SEAHG Monitoring and Research High Priorities		

Social and Economic Survey Research 

Social and economic survey research would provide information about preferences for and economic 

values of resource conditions in Glen and Grand Canyons. This research provides information 

important for formal and informal decision processes. 

List of proposed projects (not in order of priority): 

1. Commercial whitewater guide survey to identify and evaluate key recreational experience 

attributes that may differ under alternative flow regimes and events such as HFEs, low steady flows 

and other experiments in the LTEMP EIS (RIN#2). This survey would allow the GCDAMP to 

better understand impacts to the whitewater recreational experience, building on the economic 

survey in Project 13.1 in the GCDAMP TWP FY2015-17. 

2. Extension of project 13.2 in the GCDAMP TWP 2015-17. This effort would implement a tribal 

member population survey to assess the impact of GCD operations on tribal preference for and 

value of downstream resources affected by dam operations. This project element would build on 

the qualitative survey research being conducted in Project 13.2 in the GCDAMP TWP FY2015-17. 

Applied Decision and Scenario Analysis

Applied	decision	and	scenario	analysis	would	develop	a	series	of	integrated	assessment	models	

to	improve	the	GCDAMP’s	capacity	to	organize	scientific	information	and	evaluate	and	prioritize	

monitoring,	research	and	management	alternatives	specific	to	the	operation	of	GCD,	including	

proposed	flow	experiments	in	the	LTEMP	EIS.		

List of proposed projects (not in order of priority):

1. Cost/benefit analysis of retrofitting bypass tubes with turbines. Move from Hydropower 

Information Need #2 to General Information Need. 

2. Extension of decision support models and scenario analysis (Project 13.3 in the GCDAMP 

TWP 2015-17), using economic metrics, to evaluate management actions and future scenarios, 

including proposed experiments in the LTEMP EIS, and prioritize monitoring and research on 

resources downstream of GCD. 

a. Evaluate impacts of LTEMP EIS experimental flows to hydropower (HIN#3). 

b. Evaluate economic and management implications of LTEMP EIS experimental flows to 

rainbow trout and humpback chub.

c. Evaluate impacts of LTEMP EIS experimental flows to recreation, including angling at 

Lees Ferry and whitewater boating in Grand Canyon National Park. This would also 

include a regional economic impact model of anglers in Glen Canyon. 
d. Evaluate	the	impacts	of	LTEMP	EIS	experimental	flows	to	tribal	preferences	for	and	

values	of	downstream	resources.		

SEAHG Monitoring and Research Low Priorities		

Social and Economic Survey Research 

List of proposed projects (not in order of priority):

1. Nonmarket economic assessment of commercial whitewater boaters, boaters accessing the 

Colorado River from Diamond Creek, Glen Canyon commercial and private day use floaters, and 

backpackers (RIN#1). Results from Project 13.1 in the GCDAMP TWP 2015-17 indicate that 

recreationist’s preferences for flows are stable over long periods of time, both in ranking of and 

nonmarket economic values associated with various Colorado River flow scenarios. Based on the 

results of Project 13.1 in the GCDAMP TWP 2015-17, including information that some of these 

groups’ economic value are not impacted by river flow. 

Applied Decision and Scenario Analysis

List of proposed projects (not in order of priority):

1. Regional economic impact analysis of whitewater boaters based on expenditure data obtained in 

nonmarket valuation survey. This is of low priority given that a similar number of whitewater trips 

occur regardless of dam operations. The whitewater boater’s nonmarket values related to their 

recreational experience change with river flows, but their expenditures do not. 

Considerations: 

* Available funds for the GCD AMP in FY 18 – 20 will be limited due to an increase in USGS 

overhead and LTEMP implementation. 

* Some economic analysis has been recently accomplished through the preparation of the LTEMP EIS. 

Comparing these analyses with “Table 1” shows that there are still Information Needs in the socioeconomic area. To develop economic analyses for the LTEMP EIS, several assumptions were used and 

conclusions reached via economic and GCD operation models. The assumptions used and some very 

old studies relied upon could be verified or updated through empirical means. 

* The TWP will contain details on the implementation of the LTEMP ROD and on other, nonoperational DOI actions in the GCNRA & GCNP, which could be informed with updated socioeconomic information and trade-off analyses.