Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program
The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) was officially established in 1997, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, in compliance with the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-575), and the 1996 Record of Decision which initiated the process “whereby the effects of dam operations on downstream resources would be monitored and assessed.” The implementation of the GCDAMP provided for flexibility in adapting the dam’s operations in order to facilitate continued scientific research and monitoring while allowing the project purposes for which the dam was constructed to continue. As environmental experimentation and studies continue to take place, it is important to recognize that the Secretary must continue to operate Glen Canyon Dam to meet the purposes established by Congress in law.