2013
Sources of funding for FY13

GCMRC FY12

carryover

($1.0 mil)

GCDAMP funding, 

other BoR

funding, BoR

carryover funding

($9.52 mil)

FY 2013

FY 13: $10,493,000 (budgeted)

FY 13: $9,962,000 (actual)

Lake Powell: 

$70,000 under

Monitoring: 

$208,000 under 

Factors: 

$67,000 under 
Vegetation: $129,000 under 

Economist: $198,000 

under 

Logistics: $114,000 over 

USGS administration: 

$272,000 over 

RS/GIS/overflight: 

$114,000 under 
GCDAMP funding

(8.91 mil)

GCMRC FY12

carryover

($0.61 mil)

other BoR

funding

($0.42 mil)

BoR carryover funding

($0.57 mil)

FY14 -- $10,518,400

FY 2014

Extra funding to be used in FY14:

F. Monitoring fish: $190,000

K. Economist: $200,000
 Relation among FY13/14 BWP projects, 2004 Priority Science Questions, HFE 

Protocol EA, and NNFC EA. Do the EAs and the associated FoNSIs redefine how 

GCMRC addresses the 2004 Priority Science Questions? 

 Have the 2004 Priority Science Questions been subsumed by the LTEMP 

process? How is the development of the FY15/16 BWP to be guided by 

the LTEMP EIS?

 Have the expectations of the AMWG/TWG regarding monitoring and research 

needs been redefined?

Some Questions/Issues to Ponder in 

Developing FY15/16 BWP

moving 

forward
Status of 2004 Priority Science 

Questions

1) Why are humpback chub not thriving, and what can we do about it? How many 

humpback chub are there and how are they doing?

a) Decade long focus on humpback chub population estimation and on humpback chub 

ecology indicates substantial improvement in humpback chub population

b) FY13/14 BWP has a large focus on humpback chub ecology (4 projects)

2) What is the best flow regime?

a) This is the focus of the HFE Protocol EA and of the LTEMP EIS now being planned.

3) What will happen when we test or implement a TCD? How should it be operated? ...

1) Temperature has been a major focus of GCMRC research regarding the food base and 

interactions between trout and chub.

2) Temperature issues are being evaluated within the LTEMP EIS process.

4) What is the impact of [fine] sediment loss and what should we do about it?

1) Project A is a comprehensive investigation of the distribution of fine sediment, and its 

results are being linked with resource attributes

2) Other project reports linking fine sediment loss with campsite changes are overdue;

specific linkages are being addressed in reports now being finalized.

5) Which cultural resources, including TCPs, are within the APE, which should we treat, 

and how do we best protect them?

1) Project J3 specifically is linked with APE designation.

2) Monitoring of specific cultural properties remains a controversial issue

moving 

forward
Secretarial Directive concerning Environmental Assessments for (1) Highflow Experimental Releases, and (2) Non-native Fish Control (May 23, 2012: 

“I direct ... USGS ... to undertake coordinated implementation of the actions 

and commitments described and analyzed in the Environmental 

Assessments ...”)

2011 Desired Future Conditions Ad Hoc Group 

(April 30, 2012: SoI directed AMWG “to utilize these DFCs to inform and 

guide the AMWG’s future considerations”)

General Science Plans for the Environmental Assessments

Assistant Secretary’s Guidance Concerning Research and Monitoring 

Priorities in GCMRC science planning (March 31, 2011, memo)

Core Monitoring Plan (February 18, 2011, draft)

Monitoring and Research Plan (April 2009)

Priority Questions and Program Goals (August 2004)

Questions, Expectations, Concerns moving 

forward
FY 13/14 Biennial Work Plan

spring/summer/fall 2013: first field 

season

fall/winter 2013: data analysis and 

interpretation

winter 2014: Annual Reporting Meeting 

(January) focuses on interpretation of 

2013 field season data in a broad 

scientific and management context

spring/summer/fall 2014: second field 

season

fall/winter 2014: data analysis and report 

preparation

winter 2015: Annual Reporting Meeting 

(January) focuses on preliminary final 

findings of FY 13/14 BWP 

winter 2014: receive stakeholder input 

based on Annual Reporting Meeting; 

work with AMWG/TWG and develop 

preliminary FY 15/16 work plan

FY 15/16 Biennial Work Plan

spring 2014: BWP development in 

collaboration with TWG and 

TWG/BAHG 

summer 2014: refinement of BWP; 

consideration by AMWG (August)

fall/winter 2014: budget/contract 

finalization

moving 

forward
Some Thoughts on Moving Forward 

in Monitoring and Research
A. Sandbars and sediment storage dynamics ... (no significant change)

B. Stream flow, water quality, and sediment transport ... (no significant 

change)
C. Water quality monitoring of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam 

releases [uncertain]
D. Mainstem humpback chub aggregation studies 

(decrease)

Return to one trip per year; population estimation effort done; continue mainstem

production and rear
E. Humpback chub early life history near the Little Colorado River (same or increase)

Continue July marking and population dynamics of HBC and LCR foodweb studies; 

evaluate food webs in other tributaries
F. Long-term monitoring of native and nonnative fishes in the mainstem Colorado 

River and in the Little Colorado River (decrease)

Eliminate redundant or unnecessary monitoring
G. Interactions between native fish and nonnative trout 

(equal or increase)

Funding projection: Equal or increase

Continue or expand laboratory experiments and pilot brown trout removals with NPS
H. Understanding the factors limiting the growth of rainbow trout in 

Glen Canyon (same funding)

Trout growth trial and bioenergetics modeling should be done; one more year for tailwater

synthesis; continue algae production modeling and efforts to characterize invertebrate 

abundance, distribution, and drift
I. Integrated riparian vegetation studies (same or uncertain)

Continue monitoring, model development, and 

remotely sensed data analysis
J. Cultural Resources (same or uncertain)
GCMRC economist and research support (increase)

Socio-Economic Resources

Independent Reviews (shift to BoR)

Logistics (same or decrease)

USGS/GCMRC overhead/administration (increase)