Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG)

The Adaptive Management Work Group is a Federal Advisory Committee that includes representatives from the stakeholder tribes, organizations, and institutions listed below. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the Adaptive Management Work Group members. Responsibilities of the Adaptive Management Work Group as delineated in the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement (Reclamation 1995:36) are: Provides the framework for Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program policy, goals, direction, and priorities; Develops recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior for modifying operating criteria and other resource management actions, policies, or procedures; Facilitates coordination and input from interested parties; Reviews and forwards the annual report to the Secretary of the Interior and his/her designee on current and projected year operations; Reviews and forwards annual budget proposals; and Ensures coordination of operating criteria changes in the Annual Operating Plan for Colorado River Reservoirs and other ongoing activities. Note that “dam operations” refers to the operation of the power plant and other release structures, such as bypass structures, spillways, and, potentially, a temperature control device, among others. Their uses conform to applicable law. The Adaptive Management Work Group develops recommendations for all of the dam’s structures to further the purposes of the Grand Canyon Protection Act, the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement, and Record of Decision. This is done within the limits of the Record of Decision and through experimentation.

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Members Representatives from the following tribes, organizations, or interest groups are presently included in the Adaptive Management Work Group: Arizona Department of Water Resources Arizona Game and Fish Department Bureau of Reclamation Bureau of Indian Affairs Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Commission of Nevada Colorado River Energy Distributors Association Colorado Water Conservation Board Grand Canyon River Guides Grand Canyon Trust Hopi Tribe Hualapai Tribe National Park Service Navajo Nation New Mexico State Engineer’s Office Pueblo of Zuni Southern Paiute Consortium Southwest Rivers Trout Unlimited U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems Utah Division of Water Resources Western Area Power Administration Wyoming Interstate Streams Engineer [1] History In order to comply with the consultation requirement of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992, the 1996 EIS recommended formation of a federal advisory committee. The Transition Work Group was formed to operate until such time as a federal advisory committee could be formed, and a record of decision (ROD) signed by the Secretary of the Interior to initiate a process of "management" (operating criteria for unbiased scientific research and data collection) whereby the effects of dam operations on downstream resources would be assessed. Meetings were held with representatives from the cooperating agencies and public interest groups who provided comments on the criteria for development of reasonable alternatives for the EIS. The transition group worked on a variety of issues including a long-term monitoring and research program to ensure Glen Canyon Dam is operated in a manner consistent with protecting the downstream environment as well as implementation and management of operations and monitoring in consultation with broad-based interests. The ROD was signed by the Secretary of Interior in October 1996, and in January 1997, Interior Secretary Babbitt signed a Notice of Establishment of the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), a federal advisory committee. The charter of this group was signed on January 15, 1997. All of the elements are now in place for an effective, credible adaptive management effort. The AMWG is the key; the TWG providing detailed guidance on issues and objectives; the Science Center to conduct the research and monitoring needed to evaluate operations; and the independent review panel, the outside review necessary to provide the credible science. The AMWG continues public involvement in the decision-making process and incorporates those stakeholders with interest in the operation of Glen Canyon Dam and downstream resources. By blending the best science and management practices, the AMWG makes recommendations to the Secretary on how to protect the resources and meet the requirement of the law. The Adaptive Management Program is administered through a senior Department of the Interior official (designee) and facilitated through the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), which is organized as a federal advisory committee and chaired by the designee. 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. [2]

Links Reclamation AMWG page Projects AMWG Charter (2017) AMWG Operating Procedures (2016) AMWG Charter (2015) AMWG Operating Procedures (2011) Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group Charter (2010) Presentations and Papers 2009 Motions and Votes from the last AMWG Meeting (August 12-13, 2009) Letter from the Seven Colorado River Basin States Representatives to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group dated 2/23/09, Subj: Decision Making Process Associated with the Glen Canyon Dam Operations and GCAMP Other Stuff