Flows and Recreat

Flows and Recreat

Glen Canyon & Grand Ca

Glen Canyon & Grand Ca

Findings from the Recreation PE

Findings from the Recreation PE
Presentation Agenda

IntroductionRecreation PEP Methods General findingsConceptual modelRecommendations by management obj

• Visitor and wilderness experien

• Visitor safety• Beaches and camping• Visitor – research interaction 
Introduction Introduction
1992 Grand Canyon Protection 

1992 Grand Canyon Protection 

Long term monitoring sh

Long term monitoring sh

include necessary res

include necessary res

studies on natural, studies on natural, rec

rec

& cultural resources o

& cultural resources o

Canyon NP & Glen Ca

Canyon NP & Glen Ca

National Recreation A

National Recreation A

...includes natural 

...includes natural 

resources, and v

resources, and v

Grand

Canyon

Protection

Act

of 1992

SEC. 1802. PROTECTION

OF

GRAND

CANYON

NATIONAL

PARK.

(a) In

General. -- The Secretary shall

operate

Glen

Canyon

Dam

in

accordance

with

the

additional

criteria

and

operating

plans

specified

in

section

1804

and

exercise

other

authorities

under

existing law

in

such

a

manner

as to

protect, mitigate

adverse

impacts

to, and

improve the

values for

which

Grand

Canyon

National

Park

and

Glen

Canyon

National

Recreation

Area

were

established, including, but

not

limited

to

natural

and

cultural

resources

and

visitor

use.
Recreation Use = Major Indus

Recreation Use = Major Indus

180,000 user-days in Grand Canyo40,000 day use rafters in Glen Can20,000 angler-days in Glen Canyo$40 million annual economic bene600 jobs in Northern Arizona
Dam operations affect... Dam operations affect...
Boatability and access Boatability and access 

to fishing in to fishing in 

Glen Canyon Glen Canyon
Fishability Fishability
Size, frequency & quality 

Size, frequency & quality 

beaches beaches
Challenge and safety of rapids Challenge and safety of rapids
Rate of travel and “discretionary 

Rate of travel and “discretionary 
Encounters Encounters 

& crowding & crowding
Recreation P

Recreation P

and Method

and Method
PEP Objectives and Forma

PEP Objectives and Forma

General Recommendations Regarding

• Implementing the Legal mandat

• AMWG recreation objectives• GCMRC recreation program

Specific Recommendations

• Conceptual model to guide mon• For each AMWG recreation 

management objective
PEP Methods: PEP Methods:

Select presenters & Panel Select presenters & Panel14

-day trip in Grand Canyon day trip in Grand Canyon

Review recreation research and Review recreation research and monitoring needs monitoring needsReview Literature to date Review Literature to date
PEP Team PEP Team
Presenters and lo

Presenters and lo
General General 

Recommenda

Recommenda
Review of AMWG Review of AMWG 

Recreation Goals and Objectiv

Recreation Goals and Objectiv

Goal: “Improve/maintain recreation experience qualityObjectives: 

9.1 Visitor experience9.2 Visitor safety9.3 Beaches and campsites9.4 Wilderness experiences9.5 Maintain visitor experiences affected 

by GCMRC monitoring activities 

PEP concludes these are appropriate objec

PEP concludes these are appropriate objec

but...
Assessment of Current Recrea

Assessment of Current Recrea

Monitoring Program Monitoring Program

• Current Monitoring is not comprehensive:

e.g., Less on Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon attraction s

• Not regular or concurrent with flow experim• Small proportion of $7m GCMRC budget• Despite this...consistent progress on:

Monitoring camping beach sizeGCMRC research impacts on visitor experiences

• However...less consistent progress on

Visitor experienceVisitor safetyWilderness experience
To Improve Recreation Monitor

To Improve Recreation Monito

1. Increase recreation expertise & repres

• GCMRC

• TWG• SAB

2. Fund recreation commensurate with...

• Importance of recreation • Funding of other resources 

3. Use conceptual model to guide monito
Conceptual Model to Guide Monitori

Conceptual Model to Guide Monitori

1. Management actions

From BuRec, NPS, & AZGF

2. Unique Character

Glen and Grand C

3. Recreation Conditions:

Physical, Biological, Social, and Managerial 

4. Trip Attributes: rapids, 

safety, encounters, 

rate of travel
Conceptual Model to Guide Monitori

Conceptual Model to Guide Monitori

1. Management actions

From BuRec, NPS, & AZGF

2. Unique Character

Glen and Grand C

3. Recreation Conditions:

Physical, Biological, Social, and Managerial 

4. Trip Attributes 5. Visitor Evaluat

Conditions and At

6. Recreational Experiences 7. Visitor Evalua

of Experienc
Specific Recommendation

Specific Recommendation

for Management Objective

for Management Objective
9.1/9.4 Visitor and Wilderness Expe

9.1/9.4 Visitor and Wilderness Expe

Understand: flows 

Æ attributes 

Æ experien

e.g., size/number of rapids, encounters, “discretionarUse this relationship to focus monitoring on Determine economic benefits of attribu

Use conceptual model & survey data to understand trabetween trip attributes and their economic value to vis

Other specific information needs

Can agency information mitigate sub-optimal flows/exUnderstand effects flow on the benefits & impacts of 

“discretionary time” 

Effects of use, encounters, and other social impacts oDeeper understanding of experiences & dam-influencRecreation impacts at camps, day use, and attraction 
9.2 Visitor Safety 9.2 Visitor Safety

Continue NPS flow-accident reporting sysContinue NPS shore observation program

Establish baseline...monitor during experiments

Provide flow change information to visitor

Monitor if visitors use info; evaluations of information 

Improve flow 

Æ incident/accident reportin

Routine safety/health monitoring in Glen CDo high flows improve beach sanitary con
9.3 Beaches and Camps 9.3 Beaches and Camps

Campsite atlas: Inventory current/past camps

Physical characteristics: Location, size, shade, boat moorVisitor evaluations: Capacities, links to trip schedules/nee

Campsite trend monitoring 

Continue GCMRC campsite/beach monitoring More sophistication: multiple slope criteria, systemati

representative samplingIntegrate social capacity evaluations

Emphasize sampling & evaluations in critical/limitin

Research needs:

Beach size / other attributes and social capacityVisitor evaluations of camp attribute trade-offs
9.5 Visitor Experience & GCMRC Mo

9.5 Visitor Experience & GCMRC Mo

Improve research permittingMinimize research trips in peak recreation season & mincompeting with visitors for prime camping & stopsImprove communication about research 

Press releases, launch information, etc. 

Research: evaluate research-visitor inte
Thanks for the invitation... Thanks for the invitation...

-- Recreation PEP Part

Recreation PEP Part
Questions? Questions?

Photos by DWhittaker, B& Neil Moise