How does the Adaptive Management Program address threatened and endangered species?
A driving force for developing an adaptive management program for the operation of Glen Canyon Dam was a 1978 determination that dam operations were jeopardizing the survival of the endangered humpback chub. Since then, strides have been made to better understand how operation of the dam affects the ecosystem upon which threatened and endangered species rely, and modifying dam operations to accommodate these and other species. Timed, simulated floods have been conducted to transport sediment into Grand Canyon to assist in restoring backwater habitats and regenerate riparian areas. Widely fluctuating daily flow pulses have been reduced to stabilize near-shore habitat. Design and feasibility studies are underway for a selective withdrawal structure on the dam that will allow dam operators to control the temperature and oxygen content of water released into the Colorado River. Experimental removal of non-native fishes near downstream native fish spawning and rearing areas has shown early
