Scientists also hoped the steady low river
flows, combined with two dramatic increased releases, would improve habitat and spawning
conditions for native fish and displace non-native trout that prey on them.
Research released today says endangered native fish are
losing more ground from predation by a skyrocketing trout population than from dam
operations and that the experiment cost power companies millions of dollars and resulted
in a rash of whitewater river rafting mishaps and lost revenue to angling businesses.
At a Glen Canyon Monitoring and Research Center symposium
being held in Flagstaff this week, researchers presented studies on the effect of low
flows on fish, sand distribution, power production and recreation.
"What our data suggest is that we have to go back and
rethink how the dam should be operated and what other management actions we need to
take," said Barry D. Gold, chief of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.
The data presented at the session found:
- Water temperatures increased and remained high during the
experiment, nearly doubling as compared to high, steady flows from the dam.
- Native fishes such as the endangered humpback chub did not
respond with increased reproduction and population expansion.
- Non-native fish, such as trout, may be damaging endangered
native fish more than current dam operations.
- Native and exotic plants along test sites showed a small
but significant increase in densities.
- Sand distribution along the river was not dramatically
changed by the flows, but could be improved if so-called spike flows were coordinated with
seasonal sand discharges from tributaries.
April 02, 2001 North Rim Opening Soon!
The North Rim of Grand Canyon, which is closed each winter
due to snowfall, will be opened to the public beginning Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 a.m. TW
Recreational Services, Inc. a company of Amfac Resorts, and Grand Canyon Trail Rides
will also commence their season operations on May 12th, continuing through October 15th,
2001. TW operations include lodging, camper services, food services, groceries and a
service station. The first meal served in the Grand Canyon Lodge dining room will be
breakfast on May 12th.
All services provided by the National Park Service including
visitor information, backcountry permit reservations, campground and ranger programs will
be available on May 12th as well.
Advance overnight lodging reservations for North Rim
facilities may be made by contacting Amfac reservations in Denver at (303) 297-2757.
Advance reservations for the North Rim Campground must be made through Biospherics, Inc.,
and can be made up to five months in advance by calling 1(800) 365-2267. Callers from
outside of the United States must call (301) 722-1257.
National Park Service crews are currently clearing snow
packed roads on the North Rim, however, due to the heavy amount of snow fall this year on
the North Rim, all scenic routes and overlooks may not be open on May 12th, but will open
as soon as they are cleared.
The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, operated by the U.S.D.A.
Forest Service will also open on May 12th. The center is located on Highway 67 near Jacob
Lake (approximately 45 miles from the North Rim) and will be open seven days a week from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The North Rim lies at the south end of the Kaibab Plateau at
approximately 8,500 feet elevation, and is approximately a 215-mile drive from the South
Rim. Points of interest include; Bright Angel Point, North Kaibab Trail, Point Imperial,
Cape Royal and Point Sublime.
March 31, 2001 Northern Lights Visable at the
Canyon!
Friday night there was a magnificient display of the Nothern
Lights visible from most of the US. Reports have come as far south at southern New Mexico,
and cnn.com mentioned that the display was visible in Flagstaff, AZ. Did you see them?
They should continue for a few more nights!
March 29, 2001 Harvey's Birthday!
Dear Grand Canyon Enthusiast,
J. Harvey Butchart will be celebrating his
94th birthday on Thursday, May 10th. Representatives from the Grand
Canyon Pioneers Society, Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association, Grand
Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association and the National Park Service, Grand Canyon
National Park planned to honor Dr. Butchart during a lunchtime gathering.
Harvey recently asked the committee to
cancel the birthday celebration because he didn’t feel he was healthy enough to
participate.
The Birthday Committee would like to present
Harvey with a booklet containing written comments from his many hiking friends. These
comments can be in the form of tributes, letters of appreciation or simply well wishes.
You don't even have to be a close friend or even an acquaintance of
his to contribute. If his writings, exploits or whatever have inspired you, just say
so. Mention a place you have visited in the Grand Canyon as a result of knowing Harvey or
from reading about his adventures.
Please send your written contributions to
the committee by April 26th. We will then compile and print them in an easy to read font
and print size. Harvey would greatly appreciate a gift of this sort and extra copies
can be made available to those who request them.
Wayne Tomasi has offered to compile these
contributions. You can either email your birthday note to Wayne Tomasi at wtomasi@qwest.net or mail them to him at 707 E.
Encanto Dr. Tempe, Arizona 85281.
Sincerely,
Mike Coltrin
birthday committee chairman
March 28, 2001 Wild Condor Lays an Egg
By Foster Klug, Associated Press Writer
A California condor laid an egg in the wild for the first time since scientists began
rearing, breeding and releasing the endangered birds in 1986.
The egg, found Sunday in a cave on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, was
cracked and nothing will hatch from it, but scientists called the discovery a major
success in the condor release program.
``This tells us that captured birds released to the wild can lay an egg,'' said Jeff
Humphrey, Arizona's condor reintroduction coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. ``It's a significant benchmark.''
The condor, a vulture-like scavenger, disappeared outside of California by 1924 and was
listed as endangered in 1967. The 6-year-old female that laid the egg was hatched in the
San Diego Wild Animal Park. It was released in 1997 at the Vermillion Cliffs, 30 miles
north of Grand Canyon National Park.
``We're terribly excited about this,'' said Maureen Oltrogge, a spokeswoman for Grand
Canyon National Park. ``It's the reward for a lot of hard work over the years.''
There are 160 endangered condors left in the world, with 25 living in the wild in Arizona.
Scientists hope eventually to have a population of 150 condors in the Arizona wilderness,
as well as boost the population along California's mountainous northern coast and in
captivity.
Scientists are eager to retrieve and study the egg, but are waiting to see if another pair
of condors in the area will breed.
``The birds in the wild now are trying to learn how to do this on their own,'' Humphrey
said. ``They don't have a frame of reference where they've seen other birds do it
before.''
March 27, 2001 Air Flight Moved West!
Associated Press
The government issued new routes Monday for air tour
operators over the Grand Canyon, moving some flights between the South Rim and Las Vegas
away from areas heavily used by Indians and hikers.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was moving current flight paths over the
Canyon's central portions, including the Havasupai Indian Reservation, toward the western
end of the park and closer to Las Vegas. The change angered industry operators.
The new routes go into effect on April 19.
Safety over the Grand Canyon became an issue after a helicopter and tour plane collided in
June 1986, killing 25 people instantly.
"That's really good news for the Havasupai and the central part of the Grand Canyon,
where lots of people go to visit the backcountry," said Rob Smith, the Sierra Club's
Southwest regional representative in Phoenix. What's
disappointing is they didn't address changes in the eastern part of the park."
A 1987 federal law sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., required
the government to restore natural quiet to the Canyon.The Department of Interior's
recommendations that year called for flight-free zones.
March 25, 2001 John Riffey Memorial Tall Tale Rendezvous.
John Riffey touched the lives of many, many people. We discovered
this
before we had even set foot at Tuweep, and it has become even
more
obvious in our nearly four years at the Tuweep Ranger Station.
Every
month we encounter stories that expand on his epitaph of
"good
samaritan, gentle friend", and most especially "teller
of tall tales".
John Riffey's dedication to his job and love of Grand
Canyon's
resources are characteristics that many of us, both within and
outside
the National Park Service, strive to achieve. John's
devotion to his
life's work could be considered a model for today's and future
generations of natural resource stewards.
We've taken on the task of gathering and recording the tales
about
John Riffey, before they are forever lost. For this reason
we are
holding the first ever John Riffey Memorial Tall Tale Rendezvous.
It
will be held Saturday, April 21, 2001 at the Tuweep Ranger
Station.
There will be an informal potluck at 1:00. We are trying to
contact
as many people as possible who knew and loved John Riffey; his
"grandchildren" and "nieces and nephews", his
family and peers. Our
end goal is to record the memories that all of you hold in your
hearts, but also we want to bring together the people for a day
of
laughter and reminiscing, to share in the experiences and
camaraderie
of John Riffey's friends.
If you know of people who should be invited, please let us know,
or
feel free to contact them yourselves and let them know of our
reunion.
This gathering is open to any and all; a personal
invitation is not
required. We appreciate your responses even if you cannot attend.
Think about those tales! Whether it be racing slicks, mud
grips, and
flannel cakes; Pogo's antics both above and below the rim;
heroics or
misdeeds; John's unique vocabulary, the ladies' bower showers and
the
Hyatt Regency; the really wonderful times, and the sad and
serious
stories too - we want to capture them all.
We hope you can join us for our day of sharing, but if you can't,
we
welcome any anecdotes you can write down and send to us. If
they
arrive before the rendezvous, we will gladly share them with all
who
attend.
Sincerely,
Liz & Clair Roberts
Tuweep Ranger Station
Grand Canyon National Park
clair_roberts@nps.gov
February 28, 2001 Glen Canyon Dam Releases!
Releases from Glen Canyon Dam for the month of February have
averaged
11,700 cubic feet per second (cfs), with a total of 650,000 acre-feet
scheduled to be released during the month. A total of 650,000 acre-feet
will again be released in March. Releases in March will average about
10,600 cfs. On weekdays during March, daily fluctuations due to load
following will vary between a low of about 7,500 cfs (during late
evening and early morning off-peak hours) to a high of about 13,500 cfs
(during late afternoon and early evening on-peak hours). On weekends,
releases will vary between a low of about 7,500 cfs (off-peak hours) to
a high of about 12,750 cfs (on-peak hours) on Saturdays and between
7,500 cfs (off-peak hours) to 12,000 cfs (on-peak hours) on Sundays.
February 28, 2001 Science Symposium Announcement
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), a program of the
U.S. Geological Survey, will convene a science symposium at the Little
America Hotel in Flagstaff, AZ, April 26 and 27, 2001. The symposium will
report on physical, biological, cultural, recreational and economic
resource studies conducted on the Colorado River ecosystem within Glen
Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. In
addition, the results of studies conducted during the low steady summer
flows in 2000, primarily to benefit endangered fish will be presented.
Please consult the GCMRC web site at http://www.gcmrc.gov
for additional
details on the program, lodging, and other logistics as they become
available.
February 22, 2001 Less visitors in the Park!
The number of visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park
declined last year and some say wildfires in the area could have contributed to the
perception that the park was closed or unsafe.
The National Park Service reported that 4,816,559 people
entered the national park in 2000, about 121,000 fewer than the year before. The decline
came after visitation in 1999 posted an 8 percent jump compared with 1998.
High gas prices and a spring and summer of wildfires that
forced the temporary closure of large areas of the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests
due to fire danger are sites as the primary causes.
February 18, 2001 Mountain Lion Seen by former Fred
Harvey Employee?
Rangers took a statement from an off-duty Amfac employee who
reported sighting a mountain lion along East Rim Drive, one-fourth mile past milepost 262.
The mountain lion was reportedly running south from the Canyon.
February 16, 2001 Condors rummage unattended Camps! Watch out!
From the gcpba Newswire
Peregrine Fund Biologist Sophie Osborn relates one such
encounter between river rafters, an unattended fishing camp, and the condors that occurred
on January 10. "Nine of the adults flew to the Colorado River corridor where
they spent several days. Unfortunately, six of them discovered an unattended
campsite at Badger Canyon on January 10, 2001.
Fortunately, the arrival of some boaters distracted condors
158 and 119's play with some camp chairs and caused the birds to flush to a safer
distance. After the boaters' departure, crew member Blake Massey (who was tracking
the birds from the clifftop) watched the birds return to the camp to play with some
garbage left in a fire pit. Although such occurrences have been extremely infrequent
of late, leaving a clean camp is clearly critical in areas visited by condors.
Leaving camps unattended is also a risk in areas patrolled by these overly inquisitive,
visually-oriented scavengers!"
February 15, 2001 Even more snow to Northern Arizona!
The Pacific storm moving through the region lat night and
today has dumped 13 inches of snow on Flagstaff, adding to an already impressive season
total that now measures 89 inches since Oct. 1. The season average for Flagstaff on Feb.
14 is 60.5 inches. Because Flagstaff usually receives its heaviest snowfall in the months
of January, February and March, Flagstaff looks poised to exceed its annual average of a
little more than 100 inches. Skiers heading from Jacob Lake to the North Rim should have
excellent snow conditions!
February 13, 2001 Tamarisk removed at Lee’s
Ferry!!
10 acres of non-native tamarisk trees were cleared from the
banks of the river at Lees Ferry!
This clear-cut gets green approval because its target is a
noxious, exotic shrub that has already invaded a million acres of precious riparian
habitat across the West displacing natural species. Tamarisk, or saltcedar, has
reddish-brown bark, light green feathery leaves and tiny pink flowers. Its thick roots
suck up water and as it grows it pushes out native willows, cottonwoods and plants.
Cottonwoods and other native trees growing on Colorado River
terraces provide food and nesting opportunities to birds and raptors. Once the tamarisk is
completely gone, roots and all, more than a thousand native plants and trees such as
hackberry, cottonwoods and willows will be established on the river terrace by Flagstaff
Native Plant and Seed.
Tamarisk is an Eurasian species planted by settlers in the
late 1800s as an ornamental, windbreak and shade tree. This drought and salt tolerant
shrubby tree grows in impenetrable clumps near water sources, choking out native trees and
plants. It has little wildlife habitat value.
Kelly Burke, director of the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council,
said the project is a good example of the group's mission of "saving the pieces and
healing the wounds" of the Colorado Plateau ecology. "We're looking at the Grand
Canyon eco-region as a whole and ... at species that are missing and at endangered
habitat," said Burke .
The Council is also interested in promoting biodiversity by
linking refuges, national parks and the two new Arizona Strip national monuments with
wildlife movement corridors. The group is committed to helping the Bureau of Land
Management as it develops a master plan for the new Grand Canyon-Parashant and Paria
National Monuments. The benefit to wildlife, especially birds, will be significant as
cottonwoods and willows begin reaching for the sky during the next two years. Burke said
cottonwoods can grow as much as 10 or more feet a year.
Tamarisk has a compact canopy that is not inviting for
nesting birds. When the cottonwoods and other native trees take hold, we can expects the
arrival of warblers, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrow hawks and other species. By the end
of next summer there should be cottonwoods five to 10-feet tall.
The 10-acre restoration will also help establish native
plants downstream.
Right now as the 10-acre parcel is deforested it may look
bare, but the planting of native trees and plants will begin this March. The whole area
was ravaged by fire in 1987, but fire doesn't kill tamarisk because its roots are deep.
February 09, 2001 Message from GCHBA
President!
A GCHBA service project is set at Indian Garden. The project
will be
Thursday through Saturday March 29th to 31st 2001.
Duties will be:
Painting, pruning, picnic table repair, trail work including - hauling
dirt, water bar building, lining trails, planting cactus.
There is still room for a few more volunteers. Let me know if you are
interested in volunteering as I need to make the proper reservations.
Since several of us will be at the Canyon already there will be a regular
meeting of the GCHBA board of directors on Sunday, April 1st 2001 at the
South Rim. The meeting will be at 10:00 am in the Rec Center art room. All
members are welcome to attend the board meeting.
Mike Coltrin
GCHBA president
coltrin@azstarnet.com
February 02, 2001 Skies clear after more than two weeks!
The first big snow hit on January 12, 2001, then a couple
more storms over the next two weeks. It's cold! Last night it was minus 5 degrees F on the
South Rim! The trails have snow and ice in the shade down a couple of miles on the trails
below the Rim!
February 02, 2001 Mather Point open again to cars soon!
The National Park Service will implement changes in traffic patterns at Grand Canyon
National Park to improve visitor access to the new Canyon View Information Plaza. The
changes are expected to go into effect by May 1, 2001.
On October 26, 2001, the National Park Service opened Canyon View Information Plaza a new
visitor transportation/orientation hub. The opening of this facility represented the first
major step in implementing the park's 1995 General Management Plan, a plan that focused on
a new and better way to visit Grand Canyon National Park. It also marked the first of many
changes to come. To help implement the changes, the National Park Service formed a team of
park employees to address pertinent issues and to develop a transition plan. The plan was
developed with input from park staff, community residents, concessioners, local
businesses, tour bus operators, and other cooperators, and with input from a team of
technical experts who developed a traffic study. It was designed with flexibility in mind
and with a goal to make Canyon View Information Plaza accessible and attractive to the
public, while minimizing resource impacts.
Joseph Alston, Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park stated, "When the
National Park Service opened Canyon View Information Plaza a preliminary transition plan
was implemented that called for several changes in traffic and pedestrian patterns,
visiter information, signing, shuttle bus routes and stops, and a temporary signal light
on South Entrance Road. The changes were necessary in order to operate a facility that was
designed around a mass transit system, a system
that is still several years from completion. The opening of the plaza and implementation
of the transition plan, was planned for early fall.
By making these changes when visitation was low, it gave us an opportunity to test and
iron out any wrinkles in the plan. We know visitors are getting to Canyon View Information
Plaza, and by their feed back, we know they are having a good experience. However, we also
know there is a certain amount of visitor confusion with traffic patterns, and there is a
desire for an "immediate" view of the canyon that is not being met. In order to
address these and other issues, changes will need to be made."
"Although these improvements will not cure all the ills of parking and road
congestion at Grand Canyon National Park, we believe it is an effective plan that will get
us through until a mass transit system is in place, said Alston". We appreciate all
of the input we've received, which has helped us in the development of these latest
actions. By working together, we'll be able to enhance access to
Canyon View Information Plaza, improve visitor experience, provide the greatest degree of
resource protection, and still make this a wonderful place to visit and live in."
January 25, 2001 North Rim Projects!
A new water system, renovation of the historic entrance
station and construction of a new visitor center are among the projects being proposed for
Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim. The National Park Service recently released
details of several North Rim projects through a prepared letter from Joe Alston, the new
GCNP superintendent.
One of the biggest projects slated for the North Rim
involves the construction of a visitor services and administration building. The project
would demolish the existing building and construct a larger 2,467 square-foot facility
near the same site.
Besides visitor services and park staff space, the building
would also support the North Rim backcountry permit system and would include a public
restroom. Various building designs are being considered in order for the building to be
compatible with the adjacent cultural landscape and the historic district.
The proposed new building layout would include a parking
area for 15 cars and two recreational vehicles, concrete walkways and a new access road to
the parking area from the main road. Most of the ground disturbance would be in areas
already disturbed through the existing building or open areas.
"Tree removal will primarily be limited to the entrance
road," the NPS release states. "The parking area would be configured as a loop
to allow for easy ingress and egress of vehicles, while maintaining existing ground cover
and trees in the center."
In addition, the proposed building and parking area would be
located near the footprint of the original headquarters building and between existing
residential areas. Current road access to the existing building would no longer be used by
visitors and would be restricted to residential and administrative use.
The North Rim's original visitor center and administrative
building was destroyed by a fire in 1983. It was replaced the following year with a
premanufactured structure. According to the NPS, the current building has deteriorated
from the effects of North Rim weather and cannot handle the type of growth experienced
through traffic and a larger park staff.
Another project on the table would renovate the historic
North Rim entrance station which has fallen into disrepair. "The station has a very
poor ventilation system, resulting in park staff breathing auto exhaust fumes," the
NPS reports. "There are no permanent restrooms for staff or visitors. The single
entrance lane creates long lines and delays park staff and visitors. The signs in the area
are old and outdated."
Worn-out, leaky, undersized and shallow water lines would be
replaced with new pipes under a new project addressing the North Rim water distribution
system problems. New fire hydrants would also be part of this effort. The current water
lines are old and in poor condition, leaking an estimated 11,000 gallons per day. There
have also been problems with freezing pipes and water pressure too low to operate fire
sprinkler systems or satisfy even ordinary domestic needs.
And other projects proposed for the North Rim:
North Rim Campground upgrade and relocation of Lodge
Road would include road resurfacing, construction of a new fee collection stand,
parking area entry and four campsite access spurs. The NPS reports total disturbance of
about 0.3 acres.
North Rim emergency services building construction — A
4,193 square-foot building would consolidate all emergency medical services operations
into one location, replacing several smaller buildings.
North Rim wildland fire facility that would include a 5,300
square-foot space for housing a fire crew, 1,800 square feet for offices and 2,800 square
feet to house a fire engine, space for a helibase, fire cache and storage for hazardous
materials.
New restrooms — This project would include repair or
construction of restrooms at Cape Royal, Point Imperial, Widforss Trailhead, North Kaibab
Trailhead and Toroweep Overlook.
Old landfill rehabilitation — This project would rehab
two old landfills in the Marble Flats and Lindberg Hill areas. Capping landfills,
establishing runoff controls and installing monitoring wells would be part of the project.
Several more details on each of these North Rim projects,
including a detailed map of the proposals, can be obtained from the National Park Service.
Contact Sarah White, chief compliance officer, at 638-7956 for details on getting a copy
or for other questions.
January 20, 2001 Coyotes kill breeding-age Condors!
Hope that a breeding-age pair of California condors would
raise the first generation of young in the wilds of Arizona were dashed recently when they
were killed by coyotes near their rocky aerie at the Vermilion Cliffs.
The mated pair was raised in captivity at The Peregrine
Fund's breeding facility in Idaho and released in December along the remote Arizona Strip.
The 8-year-old birds joined another adult pair and 15 adolescent condors already testing
their wings in the Grand Canyon area.
According to field notes posted on The Peregrine Fund's Web
site, California condor recovery team members made a "heartbreaking" discovery
Christmas Day when the body of the adult female was found in a wash, apparently killed by
coyotes. The male condor met the same fate and was found four days later.
Both birds were believed to have been roosting at night on
the valley floor rather than on rocky ledges, a sign that they lacked sufficient survival
skills to elude coyotes and other predators.
The loss of the mating pair follows the deaths last June of
four young condors by lead poisoning.
With only 158 condors left on Earth, the deaths have forced
program managers to shelve plans to release adult condors of breeding age raised in
captivity, said Jeff Humphrey of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The other mated pair released last month at the Vermilion
Cliffs release site was recaptured and flown back Friday to The Peregrine Fund's World
Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho. They will be used for breeding purposes and will still
contribute to the effort to bring the condors back to Southwest skies, Humphrey said.
"This was an experiment and we learned from it. We're
realizing that without somehow modifying the captive program or our release procedure,
these birds don't yet have the skills required to be wild," he said.
"Initially, it was the recovery team's hope that we
could jumpstart condor reproduction in the wild by putting these reproductively mature
birds out," Humphrey said. Referring to condor reintroduction efforts in Europe, Asia
and Africa, Humphrey added: "The release of mature birds is the preferred technique
there, because the birds have passed their adolescent, curious and troublesome phase. They
tend to be more serious about reproduction and survival in the wild," Humphrey said.
But the four adult condors released in December exhibited no
such behavior. The older condors began to roost at night on the valley floor instead of
seeking safe haven on nearby rock ledges and lofty peaks, Humphrey said.
The condor recovery team also spent hours shooing the birds
to higher ground, but tragically, the lesson never took hold and two birds were killed
while roosting on the ground. "In hindsight, we can say that when they went out they
didn't have any survival skills; they were attempting to roost down for the evening on the
valley floor, where they were very susceptible to predation," Humphrey said.
The two pairs of mature condors were expected to breed
within a year or two.
"After four years of releases, we feel we are at the
bring of condors breeding in the wild in Arizona," said an optimistic William A.
Burnham, president of The Peregrine Fund several weeks before the adult condors were
killed. The two adult pairs of condors were also expected to "encourage more pair
bonding between the younger condors," Burnham added at the time.
Condor recovery team members had hoped the adult birds would
learn survival skills from the younger condors that have been living in the wild for a
year or more.
