Difference between revisions of "GCDAMP History Time-Line -Years"

Latest revision as of 16:51, 29 September 2026

2027

• LTEMP 10-Year Review

2026

• Start of 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines
• Bright Angel creek floods from monsoon rains on the Dragon-Bravo fire scar

2025

• Razorback suckers stocked into the Little Colorado River (2023-2025)
• The -12 Mile Slough gets renovated
• SEIS Bypass Releases (CoolMix) to control smallmouth bass
• Dragon-Bravo fire burns on the North Rim

2024

• Razorback suckers stocked into the Little Colorado River (2023-2025)
• Humpback chub population in Grand Canyon grows to 70,000 adults (40,000–200,000; 95% credible interval)
• The LTEMP EIS is modified to allow for releases to control smallmouth bass and to modify the sediment accounting windows for HFEs
• SEIS Bypass Releases (CoolMix) to control smallmouth bass

2023

• Razorback suckers stocked into the Little Colorado River (2023-2025)
• Spring HFE: 39,500 cfs for 72h
• Brown trout incentivized harvest at Lees Ferry (2020-2023)
• Bill Stewart becomes program manager for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

2022

• Release temperatures at Glen Canyon Dam reach 20.5C with low reservoir elevations
• Balancing releases May - September
• A Fall HFE was not conducted due to the discovery of smallmouth bass in Glen Canyon (1,600,000 mt)
• Bugflow Experiment
• Brown trout incentivized harvest at Lees Ferry (2020-2023)

2021

• Spring Disturbance Flow
• Brown trout incentivized harvest at Lees Ferry (2020-2023)
• Andrew Schultz becomes GCMRC Chief

2020

• Bugflow Experiment
• Brown trout incentivized harvest at Lees Ferry (2020-2023)
• COVID moves all meetings for the year to remote
• Wayne Pullan becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region
• Ed Keable becomes superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park

2019

• Bugflow Experiment
• DOI Guidance from Dr. Tim Petty
• Brent Esplin becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region
• Lee Traynham becomes program manager for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

2018

• Fall HFE: 38,100 cfs for 60h
• Bugflow Experiment

2017

• 2017 Knowledge Assessment
• Ryan Zinke becomes Secretary of the Interior

2016

• Publication of the LTEMP EIS
• LTEMP Science Plan
• TWG Protocol Paper

2015

• Brown trout and green sunfish start reproducing in Lees Ferry
• A 2015 Fall HFE was canceled due to the discovery of green sunfish in Glen Canyon (1,168,000 mt)
• Start of Triennial Budget and Workplans
• Brent Rhees becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region
• Scott VanderKooi becomes GCMRC Chief

2014

• Rainbow trout fishery collapses at Lees Ferry
• Fall HFE: 37,500 cfs for 96h
• Galahad Point fire and flood eliminates the humpback chub translocation in Shinumo Creek

2013

• Fall HFE: 34,100 cfs for 96h
• Sally Jewell becomes Secretary of the Interior

2012

• Development of the Desired Future Conditions (DFCs)
• Publication of the High Flow Experiment Protocol
• Fall HFE: 42,300 cfs for 96h (slow downramp)
• Razorback Sucker found in lower part of Grand Canyon- believed the fish traveled some 50 miles upstream from Lake Mead. Last one recorded had been caught in 1990.

2011

• Fall Steady Flow Experiment (2009-2011)
• The 2011 Equalization releases from March - December
• Core Monitoring Plan (draft)
• Start of Biennial Budget and Workplans
• Jack Schmidt becomes GCMRC Chief
• Dave Uberuaga becomes Superintendent of GCNP

2010

• Fall Steady Flow Experiment (2009-2011)
• Glen Knowles becomes program manager for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

2009

• Fall Steady Flow Experiment (2009-2011)
• Ken Salazar becomes Secretary of the Interior
• Anne Castle becomes Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

2008

• USFWS Biological Opinion identifies concerns with constructing a Temperature Control Device (TCD) that can only release warm water
• Spring HFE, 41,500 cfs for 60 hours
• Grand Canyon Trust files suit against USBR, USFWS, and others contending operations at Glen Canyon Dam ran counter to their obligations to comply with the ESA, NEPA, and Administrative Policy Act
• GCDAMP budget was capped

2007

• Appraisal study on sediment augmentation
• Pearce Ferry Rapid forms creating a non-navigable barrier for downstream rafting and barrier for upstream fish movement from Lake Mead
• Beginning of Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages (2007-2027)
• Strategic Science Plan
• Larry Walkoviak becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region
• Steve Martin becomes superintendent of GCNP

2006

• Trout removals from the confluence with the Little Colorado River (2003-2006)
• Draft Long-Term Experimental Plan Environmental Plan (LTEP)
• Dirk Kempthorne becomes Secretary of the Interior

2005

• SCORE Report: The State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon
• Trout removals from the confluence with the Little Colorado River (2003-2006)
• Fluctuating trout suppression flows from January through March (2003-2005)

2004

• Trout removals from the confluence with the Little Colorado River (2003-2006)
• 2004 Fall HFE, 41,000 cfs for 60 hours
• GCDAMP Goals and AMWG Priority Questions
• Fluctuating trout suppression flows from January through March (2003-2005)

2003

• Trout removals from the confluence with the Little Colorado River (2003-2006)
• Fluctuating trout suppression flows from January through March (2003-2005)

2002

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces recovery goals for endangered fishes of the Colorado River Basin.
• Adaptive Management Work Group recommends implementation of the first 2 years of an experimental design proposed by the GCMRC.

2001

• Humpback Chub population in Grand Canyon was in decline in the 1990s, and reached a low of about 5,000 adult fish
• Draft GCDAMP Strategic Plan for the developed by program managers.
• Gale Norton becomes Secretary of the Interior
• GCMRC moves from the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Interior to the US Geological Survey

2000

• The Low Steady Summer Flow Experiment (LSSF)
• Second and third tests of the habitat maintenance flows concept conducted in spring and summer.
• Rick Gold becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region

1999

• AMWG Colorado River trip to develop the Vision Statement for the GCDAMP
• Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program AMWG FACA Committee Guidance (The 1999 Loveless Document)
• Dennis Kubly becomes program manager for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

1998

• GCMRC is moved from USBR to the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior
• Barry Gold becomes acting GCRMC Chief

1997

• AMWG and TWG fully established
• The AMWG held their first meeting on September 10-11, 1997, and officially formed the Glen Canyon Technical Work Group (TWG) as a subgroup to work on tasks charged to them by the AMWG.
• The TWG was formed to provide stakeholders with involvement in federal decisions concerning the operation of Glen Canyon Dam and Power Plant.
• Formation of a GCDAMP Strategic Planning Subcommittee (1997-2000)
• Reclamation begins a Value Planning Study for a warm-water Temperature Control Device (TCD)
• 1997 Habitat Maintenance Flow (HMF)
• Mary Orton joins AMWG as mediator
• Bruce Moore becomes program manager for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

1996

• Record of Decision on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement selects Modified Low Fluctuating Flows (MLFF) as the preferred alternative.
• 1996 Beach/Habitat-Building Flow (BHBF), 45,000 cfs for 168 hours
• Dave Garrett becomes first GCMRC Chief

1995

• Transition Work Group to act as a bridge between GCES and GCDAMP (1995-1996)
• Establishment of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC)
• The Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement as required by the Grand Canyon Protection Act is completed.
• The Grand Canyon National Park General Management Plan

1994

• Programmatic Agreement on Cultural Resources signed between the State of Arizona, Department of the Interior agencies, and six tribes over protection of cultural resources in the river corridor below Glen Canyon Dam.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates critical habitat for four species of endangered Colorado River fish and completes Biological Opinion outlining reasonable and prudent alternatives that must be evaluated for dam operation.
• Memorandum of Agreement signed for development of a Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Plan between state agencies in Nevada, California, and Arizona and federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.MSCP History (SDSU)
• Charley Calhoun becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region

1993

• Bruce Babbitt becomes Secretary of the Interior
• Dan Beard becomes USBR Commissioner

1992

• Grand Canyon Protection Act

1991

• Interim operating criteria for Glen Canyon Dam implemented with what would become MLFF-like releases
• The 1990-91 Research Flows
• Razorback Sucker and Kanab Ambersnail federally listed as endangered

1990

• Beginning of Interim Operating Criteria
• The 1990-91 Research Flows
• Formulative discussions on the concept of HFEs begin lead by Duncan Patton

1989

• Manuel Lujan becomes Secretary of the Interior and orders an environmental impact statement on dam operations.
• National Research Council sponsors symposium that reviews existing knowledge on Colorado River ecosystem
• Roland Robison becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region

1988

• Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects(CRSP) passed after a series of public information and comment forums.
• Glen Canyon Environmental Studies issues Glen Canyon Environmental Studies Final Report, completing Phase I and starting Phase II (1988-1988), which would be accelerated to support environmental impact statement process.

1987

• National Research Council completes review of Glen Canyon Environmental Studies, publishing River and Dam Management: a Review of the Bureau of Reclamation's Glen Canyon Environmental Studies

1984

• The 1984 Floods
• One of the last Razorback Suckers seen in Grand Canyon is caught and released at Bass Rapids

1983

• The 1983 Floods
• Glen Canyon Dam releases more than 92,000 cfs to stop Lake Powell from overtopping Glen Canyon Dam.

1982

• Glen Canyon Environmental Studies - Phase I (1982-1988) created to study effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations

1981

• Cliff Barrett becomes direction of Reclamation's Upper Colorado River Region

1980

• Lake Powell reaches full pool (3,700 ft)
• Bonytail chub listed as endangered

1979

• Grand Canyon National Park designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• USBR proposes an upgrade of Glen Canyon Dam's generators

1978

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files jeopardy opinion on the effects of Glen Canyon Dam on endangered fishes

1975

• Grand Canyon National Park Enlargement Act passed

1974

• Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act authorized the construction, operation, and maintenance of works in the Colorado River Basin to control the salinity of Colorado River water available for use in the United States and Mexico. Some GCDAMP stakeholders participate in the Salinity Control Forums created by the act.
• First Lawsuit filed over Glen Canyon Dam operations by commercial raft operators contending that the disruption of normal flows was interfering with their ability to conduct river trips.

1973

• Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 passed to protect and promote the recovery of animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct because of the activities of people. Administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

1972

• Last verified record of Colorado Pikeminnow caught in Grand Canyon at Havasu Creek

1971

1970

• Long-range Operating Criteria (LROC) developed for Glen Canyon Dam operations

1969

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 passed requiring Federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions.

1968

• Colorado River Basin Project Act passed

1967

• Humpback chub and Colorado pikeminnow federally listed as endangered

1966

• National Historic Preservation Act passed
• Crystal rapid forms after a large flash flood from Crystal Creek

1965

• The 1965 Reservoir Equalization and Channel Cleaning Floods
• United States contract for delivery of power from the Colorado River Storage Project to customers.

1964

• U.S. Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. California confirmed apportionments of Colorado River water authorized in 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act, including Nevada's allocation of 0.3 maf per year. The Decree in this case set many of the rules under which the river is operated.

1963

• Glen Canyon Dam completed as part of the Colorado River Storage Project.
• U.S. Supreme Court held in Arizona vs California that, as a result of the Boulder Canyon Project Act, California held an allocation of 4.4 maf, Arizona 2.8 maf, and Nevada 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water

1956

• Colorado River Storage Project Act passed authorizing Glen Canyon Dam

1948

• Upper Colorado River Basin Compact signed

1944

• Treaty with Mexico obligating the US to provide 1.5 maf of Colorado River water to Mexico annually

1935

• Hoover Dam completed

1928

• Boulder Canyon Project Act passed authorizing Hoover Dam.

1922

• Colorado River Compact signed allocating the Colorado River water between the upper and the lower basins. Upper basin States have the right to use 7.5 maf/yr only if that quantity is available after meeting delivery requirements of 7.5 maf/yr to the Lower basin plus the amount required to satisfy anticipated claims by Mexico.

1921

• Colorado River was officially re-named from the “Grand” to the “Colorado.”

1919

• Grand Canyon National Park created

1916

• National Park Service Organic Act passed

1902

• Reclamation Act Creates the Bureau of Reclamation

1869

• Major John Wesley Powell leads first recorded expedition to traverse Grand Canyon
• Powell's death-defying Grand Canyon odyssey

*11,000 BP

• Paleo-Indian peoples occupy Grand Canyon region