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BIN TITLE:
Management Decision Model for the Upper Missouri River Ecosystem
SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU: Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER:
BOR01CR98
BUREAU CONTACT:
Kip Gjerde, (406)247-7750
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED
COMMUNICATION: A study was initiated in 1996 to
specifically address this information need.
MESC base funds ($169K and 2.1 FTE) were redirected and a study plan
jointly developed with the BOR Billings Area Office. The study plan ARiverine Community Assessment
Component of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Decision Support System (DSS) for
the Upper Missouri River Ecosystem@ was peer reviewed and signed in May
1996. This study has been extended to
September 30, 2000 to allow for the completed analysis of spatial distribution
data for endemic species and incorporation into the DSS. USGS funding for this study is matched by
$140K funding by BOR. Coordination and study protocol integration is ongoing
with the COE funded benthic fishes studies being conducted by the consortium of
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Units and State Department of Fish and Game on
the Missouri River. BOR, COE, and BRD
have collectively adopted a common data collection strategy to allow for
comparison of native fish community composition and habitat characteristics
throughout the entire mainstem Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. In September 1999, an preliminary version of
the Upper Missouri DSS was presented to BOR.
The DSS software and documentation were transferred to Billings Area
Office personnel for integration into BOR=s Upper Missouri River system
operations. As final analysis of
endemic species data is obtained, the benthic fish component will be updated.
In 1996, a second MESC work unit AEffects of
Exotic Species Invasion and Flow Alteration on Western Riparian Ecosystems@ was formed to
address a set of riparian-related Bureau Information Needs by redirecting the
effort of a previous work unit that had been focused on collaborative studies
with land and water management clients on Department of the Interior lands. Current collaborations within this study
include: initiation of a long-term monitoring of factors determining cottonwood
establishment along the Wild and Scenic Reach of the Upper Missouri River,
Montana. This involves seedling
monitoring in a series of paired grazing exclosures and controls to identify
the relative importance of hydrology, geomorphic change, and grazing in
limiting cottonwood seedling germination and survival. BLM is maintaining grazing exclosures under
an Interagency Agreement with MESC because of their concerns about grazing
management and Federal Reserved Water Rights.
FWS has contributed fiscal and field resources because of concerns about
upstream water management associated with FERC relicense activities.
These studies will provide
information on resource responses to managed river flows and be directly input
to the BOR Decision Support System.
DATE SUBMITTED: 31 January 2000
PREPARED BY:
Ken Bovee, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins, CO;
(970)226-9230; ken_bovee@usgs.gov_
BIN TITLE: Ecology
of Western River Reservoirs (1999)
Characterizing Bureau of Reclamation
Reservoirs (2000)
SUBMITTING
BUREAU: Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER:
BOR01CR99 and BOR02CR00
BUREAU CONTACT:
Chris Holdren, (303)445-2178
RESULTS OF
BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: A Reservoir Ecology
Appraisement Workshop was held in Denver, Colorado on March 25, 1999.
Approximately 38 Bureau of Reclamation staff attended the workshop. Based on exit questionnaires, the workshop
was a success and future workshops were desired by the participants. Another workshop entitled A2nd
Annual Reservoir Ecology Workshop - Building Links Between Research and
Resource Management@ is planned for March 15-17, 2000 in Las Vegas, NV. The 2000 workshop is cost-shared with Bureau
of Reclamation providing the funding for a short course on Enhancing
Reservoir and Tailwater Water Quality taught by Mr. Steve Ashby and Dr.
Stephen Wilhelms of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) Waterways Experiment
Station in Vicksburg, MS. In addition
to course materials, COE is providing copies of their decision support system
software that the training course is based upon. BRD is providing the costs of
the meeting rooms and audio/visual needs for the workshop. Because training is being offered as part of
the workshop, attendance will be limited to 50 Bureau of Reclamation
employees. A number of USGS staff are
attending as invited presenters at the request of BOR BIN coordinators in each
of the 5 Bureau of Reclamation regions.
DATE SUBMITTED TO
REGIONAL OFFICE: 23 February 2000
PREPARED BY: Sharon Campbell, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center -
Denver Office, Denver, CO; (970)226-9331; Sharon_G_Campbell@usgs.gov
BIN TITLE: Constructed Wetlands to Improve Water Quality and Ecological
Values
SUBMITTING
PARTNER BUREAU: Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER:
BOR02CR99
BUREAU
CONTACT: Richard A. Roline, (303)445-2213;
rroline@do.usbr.gov
Both
Thullen and Sartoris are duty-stationed with the Bureau of Reclamation at the
Technical Service Center in Denver, Colorado.
Over the course of the year both USGS researchers provided technical
assistance and advice as a part of their routine duties. Thullen provided technical advice on wetland
plants and planting technology for the Brawley Wetlands in southern California,
the Zuni Wetlands in Arizona, and the proposed Las Vegas Wash Wetlands
Restoration in southern Nevada.
Sartoris provides technical assistance on the water quality monitoring
of Las Vegas Wash on a continuing basis.
PREPARED
BY: James J. Sartoris, Midcontinent Ecological
Science Center - Denver Office, Denver, CO; (303)445-2230;
jsartoris@do.usbr.gov
BIN TITLE: Riparian
Ecology of Western Rivers Affected by Reclamation Operations
SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU:
Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER:
BOR03CR99
BUREAU CONTACT:
S. Mark Nelson, (303)445-2225; mnelson@do.usbr.gov
RESULTS OF USGS-INITIATED
COMMUNICATION: Doug Andersen (along with Mark
Nelson and Rick Wydoski, US Bureau of Reclamation) met with Dick Gilbert,
Manager, and Kathy Blair, refuge ecologist, of the Bill Williams National
Wildlife Refuge on 12 March 1999 to discuss ongoing research activities and
refuge information needs.
Doug Andersen (along with Dr. David
Cooper, Colorado State University) met with Steve Petersburg, Natural Resources
Specialist, and Tamara Nauman, Botanist, Dinosaur National Monument, plus 4 BLM
staff and 3 Utah State DOW staff out of Vernal, UT office, on 12 April 1999
concerning past, ongoing, and planned activities along the riparian corridors
of the Green and Yampa Rivers.
Discussion with NPS staff included learning of their information needs
and how they might be addressed.
Doug Andersen (along with David
Cooper) met with Mike Bryant, Manager, Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge on
13 April 1999, to discuss ongoing and planned research and information
needs. Several other less formal
meetings with Mike Bryant occurred during periodic visits to the refuge for field
work during May to September 1999.
Doug Andersen (along with David
Cooper) met with US Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office
personnel in a meeting hosted by BOR in Salt Lake City, Utah, 23 April
1999. Past, ongoing, and future research
activities related to the comparative riparian ecology of the Green and Yampa
Rivers were presented and discussed.
BOR participants included Chris Karas (Chief of Environmental Resources
Group), Karen Barnett (general biologist), and Randy Peterson (Division Chief,
Adaptive Management Group/Environmental Resources Group). Several other BOR staff, as well as an Army
Corps of Engineer staff member Mike Shwinn, also attended. Discussion revolved around information needs
related to the Flaming Gorge EIS and other focal areas.
Doug Andersen (along with David
Cooper) met with Bureau of Land Management, Grand Staircase - Escalante
National Monument biologist Dennis Pope on 25 May 1999 in Cedar City,
Utah. The meeting followed a site visit
to several riparian areas along the Escalante River within the monument. Discussions revolved around monument
research needs and the capabilities for new research that would dovetail with
existing efforts underway in the comparative riparian studies along the Green
and Yampa Rivers. Dan Binkley, Colorado
State University soil scientist, as well as other BLM personnel attended the
meeting.
Doug Andersen interacts on a regular
and continuing basis with S. Mark Nelson, Rick Roline, and other research
biologists and biological research administrators within the US Bureau of
Reclamation, Environmental Resources Group, Denver Technical Center. These individuals are among those
responsible for developing BINs for the Bureau of Reclamation.
The outcome of communications
regarding BIN BOR03CR99 has been the decision to continue the set of integrated
studies, originally intended to be long-term, of (1) riparian plant vigor and
population dynamics, and (2) riparian plant-herbivore-hydrology interactions
downstream of BOR dams. The approach
continues to be comparative, examining aspects of the ecology of comparable
reaches of regulated and unregulated rivers.
The focal plant species continues to be Fremont cottonwood, but
herbaceous species are also being considered, especially as they affect mammal
distribution and abundance. The focal
herbivores continue to be mammals and the cottonwood leaf beetle. Work to elucidate basic riparian nutrient
dynamics, focusing on nitrogen dynamics, and the roles of herbivores and
hydrology in those dynamics is continuing.
Three manuscripts presenting results from the research were published in
scientific journals during 1999, one was accepted for publication, and two
others were submitted to refereed journals.
DATE SUBMITTED:
29 February 2000
PREPARED BY:
Doug Andersen, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center - Denver Office,
Denver, CO; (303)445-2209; dandersen@do.usbr.gov_
BIN TITLE: Limnological Studies of Northern
California=s Multi-Basin Reservoir Complex
SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU: Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER: BOR04CR99
BUREAU CONTACT: Michael J. Horn, (303)445-2203; Mhorn@do.usbr.gov;
Burford Holt, (530)275-1554;
BHolt@do.usbr.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION:
Much of the described work is being funded by Bureau of Reclamation and
Fish and Wildlife Service for FY2000 and addresses this BIN. Communication
between client agencies has been ongoing. A new MESC study plan initiated for
FY2000 addresses effects of changing dam operations on western reservoir and
downstream tailwater ecology. The work described in the above study plan will
build upon research completed for evaluating effects of a temperature control
device (TCD) on Shasta Lake to now address the effects of raising Shasta Dam.
Shasta Lake and the upper Sacramento river are included in this. Results from Shasta temperature control
device research will be used to evaluate a TCD proposed for the outlet of
Trinity Lake, if such work is warranted for a feasibility study conducted by
BOR.
DATE SUBMITTED:
1 February 2000
PREPARED BY:
Davine Lieberman, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center - Denver,
Office, Denver, CO, (303)445-2223; dlieberman@ibr8gw80.usbr.gov
BIN TITLE: Pelagic Mapping of
Aquatic Communities
BIN NUMBER: BOR05CR99
SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU: Bureau of Reclamation
BUREAU CONTACT: Chris Holdren,
(303)445-2178
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: A field effort was conducted during the spring of 1999 to
map hydraulic conditions, water quality parameters, and the pelagic fish and
plankton community in a portion of Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona. The survey focused on Las Vegas Bay, an arm
of Boulder Basin that receives treated waste water from the metropolitan area
of Las Vegas, Nevada. A team of BOR
and USGS researchers coordinated sampling that
examined density current profiles, water quality profiles, bathymetry,
plankton, and fish densities and distribution.
USGS collected dual beam acoustical data measuring bathymetry,
plankton and fish populations. However, due to recent funding cutbacks, neither
the funding nor manpower is available to analyze or present the data at this
time. Replacement funding options to
complete the data analysis and reporting are being discussed with BOR and other
partners.
DATE SUBMITTED: 29 February 2000
PREPARED BY: Gordon Mueller, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center - Denver Office; (303) 445-2218;
SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU:
Bureau of Reclamation
BIN NUMBER:
BOR06CR99
BUREAU CONTACT:
Chris Holdren, (303)445-2178
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED
COMMUNICATION: A final report presenting the findings of
the spectral imagery work was finalized (Experiments in In Situ Fish
Recognition Using Fish Spectral and Spatial Signatures/Open File Report 99-104)
and distributed. However, further
testing and field applications are not expected in the near future due to
limited funding.
Telemetry studies were conducted
examining the behavior of the endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)
in and around water control structures in the Lower Colorado River. BOR funded the study to determine if
razorback suckers were subject to entrainment or passage. The study was
conducted as a joint project with Dr. Paul Marsh from Arizona State
University. Results suggest that
stocked fish are more prone to passage during summer months. A report is currently being written and the
information is being passed along to other BOR offices.
DATE SUBMITTED:
29 February 2000
PREPARED BY:
Gordon Mueller, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center - Denver Office;
(303) 445-2218; gmueller@
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/99BORMESCBIN.htm
Page Contact Information:
tlwilliams@usgs.gov
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