Downstream Adaptive Management of Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River Ecosystem (1999) / Chapter Skim
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4 Ecosystem Monitoring and Science
4 Ecosystem Monitoring and Science
Pages 80-124
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From page 80... ...
of the Grand Canyon ecosystem and the long-term monitoring program. Much of the Center's efforts in these areas build upon earlier programs and data gathered by the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies.
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From page 81... ...
While no single mode} will capture all processes important to Grand Canyon resources, the Center's efforts in conceptual modeling have helped draw together previously disparate and independent data sets. The Center has built upon Glen Canyon Environmental Studies' conceptual models that were not computerized, and has provided a forum for discussion and interaction among stakeholders and scientists of diverse disciplines.
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From page 82... ...
However, development of a new decision support system could certainly build upon lessons learned in conceptual modeling. The model's development should be viewed as an early and significant success, and the Center should be encouraged to use the exercise and its methodology as a vehicle for integrating future programs of science, monitoring, and adaptive management.
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From page 83... ...
, and provision of an information management system capable of safeguarding and assuring easy access to long-term data. The Center has also developed an Integrated Water Quality Program, which builds upon monitoring activities initiated in the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies period (Vernieu and Hueftle, 1999~.
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From page 84... ...
In the long term, it is likely that other management options not currently envisioned will become available. Perhaps the only way to ensure that a long-term monitoring program will be relevant to evaluating the broad suite of experiments that may be conducted is to adopt a long-term ecosystem-level perspective.
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From page 85... ...
The Physical Resources Program has made significant progress toward a long-term monitoring plan and has already convened a meeting of its protocol evaluation program team. The committee is concerned that because other resource groups are behind the physical group in planning and implementation, it will become increasingly difficult to develop integration across groups.
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From page 86... ...
Involving protocol evaluation program teams for each resource group should be encouraged early in this process. THE CENTER'S RESOURCE PROGRAM AREAS Physical Resources Program Management options for addressing downstream impacts of the Glen Canyon Dam are defined primarily in terms of physical controls: flow rates and temperatures of water released at the dam.
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From page 87... ...
Synthesis of Previous Knowledge Evaluation of past data and research is an active part of the Physical Resources Program, and the committee noted that this program was actively and carefully reviewing and building on past research. The 1998 Strategic Plan includes two research efforts that reanalyze existing data sets for the purpose of developing a consistent historical record of sand storage and transport.
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From page 88... ...
While the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement was being written, it was believed that tributary sand was stored in the channel in years without large dam releases, leaving it available for redistribution to bars and channel margins by occasional controlled floods. This mode!
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From page 89... ...
convened in August 1998, and the Physical Resources Program responded within a month with an end-to-end (from Lee's Ferry downstream to
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From page 90... ...
The Physical Resources Program was reviewed by a protocol evaluation program pane! in August 1998 (Woh} et al., 19981.
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From page 91... ...
Resource impacts of beach/habitat-building flows have been examined only for floods below 45,000 cfs (Ralston et al., 19981. As discussed previously (both in the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement and in planning before the 1996 controlled flood)
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From page 92... ...
Discussions on the timing of the 1996 controlled flood included the possibility of an October flood, and the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental impact Statement suggested that beach/ habitat-building flows could be timed to follow tributary floods in the late summer. Subsequent analyses, however, have focused entirely on January through June.
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From page 93... ...
Although implicit in documents produced by Glen Canyon Environmental Studies and other documents produced later, few documents attempt overall synthesis of these effects (exceptions include, for example, Valdez and Carothers, 1998; Patten, 19981. They may thus not yet be fully appreciated by all the parties concerned.
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From page 94... ...
are generally known, but this is hardly the case. Glen Canyon Dam resulted in complex physical, chemical, and biotic impacts on biological resources in the Grand Canyon.
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From page 95... ...
Other information (Patten, 1998) has been developed through voluntary efforts by researchers funded in the past by the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies and in some cases by the Center (e.g., Douglas and Marsh, 1996, 1998; Marsh and Douglas, 1997; Marzolf et al., 1998; Schmidt et al., 19981.
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From page 96... ...
As noted, the committee considers conceptual modeling to be a major accomplishment, pointing toward an ecosystem paradigm for the Grand Canyon. Despite these positive aspects, some important parts of the Biological Resources Program show little evidence of being based upon an ecosystem paradigm and may thus prove inadequate for developing adaptive management strategies.
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From page 97... ...
These are listed in Table 4.1, along with clarifications in brackets. The Biological Resources Program should be reconstructed with hypotheses directed toward anticipated needs for adaptive management of the system as the support engine for its biotic components, rather than for managing the components as impacted by operations of Glen Canyon Dam.
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From page 98... ...
." (IV) IN 2.7, "Determine the trophic relationship between trout and the aquatic food base including the size of...food base required to sustain the desired trout population [and impacts of trout on the food base relative to downstream system requirements i." ~ IN 3/4.7, "Determine origins of fish food resources, energy pathways, and nutrient sources important to their production, and the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on these resources...Evaluate linkages between the aquatic food base and health and sustainability of HBC [= humpback chub; replace with 'native fish']
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From page 99... ...
This committee recommends the Biological Resources Program be reconstituted into two broadly overlapping elements. A first should clearly emphasize testing of hypotheses and implementation of management actions to further compliance with management objectives related to the Endangered Species Act, the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement and other agreements.
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From page 100... ...
· Management objectives and information needs for the Biological Resources Program should be generalized, condensed, and stated explicitly as falsifiable hypotheses, realigned within one of the two elements of emphasis. Research toward answering questions and management actions to maintain ecosystem sustainability should, whenever practical, incorporate those required for compliance with political or legal requirements.
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From page 101... ...
Sociocultural Resources Program The 1998 Strategic Plan combines cultural resources, including tribal programs, and socioeconomic resources under a single program. Of the Center's resource programs, the revised plan for sociocultural resources is most explicitly structured to indicate how proposed research and monitoring activities address specific information needs that address, in turn, current management objectives.
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From page 102... ...
Cultural Resources Program The Cultural Resources Program is the third largest Center program after the Biological Resources and Physical Resources programs, and it is far larger than the Socioeconomic Resources Program. It also has the most complex organizational structure.
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From page 103... ...
These Center programs represent continuation of the trend that began in 1990 toward greater tribal involvement in cultural resources programs associated with dam operations. The Center's main challenge will be to coordinate and integrate these activities, both logistically and intellectually.
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From page 104... ...
3. A cultural resources synthesis project to draw together Glen Canyon Environmental Studies and related research.
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From page 105... ...
July 21, 1995. Zuni and the Grand Canyon: A Glen Canyon Environmental Studies Report.
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From page 106... ...
To broaden the scope of the Cultural Resources Program, the Center might draw upon historical and contemporary studies by and about explorers, travelers, prospectors, developers, river runners, dam operators, environmentalists, and scientists in the Canyon (e.g., Lavender, 1985; Morehouse, 1996; Powell, 1874; Riebsame, 1997; Webb, 19961. Likely Effectiveness of the Strategic Plan The Grand Canyon Protection Act, the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement, and the Record of Decision all stress the importance of cultural resources protection and consultation with tribes.
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From page 107... ...
, which has developed theories of adaptation, adaptive management, and adaptive strategies; global environmental change (May, 1996; Smith, 1997; Smithers and Smit, 1997~; environmental philosophy (Griffiths, 1996; Light and Katz, 1996~; and the emerging field of cultural studies, all of which explore different aspects of human adaptation. Weaknesses and Alternative Approaches Two separate objectives regarding Grand Canyon archaeology should be integrated for the more effective realization of both the immediate goal of locating, monitoring, and protecting, and the long-range goal of interpreting and understanding.
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From page 108... ...
Tribal participation did not receive early support in the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies, but it grew and contributed in important ways in the l 990s and, for reasons indicated above, should expand rather than contract (NRC, 1996a)
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From page 109... ...
The Center is currently supporting important research on recreational sociology in the Grand Canyon, and this committee has recommended that historical and institutional studies be conducted as part of the broader Adaptive Management Program. This section of the report focuses on the major resource area that was included in the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement and previous National Research Council reviews, but is not adequately incorporated within the Center's resource programs: economic values of downstream resources in the Grand Canyon.
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From page 110... ...
Economics is about the allocation of scarce resources among competing end uses. Any adjustment to dam operations is likely to affect Grand Canyon resources.
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From page 111... ...
The only direct market information associated with conditions in the Grand Canyon ecosystem might involve estimates of the total revenues of guides and outfitters serving recreational users, along with some estimated number of local jobs attributable to the existence of these resources. Economic theory is, however, clear on the fact that revenues of collateral business activity do not represent a full measure of social value of the existence of the resource, let alone the change in social values associated with variations in the resource's condition.
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From page 112... ...
In many decision-making contexts, including the present one, formal analysis seems to end with an inventory of probable effects of some proposed (or recent) change measured in different physical terms (e.g., a decrease of 10 percent in the population of humpback chub, an increase of 15 percent in the population of rainbow trout, and an increase of 3 percent in average annual electricity prices)
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From page 113... ...
But contingent methods are sometimes the only valuation method that can be used, as in the case of attempting to value changes in the ecological services of a resource where individual values are not "use" values, but "nonuse" values. The overall social values of the ecological services of the Grand Canyon would probably have to be measured in this way by policy makers attempting to compare alternative resource reallocations.
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From page 114... ...
The Strategic Plan contains little discussion of how the Center plans to stay abreast of research on the valuation of nonmarket environmental goods, including both use and nonuse values. More importantly, there is little discussion of how the Center plans to use these valuation methods to monitor the social effects of dam operations.
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From page 115... ...
management of the Grand Canyon ecosystem. In this model, the Adaptive Management Work Group proposes actions.
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According to the fiscal year 2000 plan, this program's goal is "to satisfy the information needs of stakeholders, scientists, and the public relative to the Colorado River ecosystem." To fulfill this goal, three tasks are assigned to the information Technology Program: il 1. Archiving and delivering scientific data and other information to stakeholders, scientists, and the public.
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From page 117... ...
This permits the storage, selective retrieval, and manipulation of data that are spatially referenced, and presentation of the result of the retrieval and manipulation as maps. Glen Canyon Environmental Studies staff, and subsequently Center staff, recognized the value of the systematic archiving of spatial data and have undertaken work to provide staff, researchers, and stakeholders with GIS capabilities.
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From page 118... ...
. Other efforts at providing technology-based solutions are intertwined with the database management system and GIS activities that support archiving and delivering scientific data.
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From page 119... ...
As currently programmed, data standard and protocol develop-ment will continue through fiscal year 2000. Other support activities include efforts to provide stakeholders with direct access to selected data and information in the database management system and the GIS, and to assist stakeholders in utilizing data and models incorporated in the Information Technology Program.
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From page 120... ...
Since the earliest reviews of Grand Canyon scientific programs, the lack of archiving of data and results has been criticized. For example, in 1996, the National Research Council committee reviewing the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies wrote that, "Good work was performed and excellent data were collected, but there was little coordination among the different elements of the research team...each project remained essentially an independent entity.
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From page 121... ...
This will expedite datawarehousing and will minimize the risk that newly collected data and results will not be available in a timely fashion to researchers and stakeholders. According to discussions with this committee, the condition of the Center's library has deteriorated following the transition from Glen Canyon Environmental Studies to the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.
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From page 122... ...
Bureau of Reclamation Adaptive Management Program Web pages could be more clearly and closely organized. The Information Technology Program staff have proposed plans for broader World Wide Web distribution of data from the data warehouse and from the geographic information system, an effort this committee applauds.
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will be a useful too! for scientific investigation, and in promoting the use of the mode} as a decision support system within the larger Adaptive Management Program.
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From page 124... ...
This shift of responsibilities from the staff to a vendor, or to system administrators in the U.S. Geological Survey or the Bureau of Reclamation, will free staff for other duties.
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