All 45 critical beaches in the three designated reaches of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon were once again “adopted” by guides in 1997 for our photo-matching beach monitoring program. During the past year, André Potochnik has been representing recreational river running interests in the Adaptive Management and Technical Work Groups established as part of the long term monitoring program by the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992. The Adopt-a-Beach program has therefore gained new meaning and has augmented its role in providing crucial information on the state of the beaches in the riverine corridor. The analysis of the data from the 1997 river season is currently in the works and should prove interesting in light of the steady high flows implemented last spring, and the subsequent tributary flooding during the monsoon season.
We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the guides who participated in our program last year. The photographs, along with your personal comments, have helped us immeasurably with the analysis and interpretation of the data. Many guides attending the recent gts have been generous enough to volunteer for the program once again. If you haven't yet signed up, there are plenty of beaches left, so get one (or two) now before your season starts! You can contact the gcrg office and we'll set you up with everything you need.
We'd also like to extend our thanks to the individuals and organizations that have provided financial support for the Adopt-a-Beach program. Their assistance coupled with the efforts of the guides volunteering for the program provides us with the means to become a more influential voice in dam management, and allows us to work towards our goal of conserving sand bar habitat in Grand Canyon.

Lynn Hamilton