U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Project O Review and Revisions

Michael Moran

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center

Southwest Biological Science Center

Craig Ellsworth

Chair, Budget Ad Hoc Group (BAHG)

Western Area Power Administration

Technical Work Group Meeting

October 14, 2020

October 14, 2020
2

October 14, 2020

Project O Review and Comments

 Evaluation of TWP during August AMWG meeting resulted 

in recommendation to remove Project O and submit as 

stand-alone proposal funded primarily under the 

Experimental Fund

 TWP version of Project O was to be revised and submitted 

ahead of October TWG meeting for review and approval

 Following AMWG, review comments on Project O were 

requested from stakeholders by mid-September which was 

later extended to September 25, 2020
3

October 14, 2020

Project O Revision

 Throughout September 2020 GCMRC Project O PIs:

• Convened and participated in internal and external 

meetings to review and discuss comments and 

revisions to Project O

• Prepared written responses to stakeholder comments

• Revised Project O
4

October 14, 2020

Project O Revision continued

 Document of aggregated stakeholder comments with 

GCMRC written responses to comments was sent back 

to stakeholders on October 5, 2020

 Revised Project O was sent to TWG for review on 

October 7, 2020
5

October 14, 2020

Project O BAHG Review

 BAHG held 3 meetings; September 21 and 24, and 

October 8, 2020

 The outcome of these meetings included the following 

items: 

1. A prioritization of Project O elements based on resource 

and budget considerations, and 

2. Identification of funding sources for Project O elements by 

year
6

October 14, 2020

Project O BAHG Prioritization

Table 1. Project O Element Prioritization Recommended by BAHG

Tier 1 - Project O elements considered very important for understanding the effects 

of the proposed spring disturbance flow

• Project Element O.1. Does Disturbance Timing Affect Food Base Response?

• Project Element O.5. Mapping Aquatic Vegetation Response to a Spring Pulse Flow

Tier 2 - Project O elements considered important for understanding the effects of the 

proposed spring disturbance flow

• Project Element O.2. Bank Erosion, Bed Sedimentation, and Channel Change in 

Western Grand Canyon

• Project Element O.6. Brown Trout Early Life Stage Response to a Spring Pulse Flow

• Project Element O.7. Native Fish Movement in Response to a Spring Pulse Flow

Tier 3 - Project O elements considered somewhat important for understanding the 

effects of the proposed spring disturbance flow

• Project Element O.3. Aeolian Response to a Spring Pulse Flow

• Project Element O.4. Riparian Vegetation Physiological Response

• Project Element O.8. Do Disturbance Flows Significantly Impact Recreational 

Experience?

• Project Element O.11. Decision Analysis

Tier 4 - Project O elements not prioritized

• Project Element O.9. Are There Opportunities to Meet Hydropower and Energy 

Goals with Spring Disturbance Flows? (funded in TWP FY2021-23)

• Project Element O.10. Sandbar and Campsite Response to Spring Disturbance Flow

(funded in TWP FY2021-23)

(....because they are funded through the TWP) 
7

October 14, 2020

Project O BAHG Funding Source 

Recommendations

 Funding from Experimental Fund not appropriate for the 

following:

1. Multi-year commitments because the decision to use of the 

Experimental Fund is made on a year-by-year basis,

2. Monitoring for experiments or activities that occur with a 

level of regularity or certainty would lend themselves to be 

more appropriately planned for and funded through the 

TWP instead of the Experimental Fund, and

3. Salaries for positions lasting more than one year as this 

may lead to unreasonable expectations of work security

 Prioritization of Project O should occur in context of 

other requests from the Experimental Fund
8

October 14, 2020

Project O Major Changes

In response to stakeholder comments and BAHG 

recommendations, GCMRC made the following changes to 

Project O:

 Modified wording in the introductory material

 Change in funding request from 3 years to 2 years

 Change in funding source request

• O.11 funding requested from C.4 Science Advisors

• FY2022 funding requested from carryover (O.1, O.2)
9

October 14, 2020

Project O Budget Requests* – FY2021

(*All estimates are provisional, subject to revision)
10

October 14, 2020

Project O Budget Requests* – FY2022

(*All estimates are provisional, subject to revision)