Native and Wild Trout Conference April 21, 2016 Phoenix AZ Trout Advocacy Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program & Glen Canyon Dam Long Term Experimental and Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement Chris Budwig, Trout Unlimited Technical Work Group Representative, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Native and Wild Trout Conference April 21, 2016 Phoenix AZ

Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Cooperative effort to integrate of dam operations, downstream resource protection and management, and monitoring and research to improve the values for which the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park were established. Established in 1995 pursuant to GCPA and related EIS Led by the Assistant Secretary, DOI 25 member Federal Advisory Committee includes seats for AGFD and recreation fishing interests Major focus on humpback chub recovery, sediment conservation (beaches), and the Lees Ferry trout fishery

Lees Ferry Catch Rates 1963-2013 Dam operations really matter

Lees Ferry Recreational Trout Fishery Management Recommendations Proactive effort to identify actions to maintain/enhance the trout fishery without impacting native fish downriver Recommendations take into consideration other Colorado River resource values below Glen Canyon Dam Tier off the NPS Fishery Plan and GCD AMP Desired Future conditions Plan will guide input to the Long Term Experimental and Management Plan EIS

Goals Goal 1. Maintain and enhance a wild (self-sustaining) Blue Ribbon rainbow trout fishery consistent with the protection and recovery of the native aquatic community in Grand Canyon National Park. Goal 2. Provide a dependable, high- quality recreational trout fishery that sustains economic support for local businesses and Coconino County.

Recommendations Report contains 15 recommendations Focus on four major issues Aquatic food base Excessive recruitment of young trout Glen Canyon Dam operations (high flows, fluctuating flows, low flows, etc.) Rising Water temperatures Recommendations will benefit humpback chub, riparian wildlife species, hydropower production, sand conservation, and archaeological site preservation

Glen Canyon Dam Long Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) EIS Proposed action: Develop and implement a structured, long‐ term experimental and management plan for operations of Glen Canyon Dam • Purpose of the proposed action: Provide a framework for adaptively managing Glen Canyon Dam operations over the next 20 years consistent with the Grand Canyon Protection Act and other provisions of applicable federal law

Experiments under the Preferred Alternative Extended Duration Fall high flows Low summer flows: 5,000 to 8,000 cfs reduced fluctuation releases from Jul. through Sep. to provide warmer water for humpback chub Trout management flows: short duration high fluctuations to reduce trout production Steady low weekend flows from May through August to increase aquatic food base production •

Angler Recommendations Recognize that the Lees Ferry Rainbow Trout fishery as priority resource “value” Incorporate the goals and objectives of the AZGFD Fishery Management Plan into the LTEMP. More fully consider the impacts of repeated fall high flow experiments on the aquatic food base, rainbow trout, and invasive species in Glen and Marble Canyons. Provide more emphasis on conducting high flow experiments in the spring vs fall Test the use of steady weekend “bug flows” to increase the production and diversity of the aquatic insects in the Colorado River below GCD. Carefully test the use of Trout Management Flows (TMF) only when there is an identified need to reduce the number of young of the year rainbow trout

Next Steps and Angler Action LTEMP EIS comments due by May 7, 2016. Sign the petition (today) Send Comments (draft comment letter) Info is included in meeting packet

Questions? Chris Budwig Phone: Email:   Photo by: George Andrejko