August 4, 2017 – FINAL COMMENTS

The following comments regarding the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, Triennial 

Budget and Work Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2020 are provided to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) 

and Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) on behalf of the Budget Ad Hoc Group 

(BAHG). These comments should be considered in addition to the verbal comments made by the BAHG 

members during their conference calls with Reclamation and GCMRC and any inclusion of verbal 

comments herein should not be perceived as lessening the importance of other verbal comments that 

aren’t included. 

General Comments (note, during the August 4 BAHG call, no objections were raised with forwarding 

comments 1-8 below, as consensus comments from the BAHG, to Reclamation and GCMRC)

1) Compile the overarching science planning and implementation process in more cohesive form. 

Include the following key elements:

a) Identify and briefly describe the components of the process and diagram it (e.g., see Figure 2 of 

the Strategic Science Plan). 

b) Organize the process toward achieving the requirements of the LTEMP and corresponding 

documents and how the projects relate to each other to achieve those requirements. Consider 

using a table to illustrate that information. Absent from the Budget and Workplan is an effort to 

evaluate progress toward achieving the LTEMP goal for Hydropower and Energy. Work with 

stakeholders to develop research and monitoring activities and experimental and management 

actions that address this goal.

c) Identify key resource characteristics but if they are unknown, identify a process for developing 

them. 

d) Describe how to measure the status of, trends of, and experimental effects to resource 

characteristics.

e) Include the Annual Reporting Meeting as a step. 

f) Identify how models will be developed to gain scientific understanding of drivers, linkages, and 

outcomes and how they will be used to forecast the impacts of management.

g) Identify how the scientific uncertainty of drivers, linkages, and outcomes will be resolved. Focus 

on the most impactful drivers.

h) Identify the role of the Science Advisors Program and the knowledge assessment

2) Consider modifying the frequency that work is implemented to achieve a 20-year perspective for the 

purpose of allowing greater opportunity for tradeoffs for this year’s budget. For example, see 

Project B for an example of a 20-year perspective.

3) Articulate the science questions and hypotheses for each project (if not already articulated) and 

group them into a bulleted list and place them in a consistent section location (e.g, Section 3 

Background). 

4) Develop a plan for implementing monitoring and research activities for new experiments or 

management actions when they are needed. Include the following key elements:

a) Clearly identify the cost of and describe any additional work that is necessary to monitor and 

research the effects of new experiments or management actions. If the work is not fully known 

at this time then identify a not to exceed cost of the work and a process for how this work will 

be developed, including how the TWG will be involved, the expected participants, and a timeline 

of activities. 
b) Assume that new monitoring could occur in any year.

c) Establish a fiscal year starting minimum annual balance for the Experimental Management Fund 

equal to the cumulative annual cost for the new monitoring needs. At the end of the fiscal year, 

transfer funds in excess of this minimum balance to the Native Fish Conservation Contingency 

Fund. 

5) Identify a minimum target balance for the Native Fish Conservation Contingency Fund which is 

necessary to implement emergency conservation needs and develop a process for using any excess 

funds above the minimum. 

6) Identify a process for using potentially available future funds if projected inflation is less than actual 

inflation

7) Tribes are asked to participate in various projects but there may not be funds to allow for their 

participation. Work with tribes to resolve this issue.

8) Conduct an analysis to identify the appropriate level of sampling necessary.