• Committee efforts

• Taxon list and results

• Prioritization

• Restoration issues

• Motion to AMWG

AMP GOAL 3:

ASSESSING RESTORATION POTENTIAL OF 

TAXA OF MANAGEMENT CONCERN

IN THE COLORADO RIVER ECOSYSTEM

DOWNSTREAM FROM GLEN CANYON DAM

Larry Stevens

Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, Inc.
The IN for Goal 3 is RIN 3.1.1: 

What information (including technical, legal, economic, and policy issues) 

should be considered in determining the feasibility and advisability of restoring 

pikeminnow, bonytail, roundtail chub, river otter, or other extirpated species?

AMP GOAL 3

Restore populations of extirpated species,

as feasible and advisable.

AMWG April 2009:

In recognition of GCDAMP goals toward management of the Colorado River

through an ecosystem approach, AMWG directs the TWG to establish the 

Species of Concern Ad Hoc Committee (SMCAHC) and requests the participation

of GCMRC in that ad hoc committee, to produce a draft report to be presented 

to AMWG on or before by May 1, 2011, that contains the following with regard 

to species of management concern in the CRE: A review of information about 

an assessment of the status of habitat needs and availability, and ecosystem 

roles of the species.

(NOTE: Extension granted to August 2011 AMWG meeting)
GOAL 3 AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Barbara Ralston, USGS/GCMRC Martha Hahn, NPS

Kurt Dongoske, Pueblo of Zuni Brian Healy, NPS

Shane Capron, WAPA Norm Henderson, NPS

Bill Davis, CREDA Pam Sponholtz, USFWS

Lori Caramanian, DOI Jason Thiriot, Colo River Comm/NV

LeAnn Skrzynski, So. Paiute Consortium Sam Spiller, USFWS

Mike Yeatts, Hopi Tribe Bill Stewart, AZ Game and Fish Dept.

Ted Melis, USGS/GCMRC John Jordan, Federation of Fly Fishers

Todd Chaudhry, NPS Rick Moore, Grand Canyon Trust

Jeff Sorensen, AZ Game and Fish Dept. Kelly Burke, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council

Marianne Crawford, USBR R. V. Ward, NPS

Lori Makaric, NPS Melissa Trammell, NPS

Bill Persons, USGS/GCMRC David Ward, USGS

Shaula Hedwall, USFWS Scott Vanderkooi, USGS/GCMRC

Larry Stevens, Grand Canyon Wildlands Mary Orton, The Mary Orton Company

and numerous independent experts

AD HOC COMMITTEE MEETING DATES

2009: 30 Apr; 2010: 3 Jan; 2011: 27 Jan*, 23 Feb*, 12 May*, 9 Jun*

Many emails, expert interviews, individual Committee discussions 

* Conference call
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM 

PROCESSES IN THE CRE

• ~ 800 plant taxa

• ~ 10,000 macroinvertebrate taxa

• ~ 350 vertebrate taxa

• Present AMP focus on HBC, KAS, SWFL

EXTIRPATED OR DECLINING TMC 

• Which TMC have been lost in post-dam time, and why ?

• Which TMC are declining, why, supporting info?

• How to prioritize potential for restoring or rehabilitating TMC?
METHODS AND ASSUMPTIONS

Development of the List

• Document rare, declining, or ecologically influential CRE taxa

Literature review

Expert opinions (not all experts agree) 

• No non-listed non-native species

• List repeatedly reviewed

AMP Issues, Possible Benefits

Advisory value to SOTI

No commitment to restoration funding

Useful information for monitoring AMP resources of concern
Prioritization Approaches

• Legal obligations

• General policy review

• Conservation status (NatureServe)

• Committee ranking - 18 variables

Scored by experts

Unweighted summary score

Arbitrary 50% score considered as TMC

• Trophic position – ecosystem approach

• Policy “Reality Check” and Committee 

discussion
Prioritization Categories

Influence of Glen Canyon Dam on population

Conservation relevance

Quality of background information

Stock availability for restoration

Legal mandates, requirements

Habitat availability under present dam operations

Habitat availability under realistic future dam operations

Technical feasibility

Agreement among stakeholders

Inexpensiveness (low cost=high score)

Time-frame for success (short=high, long=low)

Logistical ease

Ease of compliance

Are genetics issues easily resolved?

Lack of disease transmission potential

Urgency in relation to climate change impacts

Beneficial interactions with other species
Number of CRE TMC

Criterion Plants

Tremat

ode

Inse

cts

Sna

ils

Fi

sh

Amphib

ians

Repti

les

Bir

ds

Mam

mals Total

Extirpated 2? 0 2? 0 4 2 2 3 

(4) 8 14-23

Federally ES or recent 

ES 0 0 0 1 5 2 0 9 1 18

Composite Score >50 0 1 3 1 8 3 3 9 19 47

3a. TMC about which 

little is known 1 0 9 0 3 2 5 6 26 52

3b. TMC of individual 

agency concern

6 0 3 1 8 4 3 16 21 62

3c. Rare or endemic 

TMC 1 1 3 1 0 1 0 5 2 14

3d-e. TMC affected by 

dam, (+ increasing or -

decreasing)

6 1 4 1 8 4 4 13 11 52

Reality Check ("yes") 4 0 0 1 6 0 0 2 0 13

Reality Check ("mixed") 3 1 9 0 2 4 6 17 31 73

Total number TMC * 7 1 9 1 8 9 6 19 31 91
PLANTS

Taxon Common Name

Total Score (percent of 

scores for nonblank categories; 

excluding 

stakeholder 

agreement scores)

PLANT Goodding's Willow (SAGO) 75.8

PLANT Fremont Cottonwood (POFR) 60.9

PLANT Western Honey Mesquite Unscored but high

PLANT Netleaf Hackberry (CELA) 56.3
Goodding’s Willow (Salix gooddingii)

Once relatively common along wide reaches of the Colorado River in 

Grand Canyon; now gone from 7 of 18 post-dam sites, with most 

plants in poor health and no recruitment; losses due to increased 

beaver attack and recruitment impacts due to flow alteration. 
GCD Impacts on CRE Plant 

Diversity?

• Dam may be interrupting long-term 

colonization

– particularly downstream and downslope 

movement

• Result: Loss of rare plant species over 

post-dam time
INVERTEBRATES

Taxon Common Name

Total Score (percent 

of scores for 

non-blank 

categories; 

excluding 

stakeholder 

agreement 

scores)

GAST Kanab Ambersnail (KAS) 65.6

HEX Vulcan's Well waterbug (BEFL) 62.5

HEX Viceroy Butterfly (VBF) 56.25

HEX Masked Clubskimmer 51.6
New host plant:

non-native Watercress

KANAB AMBERSNAIL
Wetsalts Tiger Beetle 

(CICINDELIDAE:

Cicindela haemorrhagica arizonae)

ENDEMIC, SMALL POPULATIONS, NO MONITORING, 

STATUS UNCERTAIN

Vulcans Well Giant Waterbug 

(Belostoma flumineum new ssp?)

“Masked Clubskimmer 

(LIBELLULIDAE:Brechmorhoga pertinax)”

Viceroy Butterfly

Limenitis archippus
FISH

Taxon Common Name

Total Score 

(percent of 

scores for 

non-blank 

categories; 

excluding 

stakeholder 

agreement 

scores)

ICHTH Humpback Chub (HBC) 71.9

ICHTH Razorback Sucker (RBS) 66.7

ICHTH Colorado Pikeminnow (CPM) 63.5

ICHTH Bonytail Chub (BTC) 55.2

ICHTH Roundtail Chub (RTC) 53.1

ICHTH Flannelmouth Sucker (FMS) 89.1

ICHTH Bluehead Sucker (BHS) 89.1

ICHTH Speckled Dace (SPD) 87.0
NATIVE FISH OF THE COLORADO RIVER

IN GRAND CANYON

Extirpated Extant
HERPETOFAUNA

Order Common Name

Total Score 

(percent of scores 

for non-blank 

categories; 

excluding 

stakeholder 

agreement 

scores)

HERP Zebra-tailed Lizard (ZTL) 79.7

HERP Relict Leopard Frog (RLF) 69.5

HERP Gila Monster 65.6

HERP Northern Leopard Frog (NLF) 61.7

HERP Rocky Mountain Toad 56.3
Grand Canyon Pink Rattlesnake Northern Leopard Frog

-9 Mile Spring and Cardenas Marsh

Relict Leopard Frog at 248R
BIRDS

Order Common Name

Total Score 

(percent of 

scores for 

non-blank 

categories; 

excluding 

stakeholder 

agreement 

scores)

AVES SW Willow Flycatcher (SWWF) 63.8

AVES Prairie Falcon (PRFA) 56.9

AVES Bald Eagle (BAEA) 56.5

AVES Gambel's Quail (GAQU) 55.4

AVES Waterfowl 54.7

AVES Golden Eagle 54.4

AVES California Condor (CACO) 52.3

AVES Osprey 50.0
Southwestern

Willow

Flycatcher

•One of ~ 24 nesting neotropical

migrant bird spp. in GC

– an umbrella species?

•Extirpated from historic range, 

occasionally breeding on 

upper Lake Mead

•BH Cowbird brood parasitism

•Commonly nest in non-native 

Tamarisk – habitat changing
Bald Eagle

* Winter along CR in GC upstream 

from LCR and at several tribs

downstream

* Feed on trout

* Feeding aided by fluctuating flows

* Easily disturbed by passing boats

* Present status in GC?

Peregrine Falcon

* Largest breeding population on any 

land management unit in the 48

states

* 90 % of prey biomass is waterbirds,

mostly related to post-dam

clearwater flow

What about Prairie Falcon?
MAMMALS

Order Common Name

Total Score (percent of 

scores for non-blank 

categories; excluding 

stakeholder agreement 

scores)

MAMM Yuma Myotis 65.8

MAMM Badger (BDGR) 62.5

MAMM Fringed Myotis 61.7

MAMM Spotted Skunk (SpSk) 60.9

MAMM Western Harvest Mouse 

(WHM) 60.2

MAMM Allen's Big-eared Bat 60.0

MAMM Long-eared Myotis 60.0

MAMM Long-legged Myotis 60.0

MAMM Western Pipistrelle 59.4

MAMM Western Small-footed Myotis 58.3

MAMM Arizona Myotis 56.7

MAMM Gray Wolf (GW) 55.7

MAMM Bobcat (Bobc) 55.5

MAMM Southwestern River Otter 

(CRO) 54.8

MAMM Spotted Bat 51.8

MAMM Northern Grasshopper Mouse 

(NGM) 50.8

MAMM California Mastiff Bat 50.0

MAMM California Myotis 50.0
MISSING MAMMALS

Colorado River Otter

Extinct? Role as mammalian 

fish predator

Muskrat: status in CRE?

Badger
Aquatic vegetation Riparian vegetation Uplands vegetation

Climate, Geomorphology, Solar radiation, Dam, Tributary Effects, Recreation

Aquatic 1o consumers Riparian 1o consumers Upland 1o consumers

Aquatic 2o consumers Riparian 2o consumers Upland 2o consumers

Aquatic 3o consumers Riparian 3o consumers Upland 3o consumers

1o decomposers

2o decomposers

3o decomposers

Glen Canyon Reach

Upper Lake Mead Reach

Lower Canyon Reach

Marble Canyon Reach

Permian Reach

Furnace Flats Reach

Time 2

Time X

SIMPLIFIED CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE COLORADO RIVER ECOSYSTEM,

SHOWING THE TROPHIC POSITION OF EXTIRPATED AN LISTED FAUNA

Isles

Lower Granite Gorge

Lower Cyn Reach

Muav Gorge

S+R

RBS

RTC BTC

CPM

SWWF YBCU ZTL

CRO

MskR VBF

Bdgr PRFA CACO

WBS

KAS

NLF RLF

HBC

BAEA PEFA SpS

SNPL

KEY: 

Fed. endangered

Fed or AZ threatened

Not listed

Active mgt/mon

Passive mgt

Formerly listed

Up. Gran. Grg.

Isles Reach

Time 1

BobC

GAQU

NGM

DrMs

WHM

Rccn MtnL

GdsW FCtw

MSOW
ECOSYSTEM STEWARDSHIP 

IMPLICATIONS

• Restoration – Which, if any, TMC?

– NPS, Cooperating Agencies, AMWG discussion

and coordination

• Monitoring

– Which taxa

– Whether and how to include in future work planning

• Future budget and flow implications?

• Recommendations to AMWG
TWG recommends that AMWG accept the report of the Species of 

Concern Ad Hoc Committee entitled, “Assessment of Taxa of 

Management Concern in the Colorado River Ecosystem, Glen and 

Grand Canyons, Arizona, USA: Habitat Needs, Availability, and 

Ecosystem Roles” dated 15 June 2011, which meets the criteria 

set forth in the AMWG motion of April 2009, calling for “a 

review of information and assessment of the status of habitat

needs and availability, and ecosystem roles” of native species

of management concern. 

PROPOSED MOTION