LTEMP Science Plan 

Technical Workgroup Meeting October 18-19, 2016 Scott VanderKooi Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Southwest Biological Science Center 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey 
LTEMP EIS: 

Final EIS released Oct 7 ROD in November Implemented over the next 20 years 
Preferred Alternative: Sediment

Related Adjustments to Base Operations 

 Fall and spring HFEs (up to 96 hours)  Proactive spring HFEs (initially 24 hou Extended-duration HFEs (up to 250 ho Trout management flows 
w
Streamflow, S

Transport, an

Budgets i

Colorado R
Provides technic

managers and sta

in near real time t

river management 

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• Suspended- and bed-sediment data • Sediment loads (silt and clay loads and 

sand loads) 

• User-interactive sand budgets in 6 

reaches from Lees Ferry to Lake Mead 

www.gcmrc.gov

http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sedime
Annual Sandbar and Campsite 

Monitoring 

Data at www.gcmrc.gov/sandbar/ Preliminary data, do note cite 
Remote Cameras: Immediate 

sandbar response to HFEs

11/09/2014 

11/17/2014 

Photos at www.gcmrc.gov/sandbar/

Channel Mapping: 

trends in sand sto

bed compos

 Monitor long-term 

in sand storage acomposition 

 Marble Canyon a

Grand Canyon 

 Possibly other re

Preliminary data, do note cite 
Remote sensing 

• Aerial, lidar, and satellite imagery and data. • Data are used for: 

• Maps to support field data collection and river navig• Analysis and change detection of sandbars, riparian 

vegetation, backwater and near-shore habitats, and ecosystem-wide mapping 

National Canyon 2009 National Canyon 2013

Little Colorado River Glen Canyon SloughConfluence 

Kanab Creek 2009 Kana

Upper Ch
Extended Duration and Proac

HFE Monitoring 

 Temporal and longitudinal changes in 

suspended sediment concentration dufloods 

 Lateral changes in concentration in ed

deposition zones 

 Temporal and longitudinal comparison

sandbar topography during floods to determine changes in deposition rates sediment in eddies 

 Suggest establishing contingency fund 

support more extensive evaluation 
Preferred Alternative: Aquatic 

Resource-Related Adjustments Operations and Non-Flow Actio Trout control actions 

 Trout management flows (TMF)  Mechanical removal from the LCR reach 

 Macroinvertebrate production flows  Low summer flows  Non-flow vegetation treatments 
w
Humpback Chub 

Monitoring 
Rainbow Trout 

Monitoring 

Dustin Patar Preliminary data, do note cite 
Nonnative/Invasive Fish Monito
Methods: electrofishing, 

netting (hoop, trammel), mark-recapture, CPUE, and emerging technology. 
Fisheries Program Protocol 

Evaluation Panel 
Monitoring the prey base

Invertebrate Drift Insect emergenc

Plankton nets 

Optimized for large rivers

Proportional to benthic density 

Direct measure of prey 

availability for drift feeding fishes

Sticky traps Light 

Developed new methods that are 

and easy to deploy

Proportional to benthic dens

Understudied life stage

Has shed light on why so few in
Studying insect egg laying 

Artificial substrates Natural substrate

Multiple approaches will be used to determine how “bug 

affects the environment for insect egg laying and rear
Preferred Alternative: Other 

Resources 

 Vegetation 

 nonnative plant removal  revegetation with native species  mitigation at specific and appropriate cultu

 Cultural Resources 

 Preservation of historic properties through 

program of research, monitoring, and mitig

 archeological and ethnographic sites  National Register historic properties 
Riparian vegetation

• Future issues 

• Vegetation removal/restoration per LTEMP • Tamarisk and tamarisk beetles • Continued vegetation expansion onto 

sandbars 

Tamarisk Beetle 

Kanab Creek 2009 2013
Dam Operations, Geomorphic Pro

& the Future of Archaeological 

Time 

“Active” River Channel 
Questions?