Public Input Requested On Plan To Save Native Fish At Glen Canyon

The National Park Service (NPS) is inviting the public to review and comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) aimed at preventing smallmouth bass (SMB) and other non-native fish from reproducing in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. This proposal, part of ongoing efforts to preserve native species, focuses on an area near River Mile -12 within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The plan involves channelizing a slough to lower the water temperature and increase the river's flow, making it less hospitable for SMB to reproduce. The Bureau of Reclamation is partnering with the NPS, providing funding and construction support for this important project. Public comments on the EA will be accepted through October 14, 2024.

The introduction of non-native fish species, including walleye, bluegill, and carp, occurred before the completion of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. These species, along with the dam's altered water flows, have disrupted the natural ecosystem and favored the spread of invasive sport fishes. Native fish, such as the humpback chub and razorback sucker, have struggled to thrive in the now colder and more controlled environment downstream of the dam.

In response, the Native Fish Ecological Conservation (NFEC) program was established in 2009 to help mitigate the dam's environmental impacts. Efforts include translocations of native species and control measures for non-native fish populations.

The Environmental Assessment is part of the National Environmental Policy Act's process, providing a framework for assessing the potential impacts of this proposal. The NPS encourages the public to submit comments either online or by mail. The address to mail comments is:

Superintendent,

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area,

P.O.Box 1507,

Page, Arizona 86040.

Get our free mobile app

Verbal, fax, and email comments will not be accepted. And remember, all comments due by October 14, 2024.