Glen Canyon Physical Environment Update

Water Quality, Tributary Influences & Channel Analyses

& Flows

Ted Melis

02:15 p.m. on January 21, 2015

Annual Reporting Meeting, Phoenix, AZ
RECENT QUALITY OF 

WATER

Glen Canyon Dam Tailwater Fishery

Water Years 2011 – 2014

“Era of RBT Natal Origins Project”
Glen Canyon Temperature & Dissolved Oxygen

WY 2011 through DEC 2014

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000

http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]

Dissolved Oxygen got lower ↓ in fall 2005 (3 to 4 mg/L [Vernieu written commun. USGS]

Night time “low flows” were tested in fall 2005 to elevate DO, and did

Depressed Fall

levels of DO prior to 

recent HFE 

releases

RIVER FLOWS WATER TEMPS.

DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Median Summer & Fall Dissolved Oxygen @ Lees Ferry

Dam releases had dissolved oxygen levels 5 –

6 mg/L in Fall 2014, 

but were as low as 3 – 4 mg/L in Fall 2005 

(see:http://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/amp/amwg/mt

gs/06mar07/Attach_08.pdf)

(also during warmer releases shown above)

Note: June-timed emergency low-flow 

operations also occurred in 2005

5

6

7

8

9

10

2011 2012 2013 2014

SUMMER DO

FALL DO

MEDIAN DISSOLVED OXYGEN (mg/L)

YEAR

Summer & Fall

2005 Flows & 

Temperatures

Fall Median 

T=15.2 & Q=8680

Summer 

Median 

T=14.0 & Q=14200

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 accessed: http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]

[preliminary data, do not cite]
Glen Canyon Summer Water Temperatures

WY 2011 through DEC 2014

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 accessed: http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]

Water Temperatures were higher ↑ in summer 2005 (warmest)

When rainbow trout recruitment was Poor & abundance Falling

GCD releases in 2012 & 2013

were colder – more like 1990-2002

[lower runoffs into fuller reservoir]

Warmer releases resulted from larger runoffs

when reservoir levels were lower
Median Summer and Fall Water Temperature @ LF

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 accessed: http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]

Median temperatures drop after 2011, then increase through summer 

& fall 2014 – temperatures increase right when food is less available...

TCD-like

thermal 

regime

treatment

Provided by

Annually

Variable UCRB 

runoff

& 

Lake Powell

storage changes

~1,200,000 RBT ~200,000 RBT

10

11

12

13

14

15

2011 2012 2013 2014

SUMMER

FALL

MEDIAN WATER TEMPERATURE (DEGREES C)

YEAR

Median 2005 River

Temperatures & DO

 Fall = 15.2°C

 Summer = 14.0°C

with Dissolved Oxygen

in Fall dropping as

low as 3 – 4 mg/L

Recent RBT Decline

[Korman and Yard, written commun., 

USGS 2015, 

preliminary data, do not cite]

[preliminary data, do not cite]
Two Eras of the River’s Thermal Regime

[1990-2002 versus 2003-2013, preliminary data, do not cite]

Downstream average water temperature near LCR has not only been 

warmer since 2003, but warmer later into fall/winter (2011 is example)

Thermal discontinuity distance below the dam has shortened over the last decade ??

Dam 

releases

reach 

1990-

2002

annual 

Temp. 

maxima

5 mos. 

earlier

2003-13 

peak 

Temps 

~2.5°C ↑

Earlier Warming

In Glen Canyon

Much Later Warming

Downstream @ LCR

Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) temperature data 

provided by W. Vernieu, USGS

Lower Marble Canyon (LMC) temperature

from: USGS streamgage #09383100

http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sedim

ent/station/GCDAMP/09383100
TRIBUTARY INFLUENCES

Glen Canyon Tributaries & Tailwater Trout Fishery
Tributary Processes Can Influence CRe Shorelines and Channel Bed Textures

Repeat downstream views from river left above Waterholes Canyon confluence 

 Can sediment inputs of this magnitude influence condition factor of RBT?

 AUG 2013 floods input fine sediment & gravel to lower Glen Canyon and have 

been reworked by a range of normal dam operations and 2 HFEs

 Waterholes Canyon bisects Natal Origins study reach I where rainbow trout have 

been repeatedly sampled in Jan, Apr, Jul, Sep, Oct, & Dec since 2012

 Integrated mapping studies of bed texture change and spatial analysis of fish 

monitoring data & shoreline types will attempt to answer the above question
Tributary Processes Can Influence CRe Shorelines and Channel Bed Textures

New 2013 Gravel Inputs from Waterholes Canyon

 Late summer 2013 floods input an unknown volume of gravel into channel areas 

already known to support large numbers of trout redds upstream of 3-Mile Bar

 Mapping studies of bed texture and analysis of fish & foodbase monitoring data & 

shoreline types are occurring to better understand possible influences on trout
Cumulative Drainage Area between Glen Canyon Dam & Lees Ferry

[Total ~ 291 km2, plus 31 km2 of local shoreline area]

Contributing Drainage Area Increases Rapidly below GCD in the first 4 miles 

and then again between Waterholes and Fall Canyons

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

14.9

13

11.511.3

9.8

9

6.76.56.46.36.25.65.45.35.25.1

5

4.13.33.23.1

3

2.52.1

2

1.71.51.40.30.20.1

0

CUMULATIVE DRAINAGE AREA (KM2

)

RIVER MILES (UPSTREAM OF LEES FERRY)

0

20

40

60

80

100

-14.9-11.5

-9.8-6.7-6.4-6.2-5.4-5.2-5.0-3.3-3.1-2.5-2.0-1.5-0.3-0.1

DRAINAGE AREA (KM2

)

RIVER MILE (US OF LEES FERRY)

Honey Draw &

Ferry Swale

Waterholes, Cove

& Fall Canyons

data from Webb et al. 2000

USGS WRIR 00-4055
Characteristics of Tributaries in Glen and Marble Canyons

 Drainage Area - Glen Canyon has about 1/10 area of ephemeral tributaries 

in Marble Canyon (Not including Paria and Little Colorado Rivers)

 Source Rocks - Glen Canyon tributaries drain softer Navajo SS, “mostly 

coarser sand” compared to Marble Canyon tributaries with harder rocks 

that contribute “less sand and more gravel/boulders”

 Glen Canyon – estimated total sediment input ~65,000 metric tons/yr. (Webb 

et al. 2000); sand inputs (but not gravel) are monitored in Waterholes 

 Gravels - are coarse-grained inputs from the larger Marble Canyon 

tributaries altering channel depth and bed textures in CRe – if yes, then so 

what?

 Channel Depth (affects light penetration) & coarser bed-sediment tied to 

trout & benthic invertebrate production - Gravel inputs are not being 

measured, but repeat channel mapping likely to document changes.
Localized Influence of Ephemeral Tributaries on Flow Depths 

“Lower Glen Canyon”

Evaluating Channel & “Hot Spots” (Food and Trout Condition Factor)

How about downstream in Marble Canyon?

How do tributary gravel inputs

Influence local channel depths

and biological processes over

time under regulated flows?

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1 2 3 4 5 6

CENTER CHANNEL DEPTH PROFILE

NATAL ORIGINS STUDY REACH I

DEPTH (M) BELOW 8,000 CFS STAGE

RIVER MILE UPSTREAM OF LEES FERRY

WATERHOLES

CANYON

FALL

CREEK

COVE

CANYON

~ 8,000 CFS STAGE

[preliminary data, do not cite]
Localized Influence of Ephemeral Tributaries on Flow Depths 

“Upper Marble Canyon”

If “Hot Spots” (Food and Trout Condition Factor) exist, then are they

Linked with tributaries and channel morphology & sensitive to flows?

Rainbow trout condition 

varies by size classes within 

& between

intensive

NO fish sampling study 

reaches seasonally & 

across years of monitoring

Question:

Are there spatial patterns 

relative to channel 

characteristics, such as

(ave. depth, nearshore

slope angle, bed texture & 

azimuth)

& geomorphic framework

controlled by ephemeral 

tributaries?

0

5

10

15

20

17 18 19 20 21

 DEPTH (M) BELOW 8,000 CFS STAGE

DEPTH BELOW 8,000 CFS STAGE (M)

RIVER MILE BELOW LEES FERRY

~ 8,000 CFS ELEV.

CENTER CHANNEL DEPTH PROFILE

NATAL ORIGINS STUDY REACH II

RYDER

CANYON

NORTH

CANYON

RAPIDS

18-MILE 

RIFFLE

REDNECK

RAPIDS

HOUSEROCK

RAPIDS

NORTH

CANYON

[preliminary data, do not cite]
NO Reach III – “Middle Marble Canyon”

Recent

Sandbar 

Mapping suggests

Sand exported 

from below

River mile 30 in 

2011 was mainly 

scoured from 

deeper areas of 

the main channel

and not from 

eddies 

(recall Grams 

sandbar mapping 

talk on TUE)

0

5

10

15

20

36 38 40 42

DEPTH (M) BELOW 8000 CFS STAGE

DEPTH BELOW 8,000 CFS STAGE (M)

RIVER MILE BELOW LEES FERRY

~ 8,000 CFS ELEV.

CENTER CHANNEL DEPTH PROFILE

NATAL ORIGINS STUDY REACH III

BUCK 

FARM REDBUD

ALCOVE

TATAHATSO 

WASH

36-MILE

RAPIDS BERT'S

CANYON

DAM

SITE

[preliminary data, do not cite]
NO Reaches IVa & IVb – “Lower Marble & Eastern Grand Canyons”

0

5

10

15

20

60 62 64

DEPTH BELOW 8,000 CFS STAGE (M)

RIVER MILE BELOW LEES FERRY

~ 8,000 CFS ELEV.

CENTER CHANNEL DEPTH PROFILE

NATAL ORIGINS STUDY REACHES IVa & IVb

60-MILE RAPIDS

LCR

CONFLUENCE HEART ISLAND

CARBON

CREEK

Deeper Channel

“Plunge

Pools below

Rapids & Channel

Constrictions”

most probable

areas where 

recently

identified trout

production has

occurred in Reaches

III, IVa & IVb?

“redds” not generally

observed in Marble

Canyon ???

Reach IVa here → Juvenile Chub Monitoring Reach (IVb)

[preliminary data, do not cite]
REVIEWING FLOWS

Dam Operations & Glen Canyon Rainbow Trout

Fishery Responses
Median Summer and Fall Flow @ LF

~1,200,000 RBT

~200,000 RBT (see Yard and Korman talk to follow)

RTELSS project reports elevated Redd Counts in 2013-14

following Fall HFEs (L. Avery, 2014 annual report, p. 60) , but limited trout recruitment reported (see Yard and Korman PPT)

Annual Release 

Volumes

declined in each of 

the last 4 Years 

= lower flows

+

More frequent 

stable-flow periods 

in 2011-12 were 

followed by MLFF 

fluctuating-flow 

releases in 

2013-14

Recall the warmer 

2014 Temperatures

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

2011 2012 2013 2014

SUMMER FLOW

FALL FLOW

MEDIAN DISCHARGE (cfs)

YEAR

Fall

Steady

Flows

7.48

MAF

Release

Volume

12.5

MAF

Release

Volume

9.47

MAF

Release

Volume

8.23

MAF

Release

Volume

Higher & More

Steady Flows

Lower & Less

Steady Flows

[preliminary data, do not cite] [Annual WY volumes, K. Grantz

US DOI Bureau of Reclamation]
Annual Dam Operations & Elevated Natural Trout Production in Glen Canyon 

[1997, 2000, 2008 (Korman et al. 2012), 2009 (Melis et al. 2012) & 2011 (preliminary data, do not cite)]

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

10/1/1996 1/1/1997 4/1/1997 7/1/1997 10/1/1997 1/1/1998

Discharge of the Colorado River below 

Glen Canyon Dam, 

measured at Lees Ferry, AZ 

(USGS streamgage #09380000)

DISCHARGE (cubic feet per second)

WATER YEAR 1997

A.

Low Flow for 

Aerial Imagery

Overflight

Higher Steady

Flows Released

in response to 

Above Average

Runoff Forecast

1st Test of Habitat-Maintenance

Flow in November (Fall HFE) HYDROGRAPH SUMMARY

4 out of 5 years included High 

Flow operations during Spring

All Years had Steadier flows in

either Spring, Summer or Fall

(some years in all 3 seasons)

4 out of 5 years had higher than

minimum release volumes

[ranging from ~9.0 to 12.5 MAF]

All 5 hydrographs had EXP flows

of some type other than MLFF

2008 included 2 EXP flows (HFE

& FSF), plus Equalization flows

Most Flow Treatments (* but not all) Seem to = ↑ ↑ ↑ RBT Responses

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

10/1/2010 1/1/2011 4/1/2011 7/1/2011 10/1/2011 1/1/2012

Discharge of the Colorado River below 

Glen Canyon Dam, 

measured at Lees Ferry, AZ 

(USGS streamgage #09380000)

DISCHARGE (cubic feet per second)

WATER YEAR 2011

D.

High & Steady

Flows Released

in response to 

Above Average

Runoff Forecast for

Upper Colorado 

River Basin

4th-Year Test of 

Fall Steady Flow

Experiment - Flows

Were Steady at about

16,000 cfs for Sept - Oct.

2nd Equalization Operations under

2007 Interim Guidelines Record-of-Decision

Discharge data from: http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000
Summary History of MLFF, EXP Flows & Natural Rainbow Trout Production

Natural Glen Canyon Trout Production ↑ ↑ ↑ in 5 of 18 MLFF 

Water Years (28%) since GCD was re-operated and other flow 

EXPs began in WY 1997... Water Years since 2002 

* When MLFF operations were not combined with other flow 

EXPs, trout production apparently not elevated

* Water Years when MLFF was combined with EXP winter 

season fluctuating flows were not associated with elevated 

Glen Canyon trout production

* Water Years in which MLFF was combined with Fall-timed 

HFEs, were not associated with elevated trout production

* Several Greater-than-Minumum volume release years were 

not associated with elevated Glen Canyon trout production

Observations suggest that aquatic biology at least

partly coupled to flow in GLCA

See: Melis et al. 2012, Korman et al. 2012, Korman et al. 2011

[preliminary , do not cite]
High-Flow Experiments & Export of Fine Sediment

from

Glen Canyon Tailwater Fishery

Review of Fine-Sediment Concentrations & Grain Sizes

Exported as Suspended-Sediment Loads
Influence of HFEs on Fine Sediment in Glen Canyon?

Sand Export past Lees Ferry 

measured during all prior

HFEs since 1996, 

However, sand transport not

sampled during other

high-flow dam operations 

that may also influence 

channel-bed textures & 

biological processes relating 

to trout & foodbase responses

WY 2011 Operations tied to

largest RBT cohort since 

1990, but NO DATA...

Are more data needed to

inform integrated studies 

during all spring high flows?

N

O

D

A

T

A

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000

http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]
Some Take Aways

Glen Canyon Dam Tailwater Trout Fishery – perhaps better thought of as 

consisting of both Glen and Marble Canyons, perhaps 125 km or longer???

Geomorphic Framework – Glen and Marble Canyons are two different 

rivers influenced by operations of one dam, each has totally different sand 

and gravel budgets that are only partially known – inputs can alter geometry

Glen & Marble Canyon RBT Fishery – likely being influenced by sand & 

gravel inputs from tributaries and winnowing by dam operations through time

Physical/Biological Trout Responses & GCD – understanding requires 

fully integrated monitoring coupled to current ongoing QW & sediment work

Thermal “Discontinuity Distance” - below dam has decreased under drier 

UCRB hydrology since 2002 – warmer water in Glen and Marble Canyons?
High-Flow Experiments & Export of Fine Sediment

from

Glen Canyon Tailwater Fishery
Waterholes Canyon Sand Inputs before Spring 2008 HFE

Summer 2007 floods in 

Waterholes Canyon had 

High sand concentrations

Sand loading from this and 

other tributaries may have 

set the stage for spring 2008

HFE influence on rainbow

trout spawning and 

recruitment during the

2008-9 period

Recent fall-timed HFEs in

2012, 2013 and 2014 may

be influencing trout spawning

as redd counts in 2012-13

have been reported to be 

relatively higher, but

recruitment not increased

Glen Canyon Tributary Sand Inputs of 2007 occurred about 6 mos.

before the March 2008 HFE (channel cleaning → Bug ↑ & Trout ↑)

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]
Sand Concentrations & Median Sand Grain Size for HFEs

Sand concentration highest 

during Spring 2008 HFE

Even though 1996 peak was

~10% greater discharge

Finest sand grain sizes are

Measured during 2008 &

2013 HFEs, suggests

Influence of sand 

inputs to Glen Canyon in

Falls of 2006-7 & summer

2013

Rapid sand concentration ↓

& grain size coarsening ↑

During HFEs suggests

Efficient winnowing of 

channel bed & shorelines

“cleaning”

Relatively Higher

Sand Concentrations

Finer Sand Sizes

Can repeat mapping of channel bed textures upstream discern

Changes in fine sediments and gravel?

2008 HFE

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]
Compare High-Flow Data & Glen Canyon Sediment Export

Greatest “channel-cleaning” was accomplished in summer 1965, and allowed

Glen Canyon Tailwater Rainbow Trout Fishery to be established (stocking)

WY 2011 - Suspended-sediment loads were measured and budgets were reported for all 

river segments below Glen Canyon, but the influence of high-flow operations that spring/summer 

on fine sediment in Lees Ferry segment (associated with large RBT response) is unknown?

*, For comparison, the average annual fine-sediment load measured at Lees Ferry during 

sediment years 1966–1970 was 240,000 (+/-10 000) metric tons

*

[from Melis et al. 2012]
Monitoring Turbidity Events in Glen Canyon @ Lees Ferry

Turbid Dam

Releases from 

Lake Powell

NOV 2013

HFE

???

Maintaining continuous turbidity data at Lees Ferry is challenging, but

probe captured late November event from an unknown Upstream source

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 

http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/

GCDAMP/09380000]
Turbidity & Silt/Clay Concentrations during Fall 2013 HFE 

Turbidity Spike of late NOV 2013 caused by relatively low 

Silt/Clay concentrations – unknown source(s) in Glen Canyon????

[measured at Lees Ferry, AZ, station #09380000 http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/station/GCDAMP/09380000]
13th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado 

Plateau & Southwest Region October 5-8, 2015 - High Country 

Conference Center - Flagstaff, AZ

Theme: Multi-disciplinary Approaches to Assess and Respond 

to Climatic, Social, and Technological Changes

Invited SPECIAL SESSION

Revisiting Science and Adaptive Management in the 

Federal Colorado River Programs

To submit a proposal or abstract, please 

visit http://nau.edu/Merriam-Powell/BiennialConference/Welcome/.

Please Help to Notify your Respective Science Program Contacts...