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May 1 to May 31, 2005

1. Highlights of GCMRC activities:

Website Makeover: The Grand Canyon Research and Monitoring Center (GCMRC) refreshed its website recently providing new organization and content. The refresh was based upon user feedback acquired during a workshop held last year using a technique called Information Mapping developed by Knowledge Solutions to identify and organize website content based on the potential end users. Both GCMRC staff and Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management and Technical Work Group members participated. The GCMRC website (www.gcmrc.gov), in addition to providing information about center activities, serves up data of interest to scientists and managers working in the Grand Canyon and on the Colorado River. Contact: Dale Blank, USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ; telephone (928) 556-7380; e-mail: dlblank@usgs.gov.

Warming of Glen Canyon Dam Releases and Resuspension of Deltaic Sediments at Lake Powell: Bill Vernieu of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center gave a presentation entitled Effects of Reservoir Drawdown on Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam Release Water Quality to the Interagency River Management Workshop in Salt Lake City on May 10-12, 2005. The symposium was a workshop addressing issues associated with river management, i.e., recreational use, power revenues, permitting, and resource management. River managers from the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service attended the workshop. Mr. Vernieu's presentation focused on the warming of Glen Canyon Dam releases and the resuspension of deltaic sediments associated with the 5-year drawdown at Lake Powell. Lake Powell's surface elevation reached 3,555 feet on April 8, 2005, its lowest level since 1969. Contact: Bill Vernieu, Flagstaff, AZ, (928) 556-7051.

USGS, Southwest Biological Center Director selected for 2004 Presidential Rank Award: Dennis Fenn, Director, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, has been honored with the Meritorious Senior Professional Award, recognition of senior career professionals who have a sustained record of exceptional professional, technical, and/or scientific achievement that is recognized on a national or international level. Dr. Fenn is recognized for leading significant change during his tenure at each of the following bureaus, the National Biological Service, the National Park Service, and the USGS. Dr. Fenn is also acknowledged for his active role in forming partnerships and MOUs with the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Fisheries Society, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, The Nature Conservancy, and NatureServe for the accomplishment of mutual goals and scientific objectives. Further information on the award and Dr. Fenn can be found at http://internal.usgs.gov/. Contact: Serena Mankiller, Flagstaff, (928) 556-7094.

Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Outreach: Mike Liszewski participated in the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Work Group Outreach ad-hoc meeting in Phoenix, AZ, on May 17. The meeting was chaired by Andre Potochnik of the Grand Canyon River Guides. The purpose of the meeting included finalizing several fact sheets about the Adaptive Management Program (AMP), discuss outline for the AMP stationary display at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center, and discuss format of the AMP website. Contact: Mike Liszewski, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ; telephone: (928) 556-7458; e-mail: mjlisz@usgs.gov.

Aerial Overflights and Reduced Flows Scheduled at Grand Canyon National Park During Memorial Day Weekend: The USGS's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), under the auspices of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, will conduct scientific overflights in Grand Canyon National Park over Memorial Day weekend. Aerial photographs and topographic data will be collected for the Colorado River corridor between Glen Canyon Dam and the Grand Wash Cliffs as part of an ongoing scientific monitoring effort to help manage important park resources. The data collected will allow researchers to track the size and number of sandbars and related near-shore habitat. Sandbars are a resource of management concern because they provide habitat for wildlife and support backwaters for fish, but have been reduced in size in the Grand Canyon as the result of sediment exports under current dam operations and encroachment of woody vegetation. Often called beaches, sandbars are used as campsites for whitewater boaters and other recreationists. The data will also provide information on vegetation and wildlife habitat in the river corridor. This is a press release scheduled for 5/23/2005 at 2:00 pm. Contact: Tom Gushue, Flagstaff, AZ, (928) 556-7370.

Aquatic Foodbase Research on Native and Non-native Fish in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon: The aquatic food base solicitation entitled: Aquatic Foodbase Research Activities--Identifying Pathways Linking Lower Trophic Levels with Native and Non-native Fish in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon was released May 23, 2005. The purpose of this solicitation is to initiate collaborative research with GCMRC scientists that will identify food web structure and trophic pathways that are of importance to endangered fish, native fish and non-native fishes throughout the Colorado River Ecosystem. Proposal reviews are scheduled to begin in August and awarded by late August. More information is posted on the GCMRC website http://www.gcmrc.gov/. Contact: Ted Kennedy, Flagstaff, AZ, (928) 556-7374.

Biologic Resource Data presented to the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Group: The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center presented their first knowledge assessment session addressing biological resources associated with the Long Term Experimental Planning to the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Technical Work Group on May 18 and 19 in Phoenix, AZ. Information on the biologic resources along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon was presented to the group. Lew Coggins presented data associated with endangered humpback chubs, non-native fishes and the mechanical removal experiment. He also presented preliminary fish diet and predation data. Ted Kennedy summarized knowledge associated with the aquatic food base as related to flows and canyon orientation. The solicitation for food base work and the purpose of the initiative was also discussed. The next knowledge assessment workshop will take place in Flagstaff, at the USGS, from July 5-8th and present research associated with the experimental flows. Contact Barbara Ralston, Flagstaff, AZ, (928) 556-7455.

Science in adaptive management: Barbara Ralston, of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, SBSC, presented a talk entitled: Science in adaptive management and participated in a panel discussion associated with adaptive management and the Colorado River at the Interagency River Management Workshop held in Salt Lake City on May 10th. Ralston explained the rationale for conducting the 2002-2004 Environmental Assessment and Biological Opinion Experiment and provided some of the preliminary results from the Colorado River. The workshops are hosted by management agencies and are designed to be interactive and address timely river management topics. The River Management Society sponsors the workshops with the goal of protecting and conserving North America's river resources by providing river managers, researchers, educators and others with a forum for sharing information about the appropriate use and management of river resources. Contact Barbara Ralston, Flagstaff, AZ, (928) 556-7455.

2. GCMRC in the news:

Nothing to report.

3. New publications received by the GCMRC library:

  1. Beus, Stanley S. 2003. Grand Canyon geology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2nd edition. 432 pages.
  2. Coder, Christopher M. 2000. An introduction to Grand Canyon Prehistory. Grand Canyon, Ariz, Grand Canyon Association, 56 p.
  3. Houk, Rose. 1996. An introduction to Grand Canyon Ecology. Grand Canyon, Ariz, Grand Canyon Association, 56 p.
  4. Price, L. Greer. 1999. An introduction to Grand Canyon Geology. Grand Canyon, Ariz, Grand Canyon Association, 63 p.

Contact Stephanie Wyse at the GCMRC library (928-556-7373) to obtain reprints of publications not available electronically.