U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan 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”
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Proposed Wilderness: 1.1 million acres
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Colorado River Use: exploration to recreation 1938: First Commercial Trip 1955: Military Surplus Rafts + Outboard Motors
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Recreational Use 1960 - 2002 30,000 25,000 TOTAL USE 20,000 Visitors Commercial use 15,000 10,000 Non-commercial use 5,000 0 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Research, Social Science, Monitoring & Planning Research, Social Science, Monitoring & Planning 1970s Comprehensive Research Program: 1970s Comprehensive Research Program: Ecological & Visitor Use Studies Ecological & Visitor Use Studies 1979 CRMP established capacity & adopts a established capacity & adopts a 1979 CRMP launch- -based system based system launch 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 established capacity & adopts a established capacity & adopts a 2006 CRMP launch- -based system based system launch
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Provide a range of opportunities Z o n e 1 ( Lees Fer r y - and experiences 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 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 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
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Temporal Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Social 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 Solitary 25-day max. ** 16 people/trip ** No-motors
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park The Monster The Monster Glen Canyon Dam operations Glen Canyon Dam operations Power Generation Power Generation Effects on Downstream Resources Effects on Downstream Resources Sediment starved – – beaches beaches Sediment starved Water Temps – – native fishes native fishes Water Temps Riparian vegetation Riparian vegetation
Weeden, 1974 NPS, 2006 U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park 2006 CRMP Framework 1952 • Number, size, distribution of beaches • Resource conditions 1995 • Social conditions and wilderness experience variables including on-river, campsite, and attraction site encounters
Campsite Quantity and Quality U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park 1952 What is the physical capacity of the river corridor? How many? Where? What size? How does this affect visitor 1995 experience? Campsite competition Near attractions Opportunities for solitude?
Camping Beaches: How Many and How Big? U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park 58 1973 Small camps No data 0 <12 people 1983 45 1991 97 Medium camps 114 13-24 people 93 176 Large camps 324 >24 people 88 333 Total 438 226 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Number of camps (Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek)
Camping Beaches: Where are they? U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Camps per mile 2 Large & medium primary camps All primary + secondary camps 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 1 8 6 6 9 6 3 8 6 7 7 5 6 2 3 7 8 9 1 3 5 7 8 1 2 7 1 1 1 1 1 2 m l 1 o k l a k l e m k u s e c a d o l t c e l r e s i s w l o a t s s o n e e a a n y R r a s m r d a r F o r v a h o C C e C H a e l h t C F a o R H i d s P r v h C e u s n a W e o e L o e D v H l m t l t E a i L i D
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan 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
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Daily launches : the type & number of trips entering the system Trips at One Time (TAOT): number of launches + trip duration (effects: encounters, campsite competition) People at One Time (PAOT): launches + trip duration + group size (effects: encounters, campsite competition, vegetation trampling, arch site disturbance)
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Trips at One Time (TAOT) 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 “60”
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan 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 5-6 trips/day – summer 2-4 trips/day – shoulder (4-9 trips/day) 52 people/day – all other 1 trips/day - winter Group Size 32 includes guides – summer Commercial 36 passengers + guides 24 includes guides – shoulder Noncommercial 16 people 16 people + small 8 person trip Trip Length 18 summer 10-16 summer (motors/oars) 18-21 shoulder 21 shoulder 30 winter 25 winter TAOT 70 60
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Launch Limits: 9.0 Non-commercial (small) 8.0 Non-commercial (std) Commercial oar 7.0 Commercial motor Daily & Seasonal 6.0 Launches 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1988 - 2006 1.0 0.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Sep Oct Nov Dec 1-15 16- 1-15 16- 9.0 Non-commercial (small) 30 30 Non-commercial (std) Month 8.0 Commercial Oar Commercial motor 7.0 6.0 Launches 5.0 4.0 3.0 2007 - 2016 2.0 1.0 0.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Sep Oct Nov Dec 1-15 16- 1-15 16- 30 30 Max # trips/day Month
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Resources Monitoring Program Resources Monitoring Program How do river users affect park resources in the Colorado River Corridor? (Stressors) Natural Resources Cultural Resources Soils Historic Sites Effects Water Quality Prehistoric Sites Resource Damage Wildlife Traditional Cultural Site Disturbance Vegetation Properties Quality Degradation Air Quality Crowding & Congestion Visitor Experience Wilderness Character Recreation Quality Range of Services
U.S. Department of the Interior Monitoring Campsite Condition Colorado River Management Plan National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Mapping “campable” area Documenting impacts – social trails, barren core areas in desert zone Tool for planning rehabilitation
U.S. Department of the Interior Colorado River Management Plan 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.
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