Smallmouth Bass Ad Hoc Group: 

Review, updates, and next steps

Laura Dye & Emily Higuera, SBAHG Co-Chairs

GCDAMP Technical Work Group Meeting

October 12, 2022
Overview

1. Presentation to provide review and updates

1. Targeted discussions 

a. Fish Exclusion Technology - Clarence Fullard, BOR

b. Operating Alternatives - Charles Yackulic, GCMRC

c. Rapid response efforts - Melissa Trammell/NPS

1. Circle back with remaining thoughts & next steps
Directive from Secretary’s Designee - May 18, 2022

The Secretary’s Designee directs Reclamation and GCMRC to work with the TWG regarding the 

following:

• Develop a draft strategic plan to prevent, detect, and respond to cool- and warmwater invasive 

fish establishment below Glen Canyon Dam. The plan should include proposed monitoring, 

specific activities to be considered for prevention and response, along with their relative 

effectiveness, detection thresholds (“triggers”) for action, and conditions for discontinuing 

response activities (e.g. due to success, futility, resource limitations, etc.).

• Develop 2-4 operational alternatives that could help prevent cool- and warmwater invasive 

fish establishment, while minimizing potential adverse effects to other resources. Operational 

alternatives that are not within the scope of the LTEMP ROD may be proposed, but would 

require additional NEPA, ESA, and NHPA compliance.
Ad Hoc Group Development

Key challenges: 

- How best to not duplicate efforts

- Interpreting the directive 

- Balancing effectiveness of an action while minimizing 

resource impacts

- Who will write the plan? 
1. Develop Strategic Plan

GOALS:

- Living document to address both present and potential 

future threats 

- Integrated pest management approach

- Incorporate information from existing management plans

- Utilize expertise of cooperating agencies and fisheries 

biologists 
2. Develop 2-4 Operational Alternatives

GOALS: 

● Incorporate stakeholder feedback throughout process

● Determine effectiveness, feasibility, resource tradeoffs

● Consider alternatives within existing compliance
Review: Common themes in SBAHG:

● Prevention > response

● Stay in beginning phases of 

invasion curve 

● Rapid response actions are 

not a substitute for long-and 

mid-term solutions

Phases of the Invasion Curve. United States Department of the Interior, Invasive Species Strategic 

Plan 2021-2025. (Adapted from Rodgers. 2010. Invasive Plants and Animals Policy Framework. 

State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries) Many discussions – Thank you, Smallmouth 

Bass Ad Hoc Group!
New SMB Detections below GCD

● Developing Strategic Plan while invasion is happening in real 

time 

● YOY SMB in the lower slough (June 2022)

● Mechanical and chemical treatment efforts 

● Underscores need for long- and mid-term solutions in place by 

spring/summer of 2023
Goals:

● Fast-track: long- and midterm actions

● Include all three pieces in the 

Strategic Plan, with flexibility 

of modification for future 

scenarios

● Get Strategic Plan draft to 

Secretary’s designee as soon 

as possible

Three moving pieces 

to address SMB

● Long-term solution: fish 

exclusionary device

● Mid-term: operating 

alternatives

● Short-term/rapid response: 

current needs to target SMB 

in Lower Slough & Lees 

Ferry
Fish Exclusion Technologies (long-term solution)

Glen Canyon Dam Fish Escapement Options Report (BOR)

● Summary: Multi-stimulus barriers and nets rose to the top of 

analysis, as did retrofitting the facility

● Effectiveness and adaptability to GCD still unknown

● Reclamation organizing a subject matter expert panel to 

provide recommendation

Final Report distributed to SBAHG on October 4th, 2022
Potential obstacles:

● High cost and lengthy timeline to select → install

● Process may take ~2 years before a device is installed

Fish Exclusion Technologies (long-term solution)
Operating Alternatives (mid-term solution)

Progress to date:

● Gathered input from stakeholders

○ Brief overview of various tradeoffs, feasibility, effectiveness

● GCMRC developed 4 alternatives 

○ 2 temperature ideas (use of bypass)

○ 2 flow disturbance ideas (low/high flows, or blended 

flow/temperature idea)
Operating Alternatives (mid-term solution)

Potential obstacles:

● Projected low flows and low elevation

● Revise alternatives by ~November 2022

● NEPA EA by March/April 2023

● Scheduled maintenance of GCD bypass 

tubes (as early as summer 2023)
Updated Directive from Secretary's Designee - August 12, 

2022 

Strategic Plan: Nonnative Fish Strategic Plan – The first of the non-native fish actions is simply to 

ask the TWG, GCMRC, and Reclamation to complete the draft non-native fish strategic plan and 

have it ready for distribution as soon as possible. This includes incorporating the next steps and 

prioritizing activities, equipment, and budgets for short-, mid- and long-term actions as discussed 

during the first day of AMWG deliberations. In turn, these will be combined into future project 

management plans within the GCDAMP program.

Operational alternatives: NEPA Compliance for Operational Flexibilities to Address Nonnative Fish

Fish Exclusionary Technologies: Planning to Evaluate Exclusion Projects

→ Shifting focus toward Strategic Plan
Progress on Strategic Plan

● Purpose: captures short-, mid-, and long-term actions

● Goal: develop a framework so that the plan is applicable to 

cool-and warm-water invasive fish species, but also 

addresses immediate concern of SMB
Strategic Plan Outline

● Introduction

● Guiding Principles

● Strategic Approach

○ Invasive Fish of Concern

○ Monitoring for Presence of Invasive Fish

○ Prevention and Response Actions

○ Monitoring the Effectiveness of Actions

● Concluding Statement and Implementation Recommendation

Thank you to our Strategic Plan writing group members: Shana Rapoport & Craig Ellsworth!
Strategic Plan Attachments

● Short-, mid-, and long-term actions that are specific to SMB

● Existing monitoring & management plans (with compliance)

● Recommended monitoring plan & rapid response approaches

● Suggested actions (outside the scope of the plan)

○ Will include stakeholder alternatives

Thank you GCMRC, NPS, USFWS, AGFD & Reclamation!
Status of Strategic Plan 

Draft sent to SBAHG for review on October 7, 2022

● Under technical review:

○ Terminology 

○ Detailed framework for new and/or updated monitoring 

trips

○ Assessment for long-, mid-, and short-term actions

○ Offramps & triggers

Please provide comments/feedback on Strategic Plan by COB October 26, 2022
Update on Smallmouth Bass 

● Chemical treatment - September 2022

● YOY SMB in Lees Ferry reach during TRGD sampling

● Increased need for SMB rapid response

○ Suggested to address problem now vs. waiting until 

next season
Why Rapid Response?

● Mechanical removal likely to be more successful in Lees Ferry 

○ Access and logistics downstream pose longer response times and 

hurdles

○ Downstream actions are more costly due to logistics

● Water temperatures will begin cooling in November

● Paria flooding has provided a temporary turbidity curtain

○ Potential to limit downstream fish movement 

NPS coordinating efforts for removals → Current efforts planned for Oct-Dec, 2022
Rapid Response Considerations

● This is a technical proposal & will need to consider:

○ Tribal consultation

○ RBT fishery

○ Note: not a replacement for long- and mid-term solutions

● Development of research elements 

○ Method to evaluate effectiveness 

NPS coordinating efforts for removals → Current efforts planned for Oct-Dec, 2022
Rapid Response Obstacles

Obstacles:

● Rapid coordination of logistics

● Eventually need a designated logistics coordinator

● Quantitative assessments to identify offramps

Note:

● Funding will come from non-AMP $$

NPS coordinating efforts for removals → Current efforts planned for Oct-Dec, 2022
Next Steps

Fish Exclusion Technology 

● BOR’s subject matter experts panel 

meeting to review & select device

● Continue to update SBAHG and 

solicit feedback 

Operating alternatives 

● Revision of alternatives & NEPA 

process

● Continue to update SBAHG and 

solicit feedback 

Strategic Plan draft 

● Currently in review with SBAHG 

● Goal: final version before January 

TWG meeting

● Edits by COB October 26

Rapid Response

● Pending final logistics and 

coordination

● Target start: mid- to late-October
Thank You!

Emily Higuera

Arizona Dept. of Water Resources

Email: ehiguera@awater.gov

Phone: 602-771-8516

Laura Dye

Colorado River Commission of Nevada

Email: lauradye@crc.nv.gov

Phone: 606-875-7752
Discussion Topics

Operating Alternatives - Charles Yackulic, GCMRC

Fish Exclusion Technology - Clarence Fullard, BOR

Rapid response efforts - Melissa Trammell/NPS