U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Possible LTEMP Experimental and 

Management Actions for 2018

Technical Work Group Meeting

April 23-24, 2018

Scott VanderKooi

Southwest Biological Science Center

Grand Canyon Monitoring and 

Research Center

Lee Traynham

Bureau of Reclamation

Upper Colorado Region
LTEMP Process for Experiments

 LTEMP ROD outlines a specific process for planning 

for and implementing experiments

GCDAMP Annual Reporting meeting

TWG meeting to discuss possible upcoming 

experiments

Tribal consultation

Work with implementation / planning group to 

develop a consensus recommendation to DOI 

DOI decision and possible implementation
 Annual Reporting meeting w/ AMP

 Present learning from previous experiments

 Use best available science and information

 Meet w/ TWG to discuss possible experiments
Consultation and Commitments to Tribes

 LTEMP Cultural Programmatic Agreement 

 Notification of possible experiment - minimum 30 days in 

advance.

 Letter to Tribes and parties to the Programmatic Agreement

 Consultations as requested

 Follow up communication will be sent after DOI decision
Implementation / Planning Team coordination

 Implementation/planning meetings or calls Evaluate status of 

resources, coordinate technical details / planning for 

possible experiment

 Implementation/planning team strives for consensus 

recommendation to bring to DOI 

 Secretary retains sole discretion

l.4 C10lil1\II NICATION A D CONSULT .. I\TJO,N PROCESS F10R ALTERNATI\ ED 

To detennine \ ·bether conditions are suitable for i1uplen1e:nting or disc:ontinumg 

experiin1entaJ treahnent or 1nanageinent actions, the D10 I ,;vill s,ched~ile imple111en tatio1 pfanning 

1.neehng , or catll , with tbe DOI bureau , 1 1. SGS, NPS, F\VS, BIA and Reclalllrntim1 , WA.PA 

i\.ZGFD1

, and one liaison fo01n eacb Basin State a1 <J firo1u the UC.RC, a , ne,eded or re,que te<Jl by 

tl1e pa11icip,ant . Tlie in1plen1entatio1 1 p,fa nning group \ riH stri, e to develop a consen us 

Feconm1endation to brin~ £011:b to tl1e D10 I regarding resource i . . ue a , <Jletailed at the beginning 

oft.bis ection:, ~F \ •eU as including ,vAPA 's a ses ~.n1e11t oftlie statu oftlie Basin Fun<Jl. The 

Secreta1y of tlie In erioF ,~.riU consider the consenst11s reconnnen<Jfations of tlie 

i1nplen1e'11tatio1 1 p,lanning g1-oup:, but retain sole discretion to decide bo,;i., best to acco1npli>h 

operation and exp,eri1nent , in any given year purstlki;int to die ROD and o ,her bin.cling obligations. 
2018 Approved Experiment:

Macroinvertebrate Production Flows 

(a.k.a. Bug Flows)

2018 Potential Experiments:

Fall High Flow Experiment (HFE) ≤96 hrs

(Oct – Nov)

Extended Duration Fall HFE up to 192 hrs

(Oct – Nov)

Both dependent on July - November 

sediment inputs – Tech Team will convene 

mid summer to review resource conditions
Bug Flows: planned monitoring

 Light traps

 ~ 1000 samples per year, throughout Canyon

 Robust dataset for tracking response

 Invertebrate drift

 Monthly in Lees Ferry reach

 Annually or semi-annually throughout Canyon

Unpublished data, subject to change, do not cite.

Kennedy et al. 2016 

BioScience
Predicted responses

Unpublished data, subject to change, do not cite.

Midges:

 26% overall increase

Caddisflies (mostly):

 Abundances increase

 No longer restricted to 

tributaries
Hydropower

 WAPA estimates that the Colorado River Basin Fund will end the 

2018 fiscal year with a balance of $112 million. This does not meet 

WAPA’s target for an end of year balance.

 The proposed Bug Flow experiment may reduce this balance by 

$335,000, and is not expected to have a substantial impact on the 

basin fund.
How would GCD releases change?
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Coordination / Monitoring During Implementation

 Implementation / planning group will continue to meet 

regularly (monthly operations coordination calls) 

 Report back on field data, adjust operations accordingly in the 

event of unexpected impacts

 Operational flexibility and emergency exception criteria 

will be maintained. 
Next Steps

 Implementation / planning group written 

recommendation and presentation to DOI: April 12

 DOI Decision: April 13

 Memo from DOI

 Notification to Tribes and parties to the PA

 Notification to AMP partners

 Public Affairs outreach

 Implementation: May 1 – August 31

 Ongoing coordination during implementation

 Background work in support of Trout Management 

Flow design
Questions?