Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

“The Colorado River Management Plan is primarily a visitor use management plan that specifies actions to conserve park resources and visitor experience while enhancing recreational opportunities on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park”

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Proposed Wilderness: 1.1 million acres

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Colorado River Use: exploration to recreation

1938: First Commercial Trip 1955: Military Surplus Rafts + Outboard Motors

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

Visitors

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

TOTAL USE

Commercial use Non-commercial use

Recreational Use 1960 - 2002

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

1970s Comprehensive Research Program: 1970s Comprehensive Research Program: Ecological & Visitor Use Studies Ecological & Visitor Use Studies 1979 CRMP 1979 CRMP established capacity & adopts a established capacity & adopts a launch launch-

• based system

based system Glen Canyon Dam Studies Glen Canyon Dam Studies NPS monitoring: campsite condition, visitor NPS monitoring: campsite condition, visitor experience, archeological sites experience, archeological sites 1998 visitor use study 1998 visitor use study Campsite Inventories Campsite Inventories 2006 CRMP 2006 CRMP established capacity & adopts a established capacity & adopts a launch launch-

• based system

based system

Research, Social Science, Monitoring & Planning Research, Social Science, Monitoring & Planning

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Z o n e 1 ( Lees Fer r y - D iam on d Cr eek ) :

• Pr im it iv e

Z o n e 2 ( D iam on d Cr eek – RM 2 6 0 :

• Pr im it iv e t o sem i- p r im it iv e

Z on e 4 ( RM 2 7 7 – Lak e Mead )

• Ru r al- n at u r al t o u r b an

Z o n e 3 ( RM 2 6 0 – RM 2 7 7 GRCA/ LAM E b ou n d ar y ) :

• Ru r al- n at u r al

Provide a range of opportunities and experiences

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Temporal Recreation Opportunity Spectrum

Summer: May – August Higher use density: 5-6 launches/day 16-day trip ** 32 people Mixed use Motor & Nonmotorized trips Shoulder: March – April and Sept - October Low-Moderate use: 2-3 launches/day 21-day trip ** 24 people Mixed use: 1 ½ months + No-motors: 2 ½ months Winter: Jan-February and Nov-December Low use: 1 launch/day 25-day max. ** 16 people/trip ** No-motors Solitary Social

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Glen Canyon Dam operations Glen Canyon Dam operations

Power Generation Power Generation Effects on Downstream Resources Effects on Downstream Resources Sediment starved Sediment starved – – beaches beaches Water Temps Water Temps – – native fishes native fishes Riparian vegetation Riparian vegetation The Monster The Monster

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Weeden, 1974 NPS, 2006

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

2006 CRMP Framework

• Number, size, distribution of beaches
• Resource conditions
• Social conditions and wilderness

experience variables including on-river, campsite, and attraction site encounters

1952 1995

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

How many? Where? What size?

1952 1995

Campsite Quantity and Quality

What is the physical capacity of the river corridor? How does this affect visitor experience? Campsite competition Near attractions Opportunities for solitude?

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Camping Beaches: How Many and How Big?

58 97 176 333 114 324 438 45 93 88 226

Small camps <12 people Medium camps 13-24 people Large camps >24 people Total 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Number of camps (Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek) 1973 1983 1991

No data

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Camping Beaches: Where are they?

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230

0.5 1 1.5 2 Camps per mile

All primary + secondary camps Large & medium primary camps L i t t l e C

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d C r e e k 2 2 6 E l v e s C h a s m 1 1 6 P h a n t

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Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Use measures: what is meaningful?

What + When + Where Units: people, trips, flights, userdays Timing: at one time, per day, week… Location: zone 1, specific sites, etc Why Measure effects on visitor experience: campsite competition, crowding, encounters

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Trips at One Time (TAOT): number of launches + trip duration

(effects: encounters, campsite competition)

Daily launches: the type & number

• f trips entering the system

People at One Time (PAOT): launches + trip duration + group size

(effects: encounters, campsite competition, vegetation trampling, arch site disturbance)

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

The supply and distribution of camping beaches (campsite inventories) Visitor use patterns & preferences

• data from visitor use studies

trip logs, encounter data

• NPS monitoring programs

Trips at One Time (TAOT)

“60”

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Use Measurements & Variables Use Measurements & Variables

Old Plan (1989) New Plan (2006)

Daily Launches 166 people/day – summer

(4-9 trips/day)

52 people/day – all other 5-6 trips/day – summer 2-4 trips/day – shoulder 1 trips/day - winter Group Size Commercial Noncommercial 36 passengers + guides 16 people 32 includes guides – summer 24 includes guides – shoulder 16 people + small 8 person trip Trip Length 18 summer 18-21 shoulder 30 winter 10-16 summer (motors/oars) 21 shoulder 25 winter TAOT 70 60

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Launch Limits: Daily & Seasonal

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr 1-15 Apr 16- 30 May Jun Jul Aug Sep 1-15 Sep 16- 30 Oct Nov Dec Month Launches Non-commercial (small) Non-commercial (std) Commercial oar Commercial motor 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr 1-15 Apr 16- 30 May Jun Jul Aug Sep 1-15 Sep 16- 30 Oct Nov Dec Month Launches Non-commercial (small) Non-commercial (std) Commercial Oar Commercial motor

1988 - 2006 2007 - 2016

Max # trips/day

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

How do river users affect park resources in the Colorado River Corridor?

(Stressors)

Resources Monitoring Program Resources Monitoring Program

Effects Resource Damage Site Disturbance Quality Degradation Crowding & Congestion Natural Resources Soils Water Quality Wildlife Vegetation Air Quality Wilderness Character Cultural Resources Historic Sites Prehistoric Sites Traditional Cultural Properties Visitor Experience Recreation Quality Range of Services

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Monitoring Campsite Condition

Mapping “campable” area Documenting impacts – social trails, barren core areas in desert zone Tool for planning rehabilitation

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Resource Conservation Program Resource Conservation Program

Projects/site treatments are determined through monitoring programs Impacts include: campsite proliferation in OHWZ, social trailing, vegetation damage, trail erosion, archeological site damage, etc. Treatments include: trail delineation & repair, revegetation of social trails and OHWZ campsites, archeological site mitigations, etc.

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Resource Monitoring Programs Resource Monitoring Programs

Visitor Experience Monitoring Program

Quality of visitor experience (temporal & spatial) On site impacts: River encounters, Attraction site encounters, campsite competition, passenger exchange locations (PHA/WHI), launch/take-out congestion, safety Off-site impacts: permit system, use statistics, etc. Develop new baseline conditions for new CRMP Help determine management actions needed to address unacceptable social conditions

Colorado River Management Plan

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park

Enough scouting boys, let’s run the gut. Any Questions? Yeah, where’d you get that hat Georgie? I’m Scared