Difference between revisions of "FY12-14 GCMRC Biannual Budget and Workplan"

GCMRC Biannual Budget and Work Plan -- Fiscal Years 2012-2014

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) is a science-based process for continually improving management practices related to the operation of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) by emphasizing learning through monitoring, research, and experimentation. The Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Upper Colorado Region (BRUC) is responsible for administering funds for the GCDAMP and providing those funds for monitoring, research, and stakeholder involvement. The majority of program funding is derived from hydropower revenues; however, supplemental funding is provided by various Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies that receive appropriations. These agencies include Reclamation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

The budget and work plan for fiscal years (FY) 2013-14 was developed on the basis of previous budgets and work plans, the GCDAMP Biennial Budget and Work Process approved by the AMWG on May 6, 2010, and the Streamlined GCMRC Biennial Work Planning Process, version April 3, 2011. Additional consideration was given to meeting the commitments outlined in the following compliance documents(1) the 2007 USFWS Biological Opinion for the Proposed Adoption of Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2007 Opinion); (2) the 2011 Reclamation Environmental Assessment (EA) and 2012 Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Development and Implementation of a Protocol for High-Flow Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, 2011 through 2020 (HFE Protocol); (3) the 2011 Reclamation EA and 2012 FONSI for Non-native Fish Control Downstream from Glen Canyon Dam (NNFC EA and FONSI); and the 2011 USFWS Final Biological Opinion on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam including High Flow Experiments and Non-Native Fish Control (2011 Opinion).

The process used to arrive at the FY2013-14 budget and work plan was adopted by the AMWG in 2004 and revised in 2010 and 2011 to a 2-year fixed budget. In summary, the Budget Ad Hoc Group (BAHG) of the Technical Work Group (TWG), with input from the Cultural Resources Ad Hoc Group (CRAHG), worked with the BRUC and the GCMRC to develop a proposal for the TWG. The TWG then reviews the proposed budget and work plan and develops a recommendation to the AMWG (this document).

The FY2013-14 budget and work plan was also prepared in consideration of the projected hydrograph for Lake Powell release for water year (WY) 2013, which is based on forecasted inflows to Lake Powell and GCD releases determined by the 1996 Record of Decision on the operation of Glen Canyon Dam, the 2007 Record of Decision on interim guidelines for coordinated operation of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and the 2008 FONSI on the EA of experimental releases for the period 2008–12, and with the consideration of the approved FY2012 approved by the Secretary of the Interior on December 7, 2011. It also observes commitments made in the 2007 and 2011 biological opinions. The projected hydrograph is based on best estimates available from Reclamation’s 24-month study released in May 2010; however, the forecast is subject to change as further data becomes available.

This document consists of two chapters: Chapter 1, the BRUC budget and work plan, and Chapter 2, the GCMRC budget and work plan. The FY13/14 BWP is organized differently from the BWPs of past years. The FY13/14 BWP includes fewer projects, and each project is organized around larger monitoring and research themes. For example, there were 12 projects concerning fish and other aquatic resources in the FY11/12 BWP, and there are 5 projects in the FY13/14 BWP. The monitoring and research themes identified in the FY13/14 BWP are those common to (1) the 5 priority questions and the 12 program goals developed by the AMWG in 2004, (2) the monitoring and research plan prepared by GCMRC, approved by AMWG in August 2007 and amended and approved in April 2009 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007a), (3) the strategic science plan prepared by GCMRC in March 2007 and amended in April 2009 (U. S. Geological Survey, 2007b), (4) the draft Core Monitoring Plan (U. S. Geological Survey, 2011), (5) the General Science Plan appended to the Environmental Assessment for the Development and Implementation of a Protocol for High-flow Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam (Bureau of Reclamation, 2011a, appendix B), (6) the Research and Monitoring Plan for the Environmental Assessment for Non-Native Fish Control Downstream from Glen Canyon Dam (Bureau of Reclamation, 2011b, appendix B), and (7) the 2011 report of the Desired Future Conditions Ad Hoc Group of the AMWG.