Jack Schmidt

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center

Southwest Biological Science Center

US Geological Survey

June 2014

Development of the FY151

GCMRC Work Plan and Budg
Secretary of the Interior

Secretary’s Designee

Adaptive

Management

Work Group

Technical

Work Group

Arizona

California

Colorado

New Mexico

Nevada

Utah

Wyoming Colorado River Energy Distribu

Federation of Fly Fish

Grand Canyon River G

Grand Canyon Wildland

National Parks Conservation 

Utah Association of Municipal 

Hopi Tribe

Hualapai Tribe

Navajo Nation

Southern Paiute consortium

Zuni

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Reclamation

National Park Service

Fish and Wildlife Service

Western Area Power Administration

Arizona Department of Game 
Adaptive

Management

Work Group

Technical

Work Group

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Reclamation

National Park Service

Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS Grand Canyon

Monitoring and

Research Center

Secretary of the Interior

Secretary’s Designee

Arizona Department of Game 

Western Area Power Administration

Individual 
Chief

Logisti

Research Groups

Sediment Transport (To

River Geomorphology (

Aquatic Ecology (Ken

Quantitative Ecology (Y

Remote Sensing and Change De

Administration Support

Deputy Chief (Vanderkooi)

Tribal Liaison / Cultural Resource Affairs (Fairley)

Special Projects (Melis)

Fish Monitori

Program; 

Riparian Monitoring and Research

Program (Ralston)

GCMRC organization
Assistant Secretary’s Guidance concerning research and monito

priorities in GCMRC science planning (March 2011 and May 2012011 Desired Future Conditions Ad Hoc Group (April 30, 2012: SoI directed AMWG “to utilize these DFCs to inforguide the AMWG’s future considerations”)Secretarial Directive concerning Environmental Assessments and Science Plans for (1) High-flow Experimental Releases, and (2) NFish Control (May 23, 2012: “I direct ... USGS ... to undertake cooimplementation of the actions and commitments described anin the Environmental Assessments ...”)GCDAMP Documents and Guidance:

Core Monitoring Plan (February 2011, draft)Strategic Science Plan (April 2009)Monitoring and Research Plan (April 2009)Priority Questions (5) and Program Goals (12) (August 2004)

Questions, Expectations, Concerns
Recent Guidance from Secretary’s Designee Rega

Triennial Budget Process and Science Planning Prio

• “science relevant to compliance with Endangered Species Act, part

relative to native fish and humpback chub”

• “science informing ... compliance with the Grand Canyon Protectio

especially the sediment resource”

• “science on non-native fish control and the recreational trout fishery

science priorities originally described in March 2011 for which “the need 

• “the evolving issue related to cultural/archaeological resources as lin

modern river processes”; “understanding ... how cultural and archaeare linked to modern river processes”

• “the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in contributing to scien

understanding and river operations”

• “other investigations for which there is “widespread support and furth

purposes of the Adaptive Management Program”

• “continue ... long-term monitoring of core ecosystem components”
“within the relevant budget constraints”
0

1000020000300004000050000

10/110/3111/3012/301/29 2/28 3/29 4/28 5/28 6/27 7/27 8/26 9/25

Flow (cfs)

Day

Naturally Patterned Flows

Monsoon Sediment Trigger

0

1000020000300004000050000

10/110/311/3012/301/292/283/29

Flow (cfs)

Day

Seasonal Fluctuations with 

Flows

Fall Sediment Tr

0

1000020000300004000050000

10/110/3111/3012/301/29 2/28 3/29 4/28 5/28 6/27 7/27 8/26 9/25

Flow (cfs)

Day

Seasonally Increased Fluctuations

Spring Sediment Trigger

Long‐term Exp

Management 

Environmental Impa

Experiment and Scie

Reco

The Big Unknown ...
GCMRC Staff Contributions to LT

Employee Estimate of hours

L. Bair 100

H. Fairley 80

P. Grams 168

T. Gushue 160

D. Topping 40

S. VanderKooi 80

C. Yackulic 480
The Big Questions in Applied River Scie

What is the largest amount of fine sediment that can occur abanks of the Colorado River, especially as eddy sandbars? What flow regime, in relation to the natural supply of fine sedtributaries, results in the most widespread distribution of fine salong the channel banks and in eddies?Do larger amounts of fine sediment along the channel bankeddies significantly change the amount and distribution of fisediment that occurs above the active channel and that ocnear archaeological sites?What management strategies should be employed to maintquality rainbow trout fishery in Glen Canyon while protectingpotentially recovering, the endangered humpback chub fish community in Marble and Grand Canyons?
Guiding Principles in Budget Develop

• Each project comprehensively focuses on a particular resource 

specific questions; each project focuses on key monitoring actresolving key management uncertainties.

• To the degree possible, projects should reference each other a

with each other.

• Research projects should consider cost effective strategies to r

knowledge uncertainties. Field-scale experiments should be avbased on previous laboratory experiments, literature reviews, inanalysis, and/or comparative studies of other rivers

• Collaborate with land, species, and water management agen

cost effective monitoring strategies.

• Report the full cost of each project (i.e., incorporate logistics a

sensing/GIS costs in the associated science activity)
AMP funds available for GCMRC monitoring and rese

projects in FY15

~$8.7 million

$8.7 million (GCDAMP funding) 

high priority monitoring activities that include required support 

NNFC EAs, Biological Opinion activities, and other key monitori

includes resolution of some key scientific uncertaintie

$0.8 million (supplemental BoR funding)

high priority research activities to resolve some key scientific u

$0.7 million (unfunded)

recommended additional monitoring and research pro

FY15 Budget Proposal
FY 16 and FY17 Considerations

FY15 -- $8.75 million (GCDAMP funding; $0.80 million BoR supple$0.02 million SBSC) ($8.7 million GCDAMP funds available)FY16 -- $10.86 million (total GCDAMP request); $9.4 million reco($9.0 million GCDAMP funds available)FY17 -- $10.71 million (total GCDAMP request) ($9.3 million GCDavailable)
"high elevation open riparian sediment deposits ... in sufficient volume, area

"Physical characteristics, including climate, site-specific geomorphology, dam-rel

flow, and tributary flows, genera

"Water quality with regards to dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations a

temperature, etc. is sufficient to suppo

Desired Futu

"... maintain significance and integrity [of] prehistoric archaeological sit
Decision strategy High Flow Experimental

Protocol

0

50

100150200250300350400

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

Average Monthly Sand Load

(thousands of metric tons)

Paria LCR

Fall Accounting Period Spring Accounting Period

Fall HFE Window

(Oct/Nov)

Spring HFE Window

(Mar/Apr)
Project 3: Sandbars and sediment storage dynamics ... ($1.33 m

3.1.1 Monitoring sandbars using topographic surveys and remote cameras ($3.1.2 Monitoring sand bars and shorelines...by remote sensing ($120,000) 3.1.3 Surveying with a camera: rapid topographic surveys... ($42,000) 3.1.4 Analysis of historical images at selected monitoring sites ($89,000) 3.2 Sediment storage monitoring ($460,000) 3.3 Characterizing, and predictive modeling, of sand bar response... ($1013.4 Connecting bed material transport, bed morphodynamics... ($36,000) 3.5 Control network and survey support ($109,000) 

Project 2: Stream flow, water quality, and sedim
Project 3: Sandbars and sediment storage dynamics ... ($1.33 m

$1.40 million) (FY17: $1.48 million)

3.1.1 (FY15: $370,000) (FY16: $355,000) (FY17: $372,000)3.1.2 (FY15: $120,000) (FY16: $131,000) (FY17: $141,000) 3.1.3 (FY15: $42,000) (FY16: $44,000) (FY17: $46,000) 3.1.4 (FY15: $89,000) (FY16: $90,000) (FY17: 92,000) 3.2 (FY15: $460,000) (FY16: $520,000) (FY17: $548,000) 3.3 (FY15: $101,000) (FY16: $108,000) (FY17: $117,000) 3.4 (FY15: $36,000) (FY16: $36,000) (FY17: $36,000) 3.5 (FY15: $109,000) (FY16: 117,000) (FY17: $126,000) 

Project 2: Stream flow, water quality, and sedim

(FY15: $1.34 million) (FY16: $1.46 million) (FY17
Project 4: ...Quantifying the relative importance of river-related 

influence upland geomorphology and archaeological site stabimillion; $0.17 million unfunded

)

4.1 Quantifying connectivity along the fluvial-aeolian-hillslope continuum at lscales ($138,000 AMP; $75,000 BoR)4.2 Monitoring of cultural sites in Grand and Glen Canyons ($49,000 AMP; $75$174,000 unfunded)
Project 4: ...Quantifying the relative importance of river-related 

influence upland geomorphology and archaeological site stabi$0.51 million) (FY16: $0.57 million) (FY17: $0.59 million)

4.1 (FY15: $138,000 AMP; $75,000 BoR) (FY16: $216,000) (FY17: $254,000)4.2 (FY15: $49,000 AMP; $75,000 BoR; $174,000 unfunded) (FY16: $349,000) (FY
Native Species -- "Native fish species and their habitats ... sustaina

"A high quality trout fishery in GCNRA ... that does not adversely affec

c

Desired Futu
Project 5: Food base monitoring and research ($0.52 million; $0.04 

unfunded; $0.23 million request to WAPA for work beyond CRe

)

5.1 Are aquatic insect diversity and production recruitment limited?

5.1.1 Insect emergence in Grand Canyon via citizen science ($118,000) 5.1.2 Effects of hydropeaking on oviposition and egg mortality ($97,000) 5.1.3 Synthesis of stressors and controls on EPT distributions ($30,000) 5.1.4 Synthesis of the aquatic foodbase in western US tailwaters ($30,000) 5.1.5 Natural history of oviposition for species in Grand Canyon ($26,000) 5.1.6 Laboratory studies on insect oviposition and egg mortality ($37,000; unfu5.1.7 Comparative emergence studies in Upper Basin ($59,000; WAPA)5.1.8 Natural history of oviposition for EPT in the Upper Basin ($25,000; WAPA)

5.2 Patterns and controls of aquatic invertebrate drift in Colorado River tailwaters

5.2.1 Characterize and monitor drift, emergence in Glen Canyon ($52,000) 5.2.2 Drift monitoring in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons ($87,000) 5.2.3 Link drift to channel bed shear stress ($21,000) 5.2.4 Link drift patterns to substrate in Glen, Marble, Grand Canyons ($21,000) 5.2.5 Comparative drift in Upper and Lower Basin tailwaters ($143,000 ;WAPA)

5.3 Primary Production Monitoring in Glen Marble and Grand Canyons

5.3.1 Synthesis and publication of Glen Canyon algae production ($26,000 5.3.2 Monitoring dissolved O

2 in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons ($15,000) 

5.3.3 Developing automated tools for estimating algae production (outside fu

* WAPA: submitted to Western Area Power Administration fo
Project 5: Food base monitoring and research (FY15: $0.56 million

(FY16: $0.63 million) (FY17: $0.75 million)

5.1 Are aquatic insect diversity and production recruitment limited?

5.1.1 (FY15: $118,000) (FY16: $120,000) (FY17: $139,000)

5.1.2 (FY15: $97,000) (FY16: 105,000) (FY17: $118,000)

5.1.3 (FY15: $30,000) (FY16: $32,000) (FY17: $0)

5.1.4 (FY15: $30,000) (FY16: $32,000) (FY17: $0)5.1.5 (FY15: $26,000) (FY16: $28,000) (FY17: $0)5.1.6 (FY15: $37,000; unfunded) (FY16: $40,000) (FY17: $47,000)5.1.7 (FY15: $59,000) (FY16: $64,000) (FY17: $75,000) (WAPA)5.1.8 (FY15: $25,000) (FY16: $28,000) (FY17: $31,000) (WAPA)

5.2 Patterns and controls of aquatic invertebrate drift in Colorado River tailwaters

5.2.1 (FY15: $52,000) (FY16: 67,000) (FY17: $89,000)

5.2.2 (FY15: $87,000) (FY16: $116,000) (FY17: $158,000)

5.2.3 (FY15: $21,000) (FY16: 25,000) (FY17: $30,000)

5.2.4 (FY15: $21,000) (FY16: 25,000) (FY17: $30,000)

5.2.5 (FY15: $143,000) (FY16: $168,000) (FY17: $203,000) (WAPA)

5.3 Primary Production Monitoring in Glen Marble and Grand Canyons

5.3.1 (FY15: $26,000) (FY16: $27,000) (FY17: $0)5.3.2 (FY15: $15,000) (FY16: $17,000) (FY17: $18,000)

5.3.3 (FY15-FY17: outside funding)

* WAPA: submitted to Western Area Power Administration fo
Project 6: Main-stem Colorado River humpback chub 

aggregations and fish community dynamics ($.71 million)6.1 Mainstem Colorado River humpback chub aggregation monitoring ($219,000)6.2 Aggregation recruitment ($84,000; BoR)6.3 Monitoring mainstem aggregations with PIT tag antennas (pilot) ($18,000; BoR)6.4 System wide electrofishing ($284,000)6.5 Brown trout natal origins through body pigmentation patterns... ($16,000; unfun6.6 Direct mainstem augmentation of humpback chub (dropped)6.7 Rainbow trout early life stage survey ($77,000)6.8 Lees Ferry creel survey (funded in FY16)
Project 6: Main-stem Colorado River humpback chub 

aggregations and fish community dynamics (FY15: $.71 million) (FY16: $0.73 million) (FY17: $0.72 million)6.1 (FY15: $219,000) (FY16: $250,000) (FY17: $253,000)6.2 (FY15: $84,000; BoR) (FY16: $54,000) (FY17: $50,000)6.3 (FY15: $18,000; BoR) (FY16: $14,000) (FY17: $9,000)6.4 (FY15: $284,000) (FY16: $291,000) (FY17: $299,000)6.5 (FY15: $16,000; unfunded) (FY16: $15,000) (FY17: $0)6.6 (dropped)6.7 (FY15: $77,000) (FY16: $69,000) (FY17: $74,000)6.8 (FY15: $0) (FY16: $26,000) (FY17: $26,000)
Project 7: Population ecology of humpback chub in and around 

Colorado River ($1.59 million)

7.1 Spring/fall humpback chub abundance estimates in the LCR ($531,000) 7.2 Juvenile chub monitoring near the LCR confluence ($498,000)7.3 July LCR juv. humpback chub marking to est. production and outmigration ($17.4 Remote PIT tag array monitoring in the LCR ($54,000) 7.5 Food web monitoring in the LCR ($141,500) 7.6 Gravel substrate limitation for humpback chub reproduction in the LCR ($12,007.7 CO

2 as a limiting factor early life history stages of humpback chub in the LCR ($

7.8 Evaluate effects of Asian tapeworm infestation on Juvenile humpback chub ($7.9 Development of a non-lethal tool to assess physiological condition of HBC... ($47.10 Humpback chub population modeling ($98,000) 
Project 7: Population ecology of humpback chub in and around 

Colorado River (FY15: $1.59 million) (FY16: $1.75 million) (FY17: $

7.1 (FY15: $531,000) (FY16: $544,000) (FY17: $555,000)7.2 (FY15: $498,000) (FY16: $516,000) (FY17: $183,000)7.3 (FY15: $112,000; BoR) (FY16: $113,000) (FY17: $130,000)7.4 (FY15: $54,000) (FY16: $112,000) (FY17: $142,000) 7.5 (FY15: $142,000) (FY16: $88,000) (FY17: $3,000)7.6 (FY15: $12,000; BoR) (FY16: $12,000) (FY17: $14,000)7.7 (FY15: $86,000; BoR) (FY16: $98,000) (FY17: $118,000)7.8 (FY15: $17,000) (FY16: $17,000) (FY17: $18,000) 7.9 (FY15: $42,000; BoR) (FY16: $96,000) (FY17: $104,000)7.10 (FY15: $98,000) (FY16: $150,000) (FY17: $204,000)
Project 8: Experimental actions to increase abundance and distr

native fishes in Grand Canyon ($.19 million)8.1 Efficacy and ecological impacts of BNT removal ($96,000) 8.2 Translocation and monitoring above Chute Falls ($89,000) 8.3 Fisheries Protocol Evaluation Panel (fund in FY16)8.4 Invasive species surveillance and response (fund in FY17)8.5 Genetic Monitoring of Lower Basin humpback chub (fund in FY17)
Project 8: Experimental actions to increase abundance and distr

native fishes in Grand Canyon (FY15: $0.19 million) (FY16: $0.21 m(FY17: $0.29 million)8.1(FY15: $96,000) (FY16: $119,000) (FY17: $119,000) 8.2 (FY15: $89,000) (FY16: $88,000) (FY17: $88,000)8.3 (FY15: $0) (FY16: $20,000) (FY17: $0)8.4 (FY15, 19L $0) (FY17: $52,000)8.5 (FY15, 16: $0)(FY17: $33,000)
Project 9: Understanding factors determining recruitment, populat

growth, and movement of rainbow trout in Glen and Marble Canymillion; $0.14 million unfunded

)

9.1 Lees Ferry RBT; monitoring, analysis, and study design ($37,000) 9.2 Detection of RBT movement from upper Colorado River below GCD (NO) ($4419.3 Exploring the mechanisms behind trout growth, reproduction, and movement iCanyons using lipid (fat) reserves as an indicator of physiological condition ($103,09.4 Comparative study on the feeding morphology of drift feeding fish ($86,420; un9.5 Meta-analysis and development of reactive distance relationships... ($20,000; $9.6 Lab evaluation of turbidity as a management tool to constrain RBT populations predation/competition on juvenile humpback chub ($37,000) 9.7 Application of a bioenergetics model in a seasonally turbid river ($33,000; $33,0

9.8 Mechanisms that limit RBT and BNT growth in other western tailwater systems ($79.9 Contingency planning for HFEs and subsequent RBT population management (9.10 Effects of HFEs on the physiological condition of RBT in Glen Canyon ($54,000) 
Project 9: Understanding factors determining recruitment, populat

growth, and movement of rainbow trout in Glen and Marble Cany$1.01 million) (FY16: $1.02 million) (FY17: $0.74 million)

9.1 (FY15: $37,000) (FY16: $76,000) (FY17: $77,000)9.2 (FY15: $441,000) (FY16: $485,000) (FY17: $372,000)9.3 (FY15: $103,000) (FY16, 17: $0)9.4 (FY15: $86,000; unfunded) (FY16: $104,000) (FY17: $93,000)9.5 (FY15: $20,000; $19,000 unfunded) (FY16: $38,000) (FY17: $0)

9.6 (FY15: $37,000) (FY16: $29,000) (FY17: $30,000) 9.7 (FY15: $33,000; $33,000; unfunded)(FY16: $70,000) (FY17: $67,000)9.8 (FY15: $72,000) (FY16: $82,000) (FY17: $0)9.9 (FY15: $73,000) (FY16: $62,000) (FY17: $99,000)9.10 (FY15: $54,000) (FY16: $70,000) (FY17: $5,000) 
Project 10: Where does the Glen Canyon Dam rainbow trout tailwa

fishery end? - Integrating Fish and Channel Mapping Data below GCanyon Dam ($0.10 million; $0.05 million unfunded

)
Project 10: Where does the Glen Canyon Dam rainbow trout tailwa

end? - Integrating Fish and Channel Mapping Data below Glen Ca(FY15: $0.15 million) (FY16: $0.16 million) (FY17: $0.13 million)
Project 11: Riparian vegetation studies: ground-based and lands

riparian vegetation monitoring and plant response-guild researcwith sandbar evolution and wildlife habitat analysis (FY15: $0.49 $0.02 SBSC)

11.1 Ground-based vegetation monitoring ($170,000; $6,100 SBSC)11.2 Periodic landscape scale vegetation mapping and analysis using remotely sen

($149,000; $6,000 SBSC)11.3 Influence of sediment and vegetation feedbacks on the evolution of sandbars Canyon($94,000; $6,000 SBSC)11.4 Linking dam ops to changes in terrestrial fauna ($45,000)11.5 Science review panel of successes and challenges in non-native vegetation coColorado River and Rio Grande watersheds ($31,000;$3,000 SBSC)
Project 11: Riparian vegetation studies: ground-based and lands

riparian vegetation monitoring and plant response-guild researcwith sandbar evolution and wildlife habitat analysis (FY15: $0.51 (FY16: $0.55 million) (FY17: $0.56 million)11.1 (FY15: $170,000; $6,100 SBSC) (FY16: $192,000) (FY17: $213,000)11.2 (FY15: $149,000; $6,000 SBSC) (FY16: $128,000) (FY17: $133,000)11.3 (FY15: $94,000; $6,000 SBSC) (FY16: $98,000) (FY17: $99,000)11.4 (FY15: $45,000) (FY16: $136,000) (FY17: $110,000)11.5 (FY15: $31,000; $3,000 SBSC) (FY16,17: $0)
Project 12: Dam-related effects on the distribution and abundance 

culturally-important plants in the Colorado River ecosystem

12.1 Tribal workshop and analysis of cultural landscape change ($45,000; $7,0012.2 Tribal evaluations of cultural landscape changes (unfunded in FY16)
Project 12: Dam-related effects on the distribution and abundance 

culturally-important plants in the Colorado River ecosystem

12.1 Tribal workshop and analysis of cultural landscape change (FY15: $45,000; 

(FY16: $40,000) (FY17: $0)12.2 Tribal evaluations of cultural landscape changes (FY15: $0) (FY16: $46,000) 
13.1 Economic values of recreational resources along the Colorado River – Grand 

whitewater floater and Lees Ferry angler values ($70,000) 13.2 Tribal values and perspectives of resources downstream of Glen Canyon DaFY16)13.3 Applied decision methods for the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Plan 

Project 13: Socio-economic monitoring and research ($0.18 millio
13.1 (FY15: $70,000) (FY16: $74,000) (FY17: $0)

13.2 (FY15: $0) (FY16: $137,000) (FY17: $128,000)13.3 (FY15: $107,000) (FY16: $148,000) (FY17: $179,000)

Project 13: Socio-economic monitoring and research (FY15: $0.18 million) (FY16: $0.36 million) (FY17: $0.31 million)
Project 14: Geographic information systems, services, and suppo

million) (FY16: $0.24 million) (FY17: $0.26 million)

Project 15: Administration and Support (FY15: $1.35 million) (FY16: $1.44 million) (FY17: $1.56 million)
Project 1: Water quality monitoring of Lake Powell and Glen Can

Dam releases ($0.29 million) (may expand in coordination with B

1.2 Reservoir limnology and ecology monitoring and research sciencpanel (FY15: $20,000)
GCMRC FY13, FY14, and FY15 Budget Com

FY Salaries Travel & Training Operating Expenses Logistics Contractors Cooperators (non‐USGS) USGS Cooperators US

2013 $4,203,186 $187,515 $686,314 $1,002,000 $739,600 $1,741,900 $1,024,684 

2014 $4,652,954 $183,900 $670,903 $973,600 $186,788 $1,776,600 $1,062,000 $2015 $4,734,025 $149,000 $815,048 $807,924 $0 $1,964,049 $658,794 $

$4,203,186

40%

$187,515

$686,314 2%

6%

$1,002,000

10%

$739,600

7%

$1,741,900

17%

$1,024,684

10%

$855,401

8%

FY 2013

$815,048

8%

$807,924

$0 8%

0%

$1,964,049

19%

$658,794

6%

$1,099,8

11%

FY 

$4,652,954

44%

$183,900

2%

$670,903

6%

$973,600

9% $186,788

2%

$1,776,600

17%

$1,062,000

10%

$1,011,655

10%

FY 2014